Working systematically

problem

Waiting for Blast Off

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

10 space travellers are waiting to board their spaceships. There are two rows of seats in the waiting room. Using the rules, where are they all sitting? Can you find all the possible ways?
problem

Wag Worms

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

When intergalactic Wag Worms are born they look just like a cube. Each year they grow another cube in any direction. Find all the shapes that five-year-old Wag Worms can be.
problem

A Bit of a Dicey Problem

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

When you throw two regular, six-faced dice you have more chance of getting one particular result than any other. What result would that be? Why is this?
problem

Seven Square Numbers

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Add the sum of the squares of four numbers between 10 and 20 to the sum of the squares of three numbers less than 6 to make the square of another, larger, number.
problem

Penta Primes

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Using all ten cards from 0 to 9, rearrange them to make five prime numbers. Can you find any other ways of doing it?
problem

Counters

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Hover your mouse over the counters to see which ones will be removed. Click to remove them. The winner is the last one to remove a counter. How you can make sure you win?
problem

Uncanny Triangles

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Can you help the children find the two triangles which have the lengths of two sides numerically equal to their areas?
problem

Seven Flipped

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

Investigate the smallest number of moves it takes to turn these mats upside-down if you can only turn exactly three at a time.
problem

Cuboid-In-A-Box

Age

7 to 11

Challenge level

What is the smallest cuboid that you can put in this box so that you cannot fit another that's the same into it?
problem

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?