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
In a bowl there are 4 Chocolates, 3 Jellies and 5 Mints. Find a way to share the sweets between the three children so they each get the kind they like. Is there more than one way to do it?
Put 10 counters in a row. Find a way to arrange the counters into five pairs, evenly spaced in a row, in just 5 moves, using the rules.
Place eight queens on an chessboard (an 8 by 8 grid) so that none can capture any of the others.
Place eight dots on this diagram, so that there are only two dots on each straight line and only two dots on each circle.
Rocco ran in a 200 m race for his class. Use the information to find out how many runners there were in the race and what Rocco's finishing position was.
Take a counter and surround it by a ring of other counters that MUST touch two others. How many are needed?
Here are some ideas to try in the classroom for using counters to investigate number patterns.
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?
Investigate the different shaped bracelets you could make from 18 different spherical beads. How do they compare if you use 24 beads?
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?
An article for teachers which first appeared in the MA's Equals journal, featuring activities which use counters.
Can you deduce the pattern that has been used to lay out these bottle tops?
The game uses a 3x3 square board. 2 players take turns to play, either placing a red on an empty square, or changing a red to orange, or orange to green. The player who forms 3 of 1 colour in a line. . . .
This article for primary teachers outlines how using counters can support mathematical teaching and learning.
Use the ratio of cashew nuts to peanuts to find out how many peanuts Rachel has. What would the ratio be if Rachel and Marianne mixed their bags?