Other tags that relate to Polygonals
Describing patterns and sequences. Factors and multiples. Combinations. Working systematically. Multiplication & division. Investigations. Addition & subtraction. Generalising. Practical Activity. Visualising.There are 342 results
Broad Topics > Thinking Mathematically > Working systematically
Ice Cream
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
You cannot choose a selection of ice cream flavours that includes totally what someone has already chosen. Have a go and find all the different ways in which seven children can have ice cream.
3 Rings
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
If you have three circular objects, you could arrange them so that they are separate, touching, overlapping or inside each other. Can you investigate all the different possibilities?
Halloween Investigation
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Ana and Ross looked in a trunk in the attic. They found old cloaks and gowns, hats and masks. How many possible costumes could they make?
Magazines
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Let's suppose that you are going to have a magazine which has 16 pages of A5 size. Can you find some different ways to make these pages? Investigate the pattern for each if you number the pages.
Newspapers
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
When newspaper pages get separated at home we have to try to sort them out and get things in the correct order. How many ways can we arrange these pages so that the numbering may be different?
Street Party
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
The challenge here is to find as many routes as you can for a fence to go so that this town is divided up into two halves, each with 8 blocks.
Calcunos
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
If we had 16 light bars which digital numbers could we make? How will you know you've found them all?
Symmetry Challenge
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Systematically explore the range of symmetric designs that can be created by shading parts of the motif below. Use normal square lattice paper to record your results.
How Many Times?
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
On a digital 24 hour clock, at certain times, all the digits are consecutive. How many times like this are there between midnight and 7 a.m.?
Ancient Runes
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
The Vikings communicated in writing by making simple scratches on wood or stones called runes. Can you work out how their code works using the table of the alphabet?
Seven Pots of Plants
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
There are seven pots of plants in a greenhouse. They have lost their labels. Perhaps you can help re-label them.
Two Dots
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Place eight dots on this diagram, so that there are only two dots on each straight line and only two dots on each circle.
Birthday Cake Candles
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
This challenge involves calculating the number of candles needed on birthday cakes. It is an opportunity to explore numbers and discover new things.
Team Scream
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Seven friends went to a fun fair with lots of scary rides. They decided to pair up for rides until each friend had ridden once with each of the others. What was the total number rides?
Make Pairs
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
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.
Finding All Possibilities Upper Primary
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
These activities focus on finding all possible solutions so if you work in a systematic way, you won't leave any out.
Ribbon Squares
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
What is the largest 'ribbon square' you can make? And the smallest? How many different squares can you make altogether?
Seating Arrangements
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Sitting around a table are three girls and three boys. Use the clues to work out were each person is sitting.
Crack the Code
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
The Zargoes use almost the same alphabet as English. What does this birthday message say?
Bean Bags for Bernard's Bag
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
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?
A Child Is Full of ...
Age 7 to 11 Short
Challenge Level
My cousin was 24 years old on Friday April 5th in 1974. On what day of the week was she born?
Ordered Ways of Working Upper Primary
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
These activities lend themselves to systematic working in the sense that it helps to have an ordered approach.
Home City
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Use the clues to work out which cities Mohamed, Sheng, Tanya and Bharat live in.
Calendar Cubes
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Make a pair of cubes that can be moved to show all the days of the month from the 1st to the 31st.
Sticks and Triangles
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
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?
Fake Gold
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
A merchant brings four bars of gold to a jeweller. How can the jeweller use the scales just twice to identify the lighter, fake bar?
Bunny Hop
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
What is the smallest number of jumps needed before the white rabbits and the grey rabbits can continue along their path?
Ordered Ways of Working Upper Primary
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
These activities lend themselves to systematic working in the sense that it helps if you have an ordered approach.
Sweets in a Box
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
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?
Making Cuboids
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
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?
Professional Circles
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Six friends sat around a circular table. Can you work out from the information who sat where and what their profession were?
Buying a Balloon
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Lolla bought a balloon at the circus. She gave the clown six coins to pay for it. What could Lolla have paid for the balloon?
Possible Pieces
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Can you create jigsaw pieces which are based on a square shape, with at least one peg and one hole?
Pasta Timing
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Nina must cook some pasta for 15 minutes but she only has a 7-minute sand-timer and an 11-minute sand-timer. How can she use these timers to measure exactly 15 minutes?
Building with Rods
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
In how many ways can you stack these rods, following the rules?
Elf Suits
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
If these elves wear a different outfit every day for as many days as possible, how many days can their fun last?
Polo Square
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Arrange eight of the numbers between 1 and 9 in the Polo Square below so that each side adds to the same total.
Crossing the Town Square
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
This tricky challenge asks you to find ways of going across rectangles, going through exactly ten squares.
Centred Squares
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
This challenge, written for the Young Mathematicians' Award, invites you to explore 'centred squares'.
Stairs
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
This challenge is to design different step arrangements, which must go along a distance of 6 on the steps and must end up at 6 high.
Cubes Here and There
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
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?
Finding All Possibilities Upper Primary
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
These activities focus on finding all possible solutions so working in a systematic way will ensure none are left out.
Train Carriages
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Suppose there is a train with 24 carriages which are going to be put together to make up some new trains. Can you find all the ways that this can be done?
It's All about 64
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Write the numbers up to 64 in an interesting way so that the shape they make at the end is interesting, different, more exciting ... than just a square.
Family Tree
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
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.
Chocs, Mints, Jellies
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
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?
Eight Queens
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Place eight queens on an chessboard (an 8 by 8 grid) so that none can capture any of the others.
Watch Your Feet
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
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?
This Pied Piper of Hamelin
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Investigate the different numbers of people and rats there could have been if you know how many legs there are altogether!
Three by Three
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
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
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.