Combinations

problem
Polydron

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

This activity investigates how you might make squares and pentominoes from Polydron.
problem
Five more coins

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Could Ben have any amount of money between 5p and £2 in his pocket if he has five coins?
problem
Tiles on a patio

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

How many ways can you find of tiling the square patio, using square tiles of different sizes?
problem
Little boxes

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

How many different cuboids can you make when you use four CDs or DVDs? How about using five, then six?
problem
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?
problem
Dice and spinner numbers

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

If you had any number of ordinary dice, what are the possible ways of making their totals 6? What would the product of the dice be each time?
problem
Room doubling

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Investigate the different ways you could split up these rooms so that you have double the number.
problem
It figures

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

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?
problem
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?
problem
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?