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 smallest cuboid that you can put in this box so that you cannot fit another that's the same into it?
This practical investigation invites you to make tessellating shapes in a similar way to the artist Escher.
I cut this square into two different shapes. What can you say about the relationship between them?
Investigate these hexagons drawn from different sized equilateral triangles.
The ancient Egyptians were said to make right-angled triangles using a rope with twelve equal sections divided by knots. What other triangles could you make if you had a rope like this?
What happens to the area of a square if you double the length of the sides? Try the same thing with rectangles, diamonds and other shapes. How do the four smaller ones fit into the larger one?
These pictures were made by starting with a square, finding the half-way point on each side and joining those points up. You could investigate your own starting shape.
In this challenge, you will work in a group to investigate circular fences enclosing trees that are planted in square or triangular arrangements.
An activity making various patterns with 2 x 1 rectangular tiles.
How many different cuboids can you make when you use four CDs or DVDs? How about using five, then six?
Arrange your fences to make the largest rectangular space you can. Try with four fences, then five, then six etc.
What do these two triangles have in common? How are they related?
Can you find ways of joining cubes together so that 28 faces are visible?
Investigate the number of paths you can take from one vertex to another in these 3D shapes. Is it possible to take an odd number and an even number of paths to the same vertex?
This practical problem challenges you to create shapes and patterns with two different types of triangle. You could even try overlapping them.
A description of some experiments in which you can make discoveries about triangles.
Can you make the most extraordinary, the most amazing, the most unusual patterns/designs from these triangles which are made in a special way?
What is the largest cuboid you can wrap in an A3 sheet of paper?
How many different shaped boxes can you design for 36 sweets in one layer? Can you arrange the sweets so that no sweets of the same colour are next to each other in any direction?
How can you arrange the 5 cubes so that you need the smallest number of Brush Loads of paint to cover them? Try with other numbers of cubes as well.
Make new patterns from simple turning instructions. You can have a go using pencil and paper or with a floor robot.
Using different numbers of sticks, how many different triangles are you able to make? Can you make any rules about the numbers of sticks that make the most triangles?
Can you find out how the 6-triangle shape is transformed in these tessellations? Will the tessellations go on for ever? Why or why not?
We went to the cinema and decided to buy some bags of popcorn so we asked about the prices. Investigate how much popcorn each bag holds so find out which we might have bought.
Can you make these equilateral triangles fit together to cover the paper without any gaps between them? Can you tessellate isosceles triangles?
A group of children are discussing the height of a tall tree. How would you go about finding out its height?
How many faces can you see when you arrange these three cubes in different ways?
We need to wrap up this cube-shaped present, remembering that we can have no overlaps. What shapes can you find to use?
Let's say you can only use two different lengths - 2 units and 4 units. Using just these 2 lengths as the edges how many different cuboids can you make?
How many models can you find which obey these rules?
Use the interactivity to find all the different right-angled triangles you can make by just moving one corner of the starting triangle.
This challenge involves eight three-cube models made from interlocking cubes. Investigate different ways of putting the models together then compare your constructions.
What is the largest number of circles we can fit into the frame without them overlapping? How do you know? What will happen if you try the other shapes?
I like to walk along the cracks of the paving stones, but not the outside edge of the path itself. How many different routes can you find for me to take?
Suppose we allow ourselves to use three numbers less than 10 and multiply them together. How many different products can you find? How do you know you've got them all?
In this investigation, you must try to make houses using cubes. If the base must not spill over 4 squares and you have 7 cubes which stand for 7 rooms, what different designs can you come up with?
In my local town there are three supermarkets which each has a special deal on some products. If you bought all your shopping in one shop, where would be the cheapest?
Cut differently-sized square corners from a square piece of paper to make boxes without lids. Do they all have the same volume?
Take 5 cubes of one colour and 2 of another colour. How many different ways can you join them if the 5 must touch the table and the 2 must not touch the table?
What is the smallest number of tiles needed to tile this patio? Can you investigate patios of different sizes?
Can you continue this pattern of triangles and begin to predict how many sticks are used for each new "layer"?
Use the interactivity to investigate what kinds of triangles can be drawn on peg boards with different numbers of pegs.
This challenge involves calculating the number of candles needed on birthday cakes. It is an opportunity to explore numbers and discover new things.
How many shapes can you build from three red and two green cubes? Can you use what you've found out to predict the number for four red and two green?
How many different ways can you find of fitting five hexagons together? How will you know you have found all the ways?
Bernard Bagnall looks at what 'problem solving' might really mean in the context of primary classrooms.