As you come down the ladders of the Tall Tower you collect useful spells. Which way should you go to collect the most spells?
Put operations signs between the numbers 3 4 5 6 to make the highest possible number and lowest possible number.
Can you see how these factor-multiple chains work? Find the chain which contains the smallest possible numbers. How about the largest possible numbers?
Number problems at primary level that require careful consideration.
Use these head, body and leg pieces to make Robot Monsters which are different heights.
Can you find different ways of creating paths using these paving slabs?
Each child in Class 3 took four numbers out of the bag. Who had made the highest even number?
Place this "worm" on the 100 square and find the total of the four squares it covers. Keeping its head in the same place, what other totals can you make?
Use the numbers and symbols to make this number sentence correct. How many different ways can you find?
Move from the START to the FINISH by moving across or down to the next square. Can you find a route to make these totals?
Can you draw a continuous line through 16 numbers on this grid so that the total of the numbers you pass through is as high as possible?
These sixteen children are standing in four lines of four, one behind the other. They are each holding a card with a number on it. Can you work out the missing numbers?
In this 100 square, look at the green square which contains the numbers 2, 3, 12 and 13. What is the sum of the numbers that are diagonally opposite each other? What do you notice?
Twizzle, a female giraffe, needs transporting to another zoo. Which route will give the fastest journey?
These caterpillars have 16 parts. What different shapes do they make if each part lies in the small squares of a 4 by 4 square?
How have the numbers been placed in this Carroll diagram? Which labels would you put on each row and column?
How would you create the largest possible two-digit even number from the digit I've given you and one of your choice?
Some children have been doing different tasks. Can you see who was the winner?
Complete these two jigsaws then put one on top of the other. What happens when you add the 'touching' numbers? What happens when you change the position of the jigsaws?
Can you each work out the number on your card? What do you notice? How could you sort the cards?
Can you make a train the same length as Laura's but using three differently coloured rods? Is there only one way of doing it?
Number problems for inquiring primary learners.
There are nasty versions of this dice game but we'll start with the nice ones...
How have the numbers been placed in this Carroll diagram? Which labels would you put on each row and column?
Don't get rid of your old calendars! You can get a lot more mathematical mileage out of them before they are thrown away. These activities, using cut up dates from the calendar, provide numbers to. . . .
In your bank, you have three types of coins. The number of spots shows how much they are worth. Can you choose coins to exchange with the groups given to make the same total?
There are ten children in Becky's group. Can you find a set of numbers for each of them? Are there any other sets?
Can you hang weights in the right place to make the equaliser balance?
Investigate what happens when you add house numbers along a street in different ways.
There are six numbers written in five different scripts. Can you sort out which is which?
Can you work out the domino pieces which would go in the middle in each case to complete the pattern of these eight sets of 3 dominoes?
Buzzy Bee was building a honeycomb. She decorated the honeycomb with a pattern using numbers. Can you discover Buzzy's pattern and fill in the empty cells for her?
Use the number weights to find different ways of balancing the equaliser.
Would you rather: Have 10% of £5 or 75% of 80p? Be given 60% of 2 pizzas or 26% of 5 pizzas?
Investigate which numbers make these lights come on. What is the smallest number you can find that lights up all the lights?
Can you put the numbers from 1 to 15 on the circles so that no consecutive numbers lie anywhere along a continuous straight line?
Some Games That May Be Nice or Nasty for an adult and child. Use your knowledge of place value to beat your opponent.
Use the interactivities to fill in these Carroll diagrams. How do you know where to place the numbers?
Mr Gilderdale is playing a game with his class. What rule might he have chosen? How would you test your idea?
Jack's mum bought some candles to use on his birthday cakes and when his sister was born, she used them on her cakes too. Can you use the information to find out when Kate was born?
Some of the numbers have fallen off Becky's number line. Can you figure out what they were?
Can you complete this jigsaw of the multiplication square?
Use the fraction wall to compare the size of these fractions - you'll be amazed how it helps!
Find the exact difference between the largest ball and the smallest ball on the Hepta Tree and then use this to work out the MAGIC NUMBER!
Look at the changes in results on some of the athletics track events at the Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948. Compare the results for 2012.
Once a basic number sense has developed for numbers up to ten, a strong 'sense of ten' needs to be developed as a foundation for both place value and mental calculations.
Look at some of the results from the Olympic Games in the past. How do you compare if you try some similar activities?
These interactive dominoes can be dragged around the screen.