Exploring and noticing

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Learning mathematics through games series: 4. From strategy games

Basic strategy games are particularly suitable as starting points for investigations. Players instinctively try to discover a winning strategy, and usually the best way to do this is to analyse the outcomes of series of 'moves'. With a little encouragement from the teacher, a mathematical investigation is born.
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Pattern sniffing

This article for primary teachers outlines how we can encourage children to create, identify, extend and explain number patterns and why being able to do so is useful.
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Approaching midnight: first or second?

Age

7 to 14

Jennie tried the Approaching Midnight game and wondered if it matters whether you go first or second.
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Approaching midnight: start time

Age

7 to 14

Bernard played Approaching Midnight and wondered whether the start time affects who wins.
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Approaching midnight: changing smallest step

Age

7 to 14

Liz played Approaching Midnight and wondered how changing the smallest step size affects the game.
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Maths Week England 2025

Take a look at what we're planning during Maths Week England 2025.
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Maths Week Wales 2025

Take a look at what we're planning during Maths Week Wales 2025.
problem
Can you traverse it?

Age

14 to 18

Challenge level

How can you decide if a graph is traversable?
problem
Counting on letters

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

The letters of the word ABACUS have been arranged in the shape of a triangle. How many different ways can you find to read the word ABACUS from this triangular pattern?
problem
Alphabet soup

Age

11 to 14

Challenge level

This challenge is to make up YOUR OWN alphanumeric. Each letter represents a digit and where the same letter appears more than once it must represent the same digit each time.