List

KS2 roadshow

Two Stones
game

Two stones

This game is known as Pong hau k'i in China and Ou-moul-ko-no in Korea. Why not challenge a friend to play it with you?

Nim-7
problem
Favourite

Nim-7

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
Can you work out how to win this game of Nim? Does it matter if you go first or second?
Four Triangles Puzzle
problem
Favourite

Four triangles puzzle

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star

Cut four triangles from a square as shown in the picture. How many different shapes can you make by fitting the four triangles back together?

What is the time?
problem
Favourite

What is the time?

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
Can you put these times on the clocks in order? You might like to arrange them in a circle.
Whose Face?
problem

Whose face?

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
These are the faces of Will, Lil, Bill, Phil and Jill. Use the clues to work out which name goes with each face.
Seeing Squares
problem
Favourite

Seeing squares

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star

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.

Magnifying glass
problem
Favourite

Number detective

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star

Follow the clues to find the mystery number.

Make 37 Poster
problem
Favourite

Make 37

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

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

Tangrams
problem

Tangrams

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

Can you make five differently sized squares from the interactive tangram pieces?

Teddy Town
problem

Teddy town

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

There are nine teddies in Teddy Town - three red, three blue and three yellow. There are also nine houses, three of each colour. Can you put them on the map of Teddy Town according to the rules?

Ladybird Box
problem

Ladybird box

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Place six toy ladybirds into the box so that there are two ladybirds in every column and every row.
Three by Three
problem

Three by three

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Arrange 3 red, 3 blue and 3 yellow counters into a three-by-three square grid, so that there is only one of each colour in every row and every column
Three Way Mix Up
problem

Three way mix up

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Jack has nine tiles. He put them together to make a square so that two tiles of the same colour were not beside each other. Can you find another way to do it?
Teddy Town
problem

Teddy town - part two

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

There are nine teddies in Teddy Town - three red, three blue and three yellow. There are also nine houses, three of each colour. Can you put them on the map of Teddy Town according to the rules?

Teddy Town
problem

Teddy town - part three

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

There are sixteen teddies in Teddy Town - four red, four blue, four yellow and four green. There are also sixteen houses, four of each colour. Can you put them on the map of Teddy Town according to the rules?

Teddy Town
problem

Teddy town - part four

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

There are twenty five teddies in Teddy Town - five red, five blue, five yellow, five green and five purple. There are also twenty five houses, five of each colour. Can you put them on the map of Teddy Town according to the rules?

Teddy Town
problem

Teddy town - part five

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

There are thirty six teddies in Teddy Town - six red, six blue, six yellow, six green, six purple and six turquoise. There are also thirty six houses, six of each colour. Can you put them on the map of Teddy Town according to the rules?

Four Colours
problem

Four colours

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Kate has eight multilink cubes. She has two red ones, two yellow, two green and two blue. She wants to fit them together to make a cube so that each colour shows on each face just once.
The Third Dimension
problem
Favourite

The third dimension

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star

Here are four cubes joined together. How many other arrangements of four cubes can you find? Can you draw them on dotty paper?

4 Dom
problem
Favourite

4 dom

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star
Use these four dominoes to make a square that has the same number of dots on each side.
Online
game

Online

A game for 2 players that can be played online. Players take it in turns to select a word from the 9 words given. The aim is to select all the occurrences of the same letter.
Factors and Multiples Game
game
Favourite

Factors and multiples game

A game in which players take it in turns to choose a number. Can you block your opponent?

Twinkle Twinkle
game

Twinkle twinkle

A game for 2 people. Take turns placing a counter on the star. You win when you have completed a line of 3 in your colour.
Dicey Operations
game
Favourite

Dicey operations

Who said that adding and subtracting couldn't be fun?

Shape Times Shape
problem
Favourite

Shape times shape

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star

These eleven shapes each stand for a different number. Can you use the number sentences to work out what they are?

First Connect Three
problem
Favourite

First connect three

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
Add or subtract the two numbers on the spinners and try to complete a row of three. Are there some numbers that are good to aim for?
Air Nets
problem

Air nets

Age
7 to 18
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
Can you visualise whether these nets fold up into 3D shapes? Watch the videos each time to see if you were correct.
Coded hundred square
problem
Favourite

Coded hundred square

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
This 100 square jigsaw is written in code. It starts with 1 and ends with 100. Can you build it up?
Less is More
problem
Favourite

Less is more

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
Use your knowledge of place value to try to win this game. How will you maximise your score?
More Less is More
problem
Favourite

More less is more

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star
In each of these games, you will need a little bit of luck, and your knowledge of place value to develop a winning strategy.
Dozens
problem
Favourite

Dozens

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
filled star empty star empty star

Can you select the missing digit(s) to find the largest multiple?

Odds and Threes
game

Odds and threes

A game for 2 people using a pack of cards Turn over 2 cards and try to make an odd number or a multiple of 3.

Colour in the Square
problem

Colour in the square

Age
7 to 16
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Can you put the 25 coloured tiles into the 5 x 5 square so that no column, no row and no diagonal line have tiles of the same colour in them?
Low Go
game

Low go

A game for 2 players. Take turns to place a counter so that it occupies one of the lowest possible positions in the grid. The first player to complete a line of 4 wins.
Fifteen
game

Fifteen

Can you spot the similarities between this game and other games you know? The aim is to choose 3 numbers that total 15.

Sets of Numbers
problem

Sets of numbers

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
How many different sets of numbers with at least four members can you find in the numbers in this box?
Got It
problem
Favourite

Got it

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

A game for two people, or play online. Given a target number, say 23, and a range of numbers to choose from, say 1-4, players take it in turns to add to the running total to hit their target.

Remainders
problem
Favourite

Remainders

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

I'm thinking of a number. My number is both a multiple of 5 and a multiple of 6. What could my number be?

Roll these Dice
problem
Favourite

Roll these dice

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

Roll two red dice and a green dice. Add the two numbers on the red dice and take away the number on the green. What are all the different possible answers?

Square tangram
problem

Square tangram

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
This was a problem for our birthday website. Can you use four of these pieces to form a square? How about making a square with all five pieces?
Bean Bags for Bernard's Bag
problem

Bean bags for Bernard's bag

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star

How could you put eight beanbags in the hoops so that there are four in the blue hoop, five in the red and six in the yellow? Can you find all the ways of doing this?

Domino Square
problem
Favourite

Domino square

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Use the 'double-3 down' dominoes to make a square so that each side has eight dots.
Factor track
problem
Favourite

Factor track

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Factor track is not a race but a game of skill. The idea is to go round the track in as few moves as possible, keeping to the rules.
Number Sandwiches
problem

Number sandwiches

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Can you arrange the digits 1, 1, 2, 2, 3 and 3 to make a Number Sandwich?
Prime Magic
problem

Prime magic

Age
7 to 16
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Place the numbers 1, 2, 3,..., 9 one on each square of a 3 by 3 grid so that all the rows and columns add up to a prime number. How many different solutions can you find?
Dominoes
game

Dominoes

Everthing you have always wanted to do with dominoes! Some of these games are good for practising your mental calculation skills, and some are good for your reasoning skills.
Add 3 Dice
problem

Add 3 dice

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Three dice are placed in a row. Find a way to turn each one so that the three numbers on top of the dice total the same as the three numbers on the front of the dice. Can you find all the ways to do this?
Creating Cubes
problem

Creating cubes

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Arrange 9 red cubes, 9 blue cubes and 9 yellow cubes into a large 3 by 3 cube. No row or column of cubes must contain two cubes of the same colour.
Mystery Matrix
problem
Favourite

Mystery matrix

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star empty star
Can you fill in this table square? The numbers 2 -12 were used to generate it with just one number used twice.
Pentanim
game

Pentanim

A game for 2 players with similarities to NIM. Place one counter on each spot on the games board. Players take it is turns to remove 1 or 2 adjacent counters. The winner picks up the last counter.
Counter Roundup
game

Counter roundup

A game for 1 or 2 people. Use the interactive version, or play with friends. Try to round up as many counters as possible.
Seven Flipped
problem

Seven flipped

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star
Investigate the smallest number of moves it takes to turn these mats upside-down if you can only turn exactly three at a time.
Tea Cups
problem

Tea cups

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star
Place the 16 different combinations of cup/saucer in this 4 by 4 arrangement so that no row or column contains more than one cup or saucer of the same colour.
Penta Place
problem

Penta place

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star
Penta people, the Pentominoes, always build their houses from five square rooms. I wonder how many different Penta homes you can create?
Eight Dominoes
problem

Eight dominoes

Age
7 to 16
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star
Using the 8 dominoes make a square where each of the columns and rows adds up to 8
Family Tree
problem

Family tree

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star
Use the clues to find out who's who in the family, to fill in the family tree and to find out which of the family members are mathematicians and which are not.
Two and Two
problem
Favourite

Two and two

Age
7 to 16
Challenge level
filled star filled star filled star

How many solutions can you find to this sum? Each of the different letters stands for a different number.

Domino Magic Rectangle
game

Domino magic rectangle

An ordinary set of dominoes can be laid out as a 7 by 4 magic rectangle in which all the spots in all the columns add to 24, while those in the rows add to 42. Try it! Now try the magic square...