The 'L' Number Puzzle
Here a number puzzle that can be made as easy or as difficult as you wish.
Quick activities
☕ Cafe Maths
Quick maths activities you can do with your children using very few resources. Those few minutes waiting for food or drink can become a perfect maths moment!
Years 1 and 2
The Answer is 10…
The answer is 10, but what was the question? Children invent as many calculations as they can that make 10.
Add to 12
A quick napkin activity for a café or waiting room: pick three numbers from 1 to 9 that add to 12, then find more ways.
No Guessing Allowed
Number riddles where every clue narrows down the mystery number, so no guessing is allowed.
Add ‘Em Up
A two-player dice game: pick four numbers from 2 to 12, then roll two dice and add them to cross your numbers off first.
My Secret Number
Think of a secret number from 0 to 12 and guess it by asking yes-or-no questions, then swap roles.
Years 3 and 4
Mystery Number Puzzles
Five number puzzles, each with a set of clues to a mystery number.
The Buzz Game
This is an entertaining way to practice times tables facts
Dividing Numbers
This is an interesting number game that focuses on division
Shopping With a Twist
Pick a long word and count its letters, then give vowels and consonants different prices to find the cost of the word.
Years 5 and 6
Order of Operations
This is a very useful way to explore how calculations are affected by the order of operations.
Pocket Money Budget
Plan a pocket-money budget across a few categories and work out how long it would take to save up for something.
Mission down to 1
Start with 999 on a calculator and use the digits 1 to 9 once each to bring the total down as close to 1 as you can.
Consecutive Numbers
Multiply the smallest and largest of three consecutive numbers, then square the middle one. What do you notice, and why?
A Coin and Two Dice (Treble or Double)
This game could have been called “250 or Bust!” because 250 is the target.