Sixteen puzzles about shells and socks and pizza — number stories, counting in jumps, fair shares and clocks. Every puzzle has three gentle hints, and if you get stuck you can press the button at the bottom and talk to the maths helper out loud.
Pip has 7 shells. She finds 5 more at the beach. How many shells does Pip have now?
Number stories
💡Pip is getting MORE shells. More means add.
1Start at 7 and count on 5 more: 8, 9, 10…
27 + 5. Count on from the bigger number: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
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C. Finding more means adding: 7 + 5 = 12 shells.Number stories
Socks come in pairs. Count the socks in 5 pairs: 2, 4, 6, … What number comes at the end?
Counting in jumps
💡Count in 2s, one jump for each pair.
1Put up a finger for each jump: 2, 4…
2Five jumps of 2: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
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A. Five pairs, counting in 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 socks.Counting in jumps
Two friends share one sandwich. Which cut gives each friend a FAIR half?
Shapes & fair shares
💡Half means two pieces that are exactly the same size.
1Ask: would both friends be happy to swap pieces?
2A fair half passes the swap test — if the pieces swapped and nobody would mind, they are equal.
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D. Halves are two EQUAL pieces. If one piece is bigger, it is not a half — someone would mind swapping!Shapes & fair shares
The big hand points straight up to the 12. The little hand points to the 3. What time is it?
Clocks & charts
💡The little hand tells you the hour.
1Look at the LITTLE hand first. Which number is it pointing at?
2Big hand on 12 means something o'clock. The little hand's number tells you WHICH o'clock.
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B. Big hand on 12 = o'clock. Little hand on 3 = 3 o'clock.Clocks & charts
There are 14 grapes in a bowl. Leo eats 6 of them. How many grapes are left?
Number stories
💡Eating grapes means the bowl has FEWER. Fewer means take away.
1Start at 14 and count back 6.
214 − 6. Count back: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8.
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A. Eating means taking away: 14 − 6 = 8 grapes left.Number stories
Each hand has 5 fingers. Count the fingers on 4 hands: 5, 10, … What number comes at the end?
Counting in jumps
💡Count in 5s, one jump for each hand.
1Four hands means four jumps: 5, 10…
2Four jumps of 5: 5, 10, 15, 20.
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D. Four hands, counting in 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20 fingers.Counting in jumps
I am a flat shape. I have 3 sides and 3 corners. What am I?
Shapes & fair shares
💡Count sides on your fingers: tri- means three.
1Draw the shape in the air — three straight lines.
2Three sides and three corners — think of the shape whose name starts with 'tri', like a tricycle's three wheels. Squares and rectangles have four sides; circles have none.
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D. Three sides, three corners → triangle. 'Tri' means three, like a tricycle's three wheels!Shapes & fair shares
A class made a fruit chart. Apples: 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎. Bananas: 🍌🍌🍌. How many MORE apples than bananas?
Clocks & charts
💡'How many more' means find the difference — not add them up.
1Match each banana with an apple. How many apples are left over?
25 apples, 3 bananas. Match them up in pairs — the apples with no banana partner are the answer: 5 − 3 = 2.
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B. Match 3 bananas with 3 apples — 2 apples are left with no partner. 5 − 3 = 2 more apples.Clocks & charts
A bus has 8 children on it. At the next stop, 6 more children get on. How many children are on the bus now?
Number stories
💡Children are getting ON — the bus gets more. More means add.
1Start at 8 and count on 6: 9, 10, 11…
28 + 6. Count on from 8: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
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C. Getting on means adding: 8 + 6 = 14 children.Number stories
What number comes next in this pattern? 10, 20, 30, 40, …
Counting in jumps
💡Find the jump first. How big is each step?
1From 10 to 20 is a jump of 10.
2Every jump is 10. After 40 comes 40 + 10 = 50.
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B. The pattern jumps in 10s: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.Counting in jumps
Four friends share one pizza fairly. What is each friend's share called?
Shapes & fair shares
💡Four friends means the pizza is cut into four equal pieces.
1Picture the pizza cut like a plus sign: + — how many pieces?
2Cut the pizza into 4 equal pieces, one each. The share's name means 'one out of four'.
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A. Four equal pieces — each one is a quarter. Halves are for TWO friends; quarters are for FOUR.Shapes & fair shares
The big hand points straight down to the 6. The little hand is halfway past the 7. What time is it?
Clocks & charts
💡Big hand pointing DOWN to the 6 means half past something.
1Which number has the little hand just gone past?
2Big hand on 6 means half past something. The little hand has just gone past its number — that number finishes the answer.
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D. Big hand down to the 6 means half past. The little hand has passed 7, so it is half past 7.Clocks & charts
Mia blew up 15 balloons for a party. 7 balloons popped! How many balloons are still blown up?
Number stories
💡Popped balloons are GONE — that is take away.
1Start at 15 and count back 7.
215 − 7. Count back: 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8.
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C. Popping means taking away: 15 − 7 = 8 balloons still blown up.Number stories
What number is missing in this pattern? 2, 4, 6, __, 10
Counting in jumps
💡Find the jump first: 2 to 4 is a jump of 2.
1Keep the same jump: what is 6 + 2?
2The pattern counts in 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. The missing number is 6 + 2.
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B. Counting in 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 — the missing number is 8.Counting in jumps
Ben draws a square and a circle. Which sentence is TRUE?
Shapes & fair shares
💡Corners are where two straight sides meet.
1Trace a circle with your finger — do you ever hit a corner?
2A square has 4 straight sides meeting at 4 corners. A circle is one smooth curve — no corners anywhere.
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A. A square has 4 corners. A circle is perfectly round — no corners at all.Shapes & fair shares
A pet chart shows: Cats 🐱🐱🐱🐱, Dogs 🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶, Fish 🐟. Which pet does the class have MOST of?
Clocks & charts
💡Most means the longest row of pictures.
1Count each row and compare.
2Count the pictures in each row and write the three numbers down. The row with the biggest number is the answer.
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C. Count each row: 4 cats, 6 dogs, 1 fish. Dogs have the longest row — 6 is the most.Clocks & charts
Do the whole set first — the trap tally only means something once every question has a go.
Stuck on a question, or want to know why a trap keeps catching you? Say the question number out loud — your helper knows all twenty questions and every hint, and will not just tell you the answer.
Say a question number. Or try: “teach me question 7” — the helper will pretend to be wrong, and you must convince them! Uses the microphone. Nothing is recorded.