Primary Live Problems

Each time you visit the NRICH site there will be some activities which are 'live'. That means we are inviting you and your students to send us solutions and we will publish a selection of them, along with your students' names and school, in a few weeks' time. If you'd like to know more about what we're looking for, read this short article.

Please note that these activities will stop being live after Monday 8 July.

Unexpected Orderinglive

Age 5 to 7 Challenge Level:

Watch the video of Fran re-ordering these number cards. What do you notice? Try it for yourself. What happens?

What's in a Name?live

Age 5 to 7 Challenge Level:

What do you notice about these squares of numbers? What is the same? What is different?

Digit Additionlive

Age 5 to 11 Challenge Level:

Try out this number trick. What happens with different starting numbers? What do you notice?

Surprising Splitlive

Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Does this 'trick' for calculating multiples of 11 always work? Why or why not?

Truth or Lielive

Age 7 to 11 Challenge Level:

Take a look at the video of this trick. Can you perform it yourself? Why is this maths and not magic?

The Number Jumblerlive

Age 7 to 14 Challenge Level:

The Number Jumbler can always work out your chosen symbol. Can you work out how?

Your Number Is...live

Age 7 to 14 Challenge Level:

Think of a number and follow the machine's instructions... I know what your number is! Can you explain how I know?

Neighbourly Additionlive

Age 7 to 14 Challenge Level:

I added together some of my neighbours house numbers. Can you explain the patterns I noticed?