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For younger learners

  • Early Years Foundation Stage

What If ... ? - Lower Primary

Here are some exciting activities for you - have a go at them and then see what happens if you change one of the little questions. You may be able to change it more than just once!


Board Block

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow star

Take it in turns to make a triangle on the pegboard. Can you block your opponent?

The Add and Take-away Path

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow star

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?

How Odd

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star

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?

Making Sticks

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star

Kimie and Sebastian were making sticks from interlocking cubes and lining them up. Can they make their lines the same length? Can they make any other lines?

Largest EvenLive

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star

How would you create the largest possible two-digit even number from the digit I've given you and one of your choice?

Sitting Round the Party Tables

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star

Sweets are given out to party-goers in a particular way. Investigate the total number of sweets received by people sitting in different positions.

Count the Digits

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star

In this investigation we are going to count the number of 1s, 2s, 3s etc in numbers. Can you predict what will happen?

Simple Train Journeys

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star

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?

Nim-7

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star

Can you work out how to win this game of Nim? Does it matter if you go first or second?

Strike it Out

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star

Use your addition and subtraction skills, combined with some strategic thinking, to beat your partner at this game.

Break it Up!

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star

In how many different ways can you break up a stick of seven interlocking cubes? Now try with a stick of eight cubes and a stick of six cubes. What do you notice?

School Fair Necklaces

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star

How many possible symmetrical necklaces can you find? How do you know you've found them all?

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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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