Free samples
Below are some problems that you can use to study with your children.
The two-hourglass problem
An hourglass or a sand clock is a device to measure time. I love this enduring symbol of time for its simplicity and its beauty. The name of this website HourglassLearning is inspired by the hourglass itself as well as the following problem.
A princess trapped inside a castle was given a once-in-a-life-time chance to escape. She was handed two hourglasses, one measured 3 minutes, the other measured 5 minutes and was told to touch the heavy stone gate of the castle in exactly 7 minutes, upon which it would magically open. How would she seize this opportunity?
Download the full problem description and solution here:
The tower of Hanoi
How to move a stack of disks from one rod to another rod one disk at at time, with the use of a spare rod, subject to the following constraint: a bigger disk cannot be placed above a smaller one at any time?
This is a classic game in mathematics and computer science that goes by the name Tower of Hanoi. While many aspects of this game are fascinating and challenging even for a college student, an elementary student can actually play the game and find the solution. Plus, find out the connection between this game and the Russian dolls.
The toy can be constructed using paper only. Download the instruction and solution here:
Christmas Combinatorics
Alicia found six little pinecones to decorate three mini Christmas wreaths. She could have placed two pinecones on each wreath, but she liked to do things a little bit differently so she placed one pinecone on the first wreath, two pinecones on the second wreath, and three pinecones on the third wreath.
How many different ways can she divide six pinecones among three Christmas wreaths?
This counting problem falls into the category of combinatorics, a topic not commonly taught to elementary school students. It is usually put off until high school when the study of probability calls for the need to count all possible outcomes of an event. Buy why delay the fun while there exists a wealth of combinatorics problems that are both fascinating and very accessible to young kids? Let’s look at the Christmas decoration problem above and some more problems.
