Line-up puzzles, taller and shorter, family riddles, balance scales, picture and number patterns, calendar questions and code breaking. Children learn to read every condition carefully and work out what the problem does not say directly.
Standing in line
Solving tip: Count how many friends are behind the fox.
There are 9 friends in a line. The fox is number 8 from the front. Counting from the back, what number is the fox?
Show solution
Answer: 2
How to think: Count how many friends are behind the fox.
Solution: Behind the fox, there are 9 minus 8 equals 1 friend. So counting from the back, the fox is number 1 plus 1 equals 2.
Who is the tallest
Solving tip: Line the friends up from tallest to shortest.
We know that the piglet is taller than the chick, the piglet is shorter than the fox. Who is the shortest?
Show solution
Answer: chick
How to think: Line the friends up from tallest to shortest.
Solution: From tallest to shortest: fox, piglet, chick. So it's the chick.
How many in the family
Solving tip: Draw all the children in the family, and remember to draw the frog too.
In a family, the frog is a boy and has 3 younger sisters and 2 younger brothers. How many children do his parents have?
Show solution
Answer: 6
How to think: Draw all the children in the family, and remember to draw the frog too.
Solution: 3 plus 2 plus 1 equals 6, because we count the frog too.
Balance scales
Solving tip: Swap each thing for the lighter one, one step at a time.
1 egg weighs the same as 2 fish, 1 fish weighs the same as 3 corn cobs. 1 egg weighs the same as how many corn cobs?
Show solution
Answer: 6
How to think: Swap each thing for the lighter one, one step at a time.
Solution: 1 egg weighs the same as 2 fish. Each fish weighs the same as 3 corn cobs. Swap them all: 3 plus 3 equals 6 corn cobs.
Adding or taking the same each time
Solving tip: Look at each pair of numbers side by side. How much bigger or smaller is the next number?
Find the pattern, then fill in the next number in the empty box.
Show solution
Answer: 39
How to think: Look at each pair of numbers side by side. How much bigger or smaller is the next number?
Solution: The next step takes away 3: 42 minus 3 equals 39.
Which picture comes next
Solving tip: Find how many pictures it takes to start over. Circle one group.
The pictures follow a repeating pattern. Which picture goes in the empty box?
Show solution
Answer: 🎈
How to think: Find how many pictures it takes to start over. Circle one group.
Solution: The empty box is picture number 3 of its group, the same as picture number 3 of the first group.
Yesterday, today, tomorrow
Solving tip: The birthday is still ahead, so count back from Tuesday to today.
The puppy's birthday is on a Tuesday, and it is 5 days away. What day is today?
Show solution
Answer: Thursday
How to think: The birthday is still ahead, so count back from Tuesday to today.
Solution: Go back 5 days from Tuesday: Monday, Sunday, Saturday, Friday, Thursday. So today is Thursday.
Letter patterns
Solving tip: Say the alphabet A, B, C, D, E… and count how many steps apart the letters are.
These letters follow a pattern. Which letter goes in the empty box?
Show solution
Answer: J
How to think: Say the alphabet A, B, C, D, E… and count how many steps apart the letters are.
Solution: Each time we go forward 2 steps in the alphabet. 2 steps after H is J.
Mystery number table
Solving tip: Look at the first row: how do the first two numbers make the third? Try adding, taking away, multiplying.
In each row, the third number is made from the first two in the same way. Find the number for the question mark.
Show solution
Answer: 12
How to think: Look at the first row: how do the first two numbers make the third? Try adding, taking away, multiplying.
Solution: Row one: 7 plus 4 plus 1 equals 12. Row two: 4 plus 2 plus 1 equals 7. So row three: 3 plus 8 plus 1 equals 12.
Crack the code
Solving tip: Try each answer: check it against every guess row and see if all of them match.
The secret code is a 3-digit number with different digits. Each row is one guess. ✅ means one digit is right and in the right place. 🔄 means one digit is right but in the wrong place. ❌ means no digit is right. What is the code?
Show solution
Answer: 246
How to think: Try each answer: check it against every guess row and see if all of them match.
Solution: The code 246 matches every row: the right number of ✅ and 🔄 in each one.
Keep practising these types in the Karotto app
In the app every problem type above is a lesson with the question read aloud, three levels of hints when your child is stuck and a step-by-step solution. Problems are generated fresh, so every attempt is a new set.