Sweets are given out to party-goers in a particular way. Investigate the total number of sweets received by people sitting in different positions.
How many ways can you find to do up all four buttons on my coat? How about if I had five buttons? Six ...?
While we were sorting some papers we found 3 strange sheets which seemed to come from small books but there were page numbers at the foot of each page. Did the pages come from the same book?
Polygonal numbers are those that are arranged in shapes as they enlarge. Explore the polygonal numbers drawn here.
This challenge, written for the Young Mathematicians' Award, invites you to explore 'centred squares'.
Only one side of a two-slice toaster is working. What is the quickest way to toast both sides of three slices of bread?
Two children made up a game as they walked along the garden paths. Can you find out their scores? Can you find some paths of your own?
Can you find all the ways to get 15 at the top of this triangle of numbers? Many opportunities to work in different ways.
How can you arrange these 10 matches in four piles so that when you move one match from three of the piles into the fourth, you end up with the same arrangement?
This task follows on from Build it Up and takes the ideas into three dimensions!
Take a look at the video of this trick. Can you perform it yourself? Why is this maths and not magic?
Can you continue this pattern of triangles and begin to predict how many sticks are used for each new "layer"?
Find the sum and difference between a pair of two-digit numbers. Now find the sum and difference between the sum and difference! What happens?
This problem challenges you to find out how many odd numbers there are between pairs of numbers. Can you find a pair of numbers that has four odds between them?
An investigation that gives you the opportunity to make and justify predictions.
Can you make dice stairs using the rules stated? How do you know you have all the possible stairs?
Tom and Ben visited Numberland. Use the maps to work out the number of points each of their routes scores.
This challenge is about finding the difference between numbers which have the same tens digit.
This challenge focuses on finding the sum and difference of pairs of two-digit numbers.
Surprise your friends with this magic square trick.
Here are some arrangements of circles. How many circles would I need to make the next size up for each? Can you create your own arrangement and investigate the number of circles it needs?
In this calculation, the box represents a missing digit. What could the digit be? What would the solution be in each case?
These squares have been made from Cuisenaire rods. Can you describe the pattern? What would the next square look like?
Can you put the numbers 1-5 in the V shape so that both 'arms' have the same total?
This challenge encourages you to explore dividing a three-digit number by a single-digit number.
We can arrange dots in a similar way to the 5 on a dice and they usually sit quite well into a rectangular shape. How many altogether in this 3 by 5? What happens for other sizes?
What happens when you round these three-digit numbers to the nearest 100?
What can you say about these shapes? This problem challenges you to create shapes with different areas and perimeters.
If there are 3 squares in the ring, can you place three different numbers in them so that their differences are odd? Try with different numbers of squares around the ring. What do you notice?
Try out this number trick. What happens with different starting numbers? What do you notice?
Use your addition and subtraction skills, combined with some strategic thinking, to beat your partner at this game.
Stop the Clock game for an adult and child. How can you make sure you always win this game?
Frances and Rishi were given a bag of lollies. They shared them out evenly and had one left over. How many lollies could there have been in the bag?
Watch this animation. What do you see? Can you explain why this happens?
Compare the numbers of particular tiles in one or all of these three designs, inspired by the floor tiles of a church in Cambridge.
How many different journeys could you make if you were going to visit four stations in this network? How about if there were five stations? Can you predict the number of journeys for seven stations?
What happens if you join every second point on this circle? How about every third point? Try with different steps and see if you can predict what will happen.
In a Magic Square all the rows, columns and diagonals add to the 'Magic Constant'. How would you change the magic constant of this square?
Watch this animation. What do you notice? What happens when you try more or fewer cubes in a bundle?
This is a game for two players. Can you find out how to be the first to get to 12 o'clock?
Can you dissect an equilateral triangle into 6 smaller ones? What number of smaller equilateral triangles is it NOT possible to dissect a larger equilateral triangle into?
Find the sum of all three-digit numbers each of whose digits is odd.
Take a counter and surround it by a ring of other counters that MUST touch two others. How many are needed?
Put the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 into the squares so that the numbers on each circle add up to the same amount. Can you find the rule for giving another set of six numbers?
Can you work out how to win this game of Nim? Does it matter if you go first or second?
Florence, Ethan and Alma have each added together two 'next-door' numbers. What is the same about their answers?
Try adding together the dates of all the days in one week. Now multiply the first date by 7 and add 21. Can you explain what happens?
Ben and his mum are planting garlic. Can you find out how many cloves of garlic they might have had?
In each of the pictures the invitation is for you to: Count what you see. Identify how you think the pattern would continue.