Maths can begin with a handful of building blocks, a mystery number or a question that makes your child stop and think: “Could there be another answer?”
This 30-day maths challenge for Year 1 brings together playful activities you can try at home in around 10 minutes a day. You’ll explore numbers, addition, subtraction, patterns, measurement, shapes and more using simple things you probably already have around the house.
Maths was my favourite subject at school, and studying for my master’s degree in computer engineering strengthened that interest. Now, as a mum, I want to share the enjoyment of figuring things out with my children—and help other families find small opportunities to do the same.
I’m putting this challenge together with my daughter Sarah in mind. She enjoys a challenge, so each day includes an opportunity to take the activity further. Your child might find several solutions, explain a discovery, spot a mistake or invent a puzzle for you to solve.
There’s also an easier option for days when a little extra support helps. You can choose the version that suits your child, repeat a favourite activity or spread a day’s challenge over several sessions.
Gather a few everyday supplies, bring your curiosity and enjoy working things out together. The aim is to explore, talk and build understanding—one small discovery at a time.
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A Quick Note Before We Begin
I’m a mum with a master’s degree in computer engineering, not a qualified teacher. I’m sharing these activities as ideas for families who want to explore maths together at home.
This challenge draws on selected skills from the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 for Year 1 Mathematics. It is an independent, parent-created resource, not an official or complete curriculum, assessment or replacement for classroom teaching.
Children develop their understanding at different rates. Choose the easier option or extra challenge according to your child’s confidence with each activity. If you have questions about their learning needs, their teacher can help you decide what to practise next.
Families outside Australia are welcome to join in, too. Use your child’s current understanding as your guide, as year-level expectations vary between countries.
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How to Use This 30-Day Year 1 Maths Challenge
Set aside around 10 minutes. Choose a time when your child has some energy and you can enjoy the activity together. Ten minutes is a guide, not a deadline. You can pause a puzzle and return to it another day.
Keep a few simple supplies nearby. Paper, pencils, building blocks, dice, toy animals, cups and homemade number cards will cover many of the activities. Each day lists what you’ll need, and you can substitute similar items from home.
Choose a comfortable starting point. Read the main activity first. Use the easier option if the idea is unfamiliar, or move to the extra challenge when your child is ready to explore further. Different topics may need different levels of support.
Give your child time to think. Before offering a method, ask, “How could we work this out?” They might use objects, draw a picture, count aloud or explain an idea. Invite them to show you how they know their answer makes sense.
Explore more than one possibility. Questions such as “Can you find another way?” and “Would that always work?” give children who enjoy a challenge something extra to investigate.
Treat mistakes as clues. If an answer doesn’t fit, try, “Let’s check it together.” Move the objects, act out the story or test the idea with smaller numbers.
Revisit earlier discoveries. Bring a favourite game back later in the month, perhaps with different numbers or a new question. The 30 days are a flexible sequence, and you can repeat or spread out activities as needed.
Notice the thinking behind the answer. You might say, “You organised those into tens,” or “You checked every possibility.” Recognising a useful strategy helps your child see what they can try again.
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Download Your Free Year 1 Maths Challenge Planner
Keep track of your maths adventures with this free two-page printable planner. It includes all 30 activities, boxes to tick and space to record your child’s discoveries.
Print it out and tick each activity as you explore it together. You can repeat favourites and take the challenge at your own pace.
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Day 1: The Mystery Number Detective
Today’s skill: Recognising, ordering and comparing numbers
You’ll need: Paper and a pencil; number cards from 0 to 20 or a number line if helpful
Tell your child: “I’m thinking of a number. Can you use my clues to find it?”
Give these clues one at a time:
- My number is greater than 10.
- It is less than 15.
- You say it when counting in twos from zero.
- It is not 12.
After each clue, ask, “Which numbers are still possible?” Your child can write them down or point to them on a number line.
The answer is 14. Before the final clue, both 12 and 14 fit. Check the answer against every clue together.
Now swap roles. Let your child choose a mystery number and give you clues. If several answers fit, ask them to invent another clue.
Make it easier: Use numbers from 0 to 10. Try: “My number is greater than 3, less than 6, and it is not 4.” The answer is 5.
Try an extra challenge: Say, “My number is greater than 20 and less than 40. Its ones digit is 6.” Ask your child to find every possible answer and explain how they know the list is complete. The answers are 26 and 36. Can they add one clue that leaves just one answer?
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Day 2: Build It with Tens and Ones
Today’s skill: Understanding tens and ones
You’ll need: 30 small building blocks or craft sticks, two sheets of paper and a pencil
Label one sheet “Tens” and the other “Ones.” Explain that ten single objects can be grouped together to make one ten.
Ask your child to count out 23 objects. Can they organise them so someone else can see the amount without counting every object individually?
Make two groups of ten, leaving three single objects. Place the groups on the “Tens” sheet and the singles on the “Ones” sheet.
Ask, “How many tens? How many ones? What number have we made?”
Together, write:
23 = 20 + 3
Try another number, such as 17 or 30. Keep each group of ten together so its value stays clear.
Make it easier: Build 14 using one group of ten and four single objects. Count the ten together, then count on: “Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen.”
Try an extra challenge: Return to 23. Ask, “Could we show the same number using only one group of ten?” Exchange one ten for ten singles to make 1 ten and 13 ones. Then ask, “Could we show it with no groups of ten?” That gives 23 ones. Discuss why all three arrangements still have the same total.
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Day 3: Put the Numbers in Their Places
Today’s skill: Ordering numbers and explaining comparisons
You’ll need: Paper, a pencil and homemade number cards
Write 18, 7, 25, 12 and 30 on separate cards. Mix them up and ask your child to arrange them from smallest to largest.
Ask, “How did you decide where each number belongs?” Your child can draw the amounts or build them with tens and ones if helpful.
The order is 7, 12, 18, 25, 30.
Now introduce 21. Where should it go? Ask your child to explain why it belongs between 18 and 25.
Make it easier: Use 3, 8, 1 and 5, with objects to represent each number.
Try an extra challenge: Use 37, 73, 27 and 72. Ask, “Why is 37 smaller than 73 even though they use the same digits?” Encourage your child to compare the tens first. The order is 27, 37, 72, 73.
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Day 4: The Number Neighbours Game
Today’s skill: Finding one more and one less
You’ll need: Paper and a pencil; a number line if helpful
Draw three adjoining houses. Write 24 in the middle house.
Explain that these houses hold consecutive numbers: numbers that follow each other when counting. Ask your child to fill in the neighbours.
The houses should show 23, 24, 25.
Try a few more middle numbers, including 19, 30 and 49. Ask, “What happens when we move from 29 to 30?” Use objects grouped into tens to explore the change.
Make it easier: Use middle numbers between 2 and 9.
Try an extra challenge: Draw five houses with 100 in the middle. Ask your child to complete the row: 98, 99, 100, 101, 102. Then let them hide one number in a new row for you to discover.
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Day 5: Count the Collection Cleverly
Today’s skill: Counting a collection by making groups of ten
You’ll need: 40 small objects and paper circles or cups for grouping
Place 34 objects on the table. Ask, “How could we count these and make the total easy to check?”
Let your child try their own method. Then suggest placing ten objects in each circle or cup.
You will have three groups of ten and four single objects.
Count: “Ten, twenty, thirty,” then count on, “Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four.”
Move the groups around. Ask whether the total has changed and how your child knows.
Make it easier: Use 14 objects, making one group of ten and four singles.
Try an extra challenge: Draw 11 bundles of ten sticks and 4 single sticks. Ask your child to count the bundles in tens, then include the singles. The total is 114. Can they explain why 11 tens means 110?
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Day 6: Fix the Number Path
Today’s skill: Recognising number sequences, including numbers beyond 100
You’ll need: Paper and a pencil
Write this number path with spaces:
46, 47, __, 49, __, 51, __
Ask your child to repair it and explain the rule. The missing numbers are 48, 50 and 52.
Next, write:
96, 97, __, 99, __, 101, __
The missing numbers are 98, 100 and 102. Read the completed path together, paying attention to the change from 99 to 100.
Make it easier: Make a path from 1 to 10 with two missing numbers.
Try an extra challenge: Write 116, 117, 119, 119, 120. Explain that one number is incorrect. Ask your child to find it and justify the correction. The first 119 should be 118. Invite them to make a faulty path for you.
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Day 7: How Many Ways Can You Make Ten?
Today’s skill: Exploring pairs of numbers that total ten
You’ll need: 10 blocks or counters, two plates and paper
Count out ten objects. Ask your child to divide them between two plates.
Record the arrangement. For example:
6 + 4 = 10
Move one object from the first plate to the second. What changes? What stays the same?
Keep exploring different arrangements, including an empty plate: 10 + 0 = 10.
Ask, “If one plate has 3, how many must be on the other?” Your child can check with the objects.
Make it easier: Explore ways to make five.
Try an extra challenge: Find every arrangement systematically, starting with 0 + 10, then 1 + 9, and continuing to 10 + 0. There are 11 arrangements when the two plates have distinct positions. Which arrangements are reversed pairs?
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Day 8: Count On with a Toy Journey
Today’s skill: Adding by counting on
You’ll need: A toy, paper and a pencil
Draw a number path from 0 to 20. Put a toy on 8 and tell your child it needs to travel 5 steps forward.
Ask, “Where will it finish?”
Move one space for each added step, saying 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. The starting number 8 is not a step.
Write 8 + 5 = 13.
Try 11 + 3 and 6 + 4. Invite your child to predict the destination before moving.
Make it easier: Start at 4 and add 2.
Try an extra challenge: Compare 3 + 12 and 12 + 3. Both equal 15. Ask, “Which starting number makes counting on quicker? Why?” Check both journeys on the path.
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Day 9: Make Ten, Then Keep Going
Today’s skill: Using ten to help with addition
You’ll need: 20 counters and two ten-frames
Draw two grids, each with two rows of five spaces. These are ten-frames.
Show 8 counters on one frame and 5 on the other. Ask, “Can we fill the first frame without changing how many counters we have altogether?”
Move two counters from the group of five to fill the first frame. Three remain on the second frame.
Now you can see 10 and 3, so:
8 + 5 = 10 + 3 = 13
Try 9 + 4 using the same idea.
Make it easier: Start with 8 and ask how many more fill its ten-frame.
Try an extra challenge: Solve 7 + 6 by moving counters to make ten. Ask your child to explain why splitting 6 into 3 and 3 helps. The answer is 13.
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Day 10: The Disappearing Toy Story
Today’s skill: Understanding subtraction as taking away
You’ll need: 15 small toys or blocks and a cloth
Place 12 objects on the table. Tell a story: “Twelve toy animals were playing. Five went home.”
Let your child move five objects under the cloth. Ask, “How many are still playing?”
There are 7 left. Write:
12 − 5 = 7
Ask your child how they worked it out. They might count the remaining objects or count backwards.
Return the five objects and check that there are twelve again.
Make it easier: Begin with 6 objects and take away 2.
Try an extra challenge: Start with 15 objects. Hide some, leaving 8 visible. Ask how many are hidden. The answer is 7. Can your child explain how 8 + 7 = 15 helps check 15 − 7 = 8?
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Day 11: Find the Missing Part
Today’s skill: Connecting addition and subtraction
You’ll need: Up to 20 counters, a cup and paper
Count out 13 counters together. Ask your child to look away while you hide five beneath a cup, leaving eight visible.
Say, “We had 13 altogether. You can see 8. How many are hiding?”
Let your child work it out, then lift the cup to check.
Record both:
8 + 5 = 13
13 − 8 = 5
Repeat with a different hidden amount.
Make it easier: Use 5 counters altogether, hiding 1 or 2.
Try an extra challenge: Ask your child to find every pair of numbers that could fill __ + __ = 13, using zero if they wish. Encourage them to work in order. Ask, “How does your list help you solve missing-part problems?”
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Day 12: The Maths Mistake Detective
Today’s skill: Checking calculations and explaining reasoning
You’ll need: Paper, a pencil and counters
Tell your child that a toy has been doing maths and needs someone to check its work.
Write:
7 + 5 = 11
14 − 6 = 8
9 + 4 = 13
Ask, “Which calculation needs fixing? How can you prove it?”
The first is incorrect: 7 + 5 = 12. The other two are correct.
Use counters or drawings to check each calculation. Encourage your child to explain what they noticed rather than simply label an answer wrong.
Make it easier: Check 3 + 2 = 4 using five objects.
Try an extra challenge: Ask your child to correct 8 + 5 = 12 in two ways, changing only one number each time. Possible answers include 8 + 5 = 13 and 8 + 4 = 12.
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Day 13: Pair Them Up
Today’s skill: Making equal groups and counting in twos
You’ll need: 20 blocks, toy shoes or other small objects
Ask your child to organise 14 objects into pairs.
Count the objects in twos, touching each pair as you say:
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14
Ask, “How many pairs did we make? How many objects altogether?”
There are 7 pairs and 14 objects. Discuss why those are different counts.
Try again with 18 objects.
Make it easier: Make three pairs and count to 6.
Try an extra challenge: Offer 15 objects. Ask, “Can every object have a partner?” There will be 7 pairs and 1 leftover. Explore nearby numbers and describe which can be paired with no leftovers. Introduce the words even and odd if useful.
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Day 14: The Five-at-a-Time Collection
Today’s skill: Counting equal groups in fives and tens
You’ll need: Paper and a pencil
Draw six hands, each showing five fingers. Ask, “How many fingers are there altogether?”
Count each hand as a group:
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30
Now circle the hands in pairs. Each pair represents ten fingers. Count again:
10, 20, 30
Ask why both methods give the same total.
Make it easier: Draw two hands and count their fingers individually before counting in fives.
Try an extra challenge: Draw 12 hands. Count in fives to 60, then pair the hands and count in tens. Ask, “If we add one more hand, what will the total be?” The answer is 65.
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Day 15: Share the Picnic Fairly
Today’s skill: Sharing a collection equally
You’ll need: 12 blocks or pretend snacks and three toy guests
Set up a pretend picnic for three toys. Explain that there are 12 snacks and each guest should receive the same amount.
Let your child share them out. They might give one to each guest repeatedly or try making equal groups.
Ask, “How can we check that the sharing is equal?”
Each toy receives 4 snacks.
Gather the snacks and try sharing the same twelve between four toys. Each receives 3.
Make it easier: Share 6 snacks between two guests.
Try an extra challenge: Ask, “Could we share 12 whole snacks equally between five guests with none left over?” Each can receive two, but 2 remain. Explore which numbers of guests allow equal sharing with no leftovers, keeping every snack whole.
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Day 16: Pack the Toy Orders
Today’s skill: Making equal groups of a given size
You’ll need: 18 blocks and small paper circles or containers
Tell your child: “Our toy shop packs 3 blocks in every parcel. We have 18 blocks. How many parcels can we make?”
Let them organise the blocks into groups of three.
There will be 6 parcels.
Ask, “How could we check that every parcel has the right amount?” Count each group and then check the total.
Explain that today you knew the size of each group and were finding the number of groups.
Make it easier: Pack 8 blocks into parcels of two.
Try an extra challenge: Pack the same 18 blocks into groups of two, then groups of six. You will make 9 parcels and 3 parcels, respectively. Ask, “What happens to the number of parcels when each parcel holds more?”
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Day 17: Find the Pattern’s Secret
Today’s skill: Identifying the repeating unit in a pattern
You’ll need: Coloured blocks, paper shapes or coloured pencils
Build this pattern:
Red, blue, blue, red, blue, blue, red…
Ask your child to continue it. Then ask, “What is the smallest part that repeats?”
The repeating unit is red, blue, blue. Separate the pattern into these groups to check.
Let your child create a movement pattern with the same structure, such as clap, stamp, stamp.
Make it easier: Alternate two colours: red, blue, red, blue.
Try an extra challenge: Number the positions in the original pattern. Ask, “What colour will be in position 12? What about position 13?” They are blue and red. Your child can build, draw or group the pattern to explain.
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Day 18: Measure with Matching Units
Today’s skill: Measuring length using equal-sized informal units
You’ll need: Identical blocks or paper squares, a book and a pencil
Ask, “How many blocks long is this book?”
Line up identical blocks along its edge, starting level with one end. Place them end-to-end with no gaps or overlaps.
Count the blocks. If the book ends partway along a block, describe the measurement as “about” that many blocks or “between” two whole numbers.
Measure a second object using the same units and compare the lengths.
Make it easier: Measure a strip of paper cut to exactly match five blocks.
Try an extra challenge: Measure the same object using large matching units, then smaller matching units. Ask, “Why did the number change when the object stayed the same length?” Smaller units usually require a larger count.
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Day 19: Which Is Longer? Prove It
Today’s skill: Comparing and ordering lengths
You’ll need: Three strips of paper of different lengths and a piece of string
Mix up the strips. Ask your child to arrange them from shortest to longest.
Ask, “How can we make the comparison fair?”
Align one end of all three strips. Check the order and describe each comparison using shorter than, longer than and the same length as.
Next, compare the width of a book with a shelf space without moving the book. Use string to transfer the book’s width to the shelf.
Make it easier: Compare two clearly different strips.
Try an extra challenge: Position the shortest strip farther forward so its end reaches beyond the longest strip. Ask, “Does reaching farther mean it is longer?” Let your child rearrange them to prove the answer.
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Day 20: The Heavier-or-Lighter Investigation
Today’s skill: Comparing mass
You’ll need: Two similar bags, blocks, crumpled paper and a balance scale if available
Fill one bag with crumpled paper and another with several blocks. Keep both light enough for your child to lift comfortably.
Ask your child to predict which is heavier, then compare them by holding one in each hand. Swap hands and check again. A balance scale can give a clearer comparison if you have one.
Ask, “Did the fuller-looking bag have to be heavier?”
Discuss how an object’s size alone does not tell us its mass.
Make it easier: Compare an empty bag with the same bag holding a few blocks.
Try an extra challenge: Add small amounts of paper to the lighter bag. Predict whether it will become heavier than the other. If the difference becomes difficult to judge by hand, discuss why a balance would help.
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Day 21: Which Container Holds More?
Today’s skill: Comparing capacity
You’ll need: Two differently shaped containers, one small cup, water and a tray
Choose a tall, narrow container and a shorter, wider one. Ask, “Which do you think holds more? How could we check?”
Use the same small cup to fill each container, counting how many full cupfuls it takes. Start with empty containers and fill the small cup to the same level each time.
If a final full cup will not fit, describe the amount as, for example, “three full cups and a little more.”
Compare the results. The taller container may not hold more.
Make it easier: Compare two containers with a very obvious difference in capacity.
Try an extra challenge: Find two containers that look different but hold approximately the same amount. Ask your child to explain how they tested this.
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Day 22: The Time Detective
Today’s skill: Comparing duration and using time language
You’ll need: Paper, a pencil and a timer
Choose two short activities, such as writing your name and drawing five stars.
Ask your child to predict which will take longer. Time each activity once, then compare the durations. Explain that these results describe this attempt; another attempt might take a different amount of time.
Next, write hour, day, week, month and year on cards. Discuss familiar examples and arrange them from shortest to longest.
Make it easier: Sequence three familiar events: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Try an extra challenge: Say, “Today is Tuesday. Our picnic is on Friday. How many days away is it?” Count the steps: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday—3 days. Ask your child to create another calendar question.
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Day 23: The Shape Sorting Challenge
Today’s skill: Classifying shapes by their features
You’ll need: Paper shapes or drawings of triangles, squares, rectangles and circles
Ask your child to sort the shapes in a way that makes sense to them. Invite them to explain their rule.
Try another rule, such as has curved edges or has only straight sides. Count the sides and corners of the straight-sided shapes.
Turn a triangle upside down. Ask, “Is it still a triangle? What makes it one?”
Explore triangles of different sizes and shapes, all with three straight sides.
Make it easier: Find and name circles and triangles together.
Try an extra challenge: Ask, “Can a square belong in the rectangle group too?” Explore how a rectangle has four straight sides and four square corners. A square has those features, with all four sides equal.
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Day 24: Build, Roll and Stack
Today’s skill: Comparing three-dimensional objects
You’ll need: A ball, a cube-shaped block, a small box and a sealed cylindrical container
Let your child examine the objects. Ask, “Which might roll? Which might stack? What features help?”
Test them gently on a clear surface. A cylinder can roll on its curved surface and stand on a flat end.
Use the words sphere, cube and cylinder where they fit. Discuss flat faces and curved surfaces.
Ask your child to sort the objects, explaining why an object might belong in more than one group.
Make it easier: Compare a ball and a cube-shaped block.
Try an extra challenge: Ask your child to design a small tower and explain which objects they chose for the base. Test their prediction, then change one object and compare the result.
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Day 25: Follow the Treasure Directions
Today’s skill: Giving and following directions
You’ll need: A toy, paper and a pencil
Draw a grid with four rows and four columns. Place a toy in the bottom-left square, facing the top of the page.
Give directions one at a time: “Move forward two squares. Turn right. Move forward one square.”
The toy finishes in the third row from the bottom, second column from the left.
Ask your child to describe the journey, then let them give you a route to follow.
Make it easier: Use directions such as “Put the toy beside the cup” or “Move it behind the box.”
Try an extra challenge: Mark a treasure square. Ask your child to find two different routes to it, staying inside the grid. Count the moves, with each move meaning travel into a neighbouring square. Which route uses fewer moves?
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Day 26: The Secret Block Building
Today’s skill: Describing position and following spatial instructions
You’ll need: Two matching sets of six blocks and a book to use as a screen
Sit side by side, facing the same direction. Hide a small construction behind an upright book.
Describe it so your child can build a matching version. Try: “Place the red block on the table. Put the blue block on top of it. Put the yellow block beside the red block, on its right.”
Remove the screen and compare. Discuss which instructions were clear and which needed more detail.
Swap roles.
Make it easier: Use three differently coloured blocks.
Try an extra challenge: Use six blocks, including two of the same colour. Encourage precise descriptions such as between, behind and on top of. If the models differ, work together to improve one instruction and try again.
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Day 27: Collect Your Own Data
Today’s skill: Collecting and recording information
You’ll need: Paper, a pencil and a collection of 15–20 blocks in several colours
Ask, “Which colour appears most often in this collection?”
Before counting, invite a prediction. Then sort the blocks by colour.
Make a simple record with one row for each colour. Draw one mark for each block, then count the marks and write each total.
Check that the category totals add up to the number of blocks in the collection.
Ask, “Which colour has the most? Which has the fewest? Are any equal?”
Make it easier: Use ten blocks in two colours.
Try an extra challenge: Mix the blocks again and ask your child to record them one at a time without sorting first. Compare the results with the original record. How can they avoid counting a block twice?
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Day 28: Turn the Data into a Picture Graph
Today’s skill: Making and interpreting a one-to-one data display
You’ll need: Yesterday’s colour totals, squared paper and coloured pencils
Use the information collected on Day 27. If needed, collect a fresh set of colour totals.
Label one column for each colour. Draw one coloured square for each block, building every column upwards from the same starting line.
Explain that each square represents one block.
Ask, “What can we discover by looking at our graph?”
Compare the tallest and shortest columns. Count how many more blocks one colour has than another.
Make it easier: Build the graph with real blocks before drawing it.
Try an extra challenge: Ask your child to invent three questions about the graph, including one that needs addition or subtraction. Answer the questions together and check each answer against the display.
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Day 29: Open a Ten-Token Toy Shop
Today’s skill: Solving practical addition and subtraction problems
You’ll need: Three toys, paper price tags and 10 pretend payment tokens
Set up a shop with toys priced at 3 tokens, 5 tokens and 7 tokens. Explain that each token has the same value.
Give your child ten tokens and ask, “Which two different toys can you afford?”
The possible pairs are:
- 3 + 5 = 8, leaving 2 tokens.
- 3 + 7 = 10, leaving none.
The 5-token and 7-token toys cost 12 altogether, which is more than the budget.
Swap shopkeeper and customer roles.
Make it easier: Buy one toy costing 3 tokens with a budget of 5.
Try an extra challenge: Add a fourth toy costing 2 tokens. Ask your child to find every pair of different toys costing no more than ten. There are five pairs: 2 and 3; 2 and 5; 2 and 7; 3 and 5; 3 and 7.
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Day 30: Create Your Own Maths Adventure
Today’s skill: Choosing strategies and explaining mathematical ideas
You’ll need: Favourite supplies from the challenge, paper and a pencil
Invite your child to become the puzzle designer. Ask them to choose three activities from the month and turn them into a short maths adventure for you.
They might create a mystery number, plan a sharing picnic or draw a route to hidden treasure.
For each puzzle, ask:
“What does the player need to know?”
“How could they work it out?”
“How will we check the answer?”
Solve the puzzles together. Encourage your child to explain their intended solution and consider any other answers you discover.
Make it easier: Choose one favourite activity and change its numbers or objects together.
Try an extra challenge: Create a puzzle with more than one correct answer. For example: “I have 14 blocks, with more red than blue and at least one of each colour. What could I have?” The possibilities are 8 red and 6 blue; 9 and 5; 10 and 4; 11 and 3; 12 and 2; or 13 and 1.
Finish by asking, “Which discovery would you like to explore again?”
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Keep the Maths Adventures Going
Finishing these 30 days doesn’t mean your child needs to have mastered every activity. You can return to a tricky puzzle, repeat a favourite game or explore a question that sparked their curiosity.
Look for small opportunities to use maths together: comparing prices at the shops, sharing snacks, measuring a model or working out how many days remain until a special event. Ask your child what they notice and give them time to explain.
If an activity felt easy, invite them to change a rule, find every possible answer or create a harder version for you. If it felt difficult, try smaller numbers or use objects to make the idea easier to see.
As a mum, I hope these activities give you more than something to tick off a list. I hope they bring moments of connection—the thoughtful pause, the unexpected solution and the proud little voice saying, “I worked it out.”
For younger siblings or children who would enjoy exploring earlier skills, try our 30-Day Math Challenge for Preschoolers: 10 Minutes a Day.
Which activity did your child enjoy most? Share your favourite discovery in the comments—I’d love to hear about it.