Maths Outside

You might have heard people say, "Maths is all around us!". Is that true? What do you think?

The tasks in this feature are all inspired by the outdoors. We hope that they hook you in, give you the chance to reason mathematically and, in particular, encourage you to look more carefully at your own environment and ask your own mathematical questions. We hope you enjoy being mathematical outside.

Obstacle Course 

Age 3 to 5
As children move around an obstacle course, adults can model positional language, encourage children to describe their movement themselves and create their own course.

Can You Do it Too? 

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Try some throwing activities and see whether you can throw something as far as the Olympic hammer or discus throwers.

Street Sequences 

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Investigate what happens when you add house numbers along a street in different ways.

Growing Garlic 

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Ben and his mum are planting garlic. Can you find out how many cloves of garlic they might have had?

Circle Panes 

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Look at the mathematics that is all around us - this circular window is a wonderful example.

Timber! 

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
How can the school caretaker be sure that the tree would miss the school buildings if it fell?