Work out the number of stamps needed to post a parcel.
How many different ways can four people stand in line?
Questions about the Small LEDs used to make up the digits on a calculator display.
Use the flowchart to generate a sequence of numbers. Which number will reach 1 the fastest?
A clock face containing only the number 4. Can you make a clock face containing any other single number?
If all the students in this room shook hands with each other, how many handshakes would there be altogether?
To find out whether a number is happy or not, square each of its digits, add the answers and repeat. If you end up with 1 the number is happy! How many other happy numbers can you find?
A puzzle about the lifts in a hotel which serve floors based on the day of the week.
Add together the dates of all the Thursdays in May this year. Which day sum is largest?
Which numbers when multiplied by the number of letters in the word(s) of the number give square numbers?
Arrange the numbers 1-9 to make three 3 digit numbers that add up to 999.
Investigate three fractions which add together to give one fifth.
Investigate three fractions which add together to give one ninth.
Find other numbers that can be changed to 1 on a calculator using only the 4 key and any operation.
A number puzzle suitable for children with a wide range of abilities.
Calculate the areas of all the possible quadrilaterals that can be constructed by joining together dots on this grid.
Arrange the numbers on the grid of squares so that the totals along each line of three squares are equal.
Place the numbers on the triangle so that the totals along each of the sides are equal.
Find calculations which written back to front give the same answer.
An interactive workspace in which to make shapes using square tiles with given areas and perimeters.
How many different shapes with an area of 2 square units can you make by joining dots on this grid with straight lines?
Decide which of the four schemes Aunt Lucy proposes will provide the most money. This investigation involves the sum of sequences as well as considering life expectancy.
Investigate the ways of making up various postage amounts using 3p and 8p stamps. An online stamp calculator is provided for you to check your working.
Is it true that most numbers begin with the digit one? Think of numbers you see everyday and it is a surprising fact that so many of them begin with a one. Can you think why this is true?
Investigate the possibility of redesigning the Braille alphabet to make it easier to learn.
Investigate the connection between the numbers in a T shape drawn on this month's calendar.
Investigate the number found by performing an algorithm on a three digit number.
Two men and two boys want to cross a river and they only have one canoe which will only hold one man or two boys.
Find two decimal numbers that add up to exactly one. What is the product of these two decimals?
How many different badges can you make using three different coloured squares put together to make a rectangle?
Throw two dice and multiply the scores. Investigate the different products you can obtain. What about adding? What about using three dice?
Investigate numbers which are multiples of the sum of their digits.
Investigate the way small LEDs were used to make up the digits on a calculator display.
In how many different ways can two eggs be arranged in an egg box?
This activity will collect data about your first impressions of some optical illusions. You can then analyse the data to come to your own conclusions.
If you know the final score of a football match, what might the half time score have been?
Generate a number sequence based on the number of letters needed to spell the previous number.
A logic challenge requiring a strategy to update each of the numbers in a grid.
An interactive function machine for patterns, numbers and equations.
An online tool to draw, display and investigate graphs of many different kinds.
Choose the amount of liquid from each bottle needed to make the watermelon grow as big as possible.
An open-ended investigation challenging pupils to find many different ways to you cut the shape in half.
If everyone in this room shook hands with each other, how many handshakes would there be?
To find out whether a number is happy square each of its digits, add the answers and repeat. End in one and the number is happy.
An investigation about making change for different amounts.
The houses in Mathsland are all three storeys tall. Each storey is painted using one colour. How many ways can the houses be painted?
How many different polygons can you make on a 3 by 3 pin board? What about larger pin boards?
If a number of Hula Hoops are dropped on the floor, what is the maximum number of regions they might form?
Can you make 4 litres if you only have 7 and 5 litre jugs?
What is the greatest number of lamp posts that would be needed for a strange village with only straight roads?
A drag and drop activity challenging you to arrange the digits to produce the largest possible product.
An investigation of the fewest number of moves required to make the blue and green frogs swap places.
How many different postage amounts can you make with the given stamps?
Investigate this amazing mind reading performance based on simple mathematical principles.
Find the maximum volume of a tray made from an A4 sheet of paper. A practical mathematical investigation.
Investigate the properties of the Mystic Rose by using this interactive diagram.
Find the relationships between the numbers on different size grids.
Take three dice. How many ways can they be turned so that they show only odd numbers on top?
How many steps does each number take to become palandromic?
Investigate polygons with an area of 4 sq. units. Investigate polygons with other areas.
A number patterns investigation involving prisoners and prison guards.
When the numbers appear hit the correct button depending on whether the numbers are even or odd
The perimeter of a rectangle is 28cm. What could its area be?
The traditional River Crossing challenge. Can you do it in the smallest number of moves?
Using 12 rods of varying lengths how many different triangles can you make?
Use just six keys on your calculator to make a given total. How many different ways can it be done?
Investigate a special snooker table with only four pockets. Which hole will the snooker ball fall into for various sized snooker tables?
Where should you stand in the circle to win the Songkran game?
Investigate the numbers associated with this growing sequence of steps made from Multilink cubes.
How many different ways can you make a given total with Thai coins?
A tetromino is a shape made of four squares joined edge to edge. How many different tetrominoes are there?
See if you can make all of the numbers from 0 to 10 using four threes
How many ways can three cars be lined up in a traffic jam?
How many different colour schemes can you devise for the Transum Club Badge.
Which numbers can be represented by groups of circles arranged in the shape of a trapezium?
A strategy game requiring you to select three words with a common letter before the computer does.
Other activities for this topic | | | Complete Index of Starters
The activity you are looking for may have been classified in a different way from the way you were expecting. You can search the whole of Transum Maths by using the box below.
Have today's Starter of the Day as your default homepage. Copy the URL below then select
Tools > Internet Options (Internet Explorer) then paste the URL into the homepage field.
Set as your homepage (if you are using Internet Explorer)
Do you have any comments? It is always useful to receive feedback and helps make this free resource even more useful for those learning Mathematics anywhere in the world. Click here to enter your comments.
