This is part of our collection of favourite rich tasks arranged by topic.

If you are a teacher, you can find the whole collection on our Primary Curriculum teacher page.
Alternatively, if you are a student, you'll find the same problems on our Primary Curriculum student page.


  • Catrina's Cards
    problem
    Favourite

    Catrina's Cards

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    How would you find out how many football cards Catrina has collected?

  • Five sticks of linked cubes of decreasing length, with the colours in rainbow order.
    problem
    Favourite

    Making Sticks

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Kimie and Sebastian were lining up sticks of lengths two and three. What lengths could they make their lines?

  • Are you well Balanced?
    problem
    Favourite

    Are You Well Balanced?

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Can you work out how to make each side of this balance equally balanced? You can put more than one weight on a hook.

  • Clapping Times
    problem
    Favourite

    Clapping Times

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    If you count from 1 to 20 and clap more loudly on the numbers in the two times table, as well as saying those numbers loudly, which numbers will be loud?

  • An arrow target with three arrows sticking out of the centre section.
    problem
    Favourite

    Two-Digit Targets

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    You have a set of the digits from 0 to 9. Can you arrange these in the five boxes to make two-digit numbers as close to the targets as possible?

  • Even and odd
    problem
    Favourite

    Even and Odd

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    This group activity is all about representing and adding odd and even numbers.

  • I Like ...
    problem
    Favourite

    I Like ...

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Mr Gilderdale is playing a game with his class. What rule might he have chosen? How would you test your idea?

  • Our Numbers
    problem
    Favourite

    Our Numbers

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Which special types of numbers will you make with these tens and ones spinners?

  • problem
    Favourite

    Cube Bricks and Daisy Chains

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Daisy and Akram have made some number patterns. Can you find out which pattern is longer?

  • Double or Halve?
    problem
    Favourite

    Double or Halve?

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Throw the dice and decide whether to double or halve the number. Will you be the first to reach the target?

  • Birthday Sharing
    problem
    Favourite

    Birthday Sharing

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    It's Sahila's birthday and she is having a party. How could you answer these questions using a picture, with things, with numbers or symbols?

  • Tables Teaser
    problem
    Favourite

    Tables Teaser

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    How will you work out which numbers have been used to create this multiplication square?

  • problem
    Favourite

    Biscuit Decorations

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Andrew decorated 20 biscuits to take to a party. He lined them up and put icing on every second biscuit and different decorations on other biscuits. How many biscuits weren't decorated?

  • Share Bears
    problem
    Favourite

    Share Bears

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Yasmin and Zach have some bears to share. Which numbers of bears can they share so that there are none left over?

  • Same Length Trains
    problem
    Favourite

    Same Length Trains

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    How many trains can you make which are the same length as Matt's and Katie's, using rods that are identical?

  • Shut the box
    problem
    Favourite

    Shut the Box

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    An old game with lots of arithmetic!

  • Lots of Biscuits!
    problem
    Favourite

    Lots of Biscuits!

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Help share out the biscuits the children have made.

  • problem
    Favourite

    Pairs of Numbers

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Which numbers can you put into pairs that add to 10? Which ones do you have to leave out?

  • What Could \It Be?
    problem
    Favourite

    What Could It Be?

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    In this calculation, the box represents a missing digit. What could the digit be?

  • Two dice, each showing five.
    problem
    Favourite

    Doubling Fives

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    This activity focuses on doubling multiples of five.

  • Eightness of Eight
    problem
    Favourite

    Eightness of Eight

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    What do you see as you watch this video? Can you create a similar video for the number 12?

  • Magic Plant
    problem
    Favourite

    Magic Plant

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    On Friday the magic plant was only 2 centimetres tall. Every day it doubled its height. How tall was it on Monday?

  • Number Round Up
    problem
    Favourite

    Number Round Up

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Arrange the numbers 1 to 6 so that the sum of each side of the triangle equals the number in its centre.

  • problem
    Favourite

    Grouping Goodies

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Pat counts her sweets in different groups and both times she has some left over. How many sweets could she have had?

  • Heads and Feet
    problem
    Favourite

    Heads and Feet

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    On a farm there were some animals with 8 heads and 22 feet altogether. How many hens were there?

  • Lots of Lollies
    problem
    Favourite

    Lots of Lollies

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Frances and Rishi were given a bag of lollies. They shared them out evenly and had one left over. How many lollies could there have been in the bag?

  • Ring a Ring of Numbers
    problem
    Favourite

    Ring a Ring of Numbers

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Choose four numbers to put in the squares so that the differences between joined squares are odd.

  • Little Man
    problem
    Favourite

    Little Man

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    The Man is much smaller than us. Can you use the picture of him next to a mug to estimate his height and how much tea he drinks?

  • Making Longer, Making Shorter
    problem
    Favourite

    Making Longer, Making Shorter

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Ahmed is making rods using different numbers of cubes. Which rod is twice the length of his first rod?

  • Secret Number
    problem
    Favourite

    Secret Number

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Annie and Ben are playing a game with a calculator. What was Annie's secret number?

  • Light the Lights
    problem
    Favourite

    Light the Lights

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Which numbers make these lights come on? Do any numbers light up all the lights?

  • Pairs of legs
    problem
    Favourite

    Pairs of Legs

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    How many legs do each of these creatures have? How many pairs is that?

  • problem
    Favourite

    The Amazing Splitting Plant

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    Can you work out how many flowers there will be on this plant after six weeks?

  • The tomato and the bean
    problem
    Favourite

    The Tomato and the Bean

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    Tom had a tomato plant and he sowed a bean seed. When will the two plants be the same height?

  • problem
    Favourite

    The Brown Family

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    Use the information about Sally and her brother to find out how many children there are in the Brown family.

  • More Numbers in the Ring
    problem
    Favourite

    More Numbers in the Ring

    Age
    5 to 7
    Challenge level
    3 out of 3

    If there are 3 squares in the ring, can you place three different numbers in them so that their differences are odd? Try with different numbers of squares around the ring. What do you notice?

  • I'm Eight
    problem
    Favourite

    I'm Eight

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Find a great variety of ways of asking questions which make 8.

  • Magnifying glass
    problem
    Favourite

    Number Detective

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Follow the clues to find the mystery number.

  • Break it up!
    problem
    Favourite

    Break It Up!

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    In how many different ways can you break up a stick of seven interlocking cubes? Now try with a stick of eight cubes and a stick of six cubes. What do you notice?

  • Ip Dip
    problem
    Favourite

    Ip Dip

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    "Ip dip sky blue! Who's 'it'? It's you!" Where would you position yourself to be chosen?

  • Largest Even
    problem
    Favourite

    Largest Even

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    How would you create the largest possible two-digit even number using the digit you're given?

  • Take three numbers
    problem
    Favourite

    Take Three Numbers

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    What happens when you add three numbers together? Will your answer be odd or even?

  • Doing and undoing
    problem
    Favourite

    Doing and Undoing

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    This investigation involving the four operations looks at doing and undoing.

  • Always, Sometimes or Never?
    problem
    Favourite

    Always, Sometimes or Never?

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Are these statements relating to odd and even numbers always, sometimes or never true?

  • Carroll Diagrams
    problem
    Favourite

    Carroll Diagrams

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Use the interactivities to fill in these Carroll diagrams. How do you know where to place the numbers?

  • Fair Feast
    problem
    Favourite

    Fair Feast

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    1 out of 3

    Here is a picnic that Petros and Michael are going to share equally. Can you tell us what each of them will have?

  • problem
    Favourite

    The Puzzling Sweet Shop

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    What could each of the children buy in the sweet shop?

  • Make 37 Poster
    problem
    Favourite

    Make 37

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Four bags contain 1s, 3s, 5s and 7s. Can you pick ten numbers from the bags so that their total is 37?

  • Growing Garlic
    problem
    Favourite

    Growing Garlic

    Age
    5 to 11
    Challenge level
    2 out of 3

    Ben and his mum are planting garlic. Can you find out how many cloves of garlic they might have had?