Picturing Quadrilaterals

Most learners are reasonably confident about being able to recognise the most common quadrilaterals, in particular squares, parallelograms and rhombuses. The problems and games in this feature will challenge your learners to visualise quadrilaterials and may help them gain a better understanding of their properties.

The last day for sending in solutions to the live problems is Monday 15 May.

You can watch a recording of the webinar in which we discussed the mathematical thinking that can be prompted by these activities.

Complete the Square 

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Complete the squares - but be warned some are trickier than they look!

Poly Plug Rectangles 

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
The computer has made a rectangle and will tell you the number of spots it uses in total. Can you find out where the rectangle is?

Seeing Squares 

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Players take it in turns to choose a dot on the grid. The winner is the first to have four dots that can be joined to form a square.

Square Corners 

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
What is the greatest number of counters you can place on the grid below without four of them lying at the corners of a square?

Seeing Parallelograms 

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Players take it in turns to choose a dot on the grid. The winner is the first to have four dots that can be joined to form a parallelogram.

Stringy Quads 

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
This practical problem challenges you to make quadrilaterals with a loop of string. You'll need some friends to help!

Seeing Rhombuses 

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Players take it in turns to choose a dot on the grid. The winner is the first to have four dots that can be joined to form a rhombus.

Eight Hidden Squares 

Age 7 to 14
Challenge Level
On the graph there are 28 marked points. These points all mark the vertices (corners) of eight hidden squares. Can you find the eight hidden squares?