Stand by me (inductive reasoning, multiplication)

Stand by me (inductive reasoning, multiplication)

Stand by me (MathPickle, 2023) Inductive problem-solving is undervalued. In MathPickle, we give students practice using inductive problem-solving by dropping them in the middle of an alien universe. Unlike our own universe, which has complex laws, these universes are...
Glue (addition, geometry)

Glue (addition, geometry)

Glue (MathPickle 2021) This geometric square-gluing puzzle is one of my best from 2021. The rules are simple (but probably best seen on the video rather than read): 1) Start with two 1×1 squares labelled “1.” 2) Glue a new square labelled with one...
Coins in a Row (addition, game)

Coins in a Row (addition, game)

Coins in a Row (Peter Winkler 2003) This is not an original MathPickle puzzle. It’s from Mathematical Puzzles: A Connoisseur’s Collection (163 pages, 2003) by Peter Winkler. Spoiler Alert! The solution is in the video below. Teaching is an...
Jumping Frogs (patterns, counting, primes)

Jumping Frogs (patterns, counting, primes)

Jumping Frogs (MathPickle, 2017) The last puzzle in the video above was solved in 2025 by Joseph Burke, a student in Megan McKee’s grade 4 class. Spoiler alert! Here it is…  Jumping Frogs is a fantastic base to create both casual and complex puzzles. We...
Tree Kangaroo Hopscotch (skip counting)

Tree Kangaroo Hopscotch (skip counting)

I did not even know of Tree Kangaroos – less so their secret ritual of arboreal hopscotch 😉 “Mammals of Australia”, Vol. II Plate 50 by John Gould (1804-1881)  When kangaroos skip count up a branch the numbers increase. Let one of them start on the...