🌀 Ages 9 to 16 · puzzles and big ideas
Maths that bends your mind
Puzzles, counting, binary, clock arithmetic and codes: the playful side of maths that school rarely has time for.
This is maths for the pleasure of it: the surprising ways numbers behave on a clock, how a computer counts with two digits, how a secret code hides a message, and how multiplying choices counts things you could never list.
Mix the lessons with riddles, magic tricks and puzzle games. Each one is a small door into bigger ideas such as number theory, combinatorics and cryptography.
Interactive learning path
Mind-Bending Maths: 5 lessons to do
Choose a lesson and explore the idea with diagrams, controls and guided questions.
Binary Numbers
Flip eight switches to count in binary, the language of computers.
Start the lesson →Clock Arithmetic
Wrap round a clock to learn modular arithmetic.
Start the lesson →The Counting Principle
Multiply the choices to count outfits, meals and PINs.
Start the lesson →Venn Diagrams and Sets
Sort people into two overlapping circles and count the overlap once.
Start the lesson →The Caesar Cipher
Shift the alphabet to hide and crack secret messages.
Start the lesson →Covered topics
What this area covers
Where to start
- Ages 9 to 11: Try counting outfits and binary numbers, then the maths riddles.
- Ages 11 to 14: Add clock arithmetic and the Caesar cipher.
- Ages 14 and up: Try Venn diagrams, the number puzzles and the real numbers notes.
Practise next
Want a teacher to guide you through mind-bending maths? See Maths competition and Olympiad preparation. Teachers in our network teach every class and board, and a teacher is matched to the learner before anything is booked. We do not promise marks, grades or results.
FAQ
Mind-Bending Maths: questions people ask
What is mind-bending maths?
Playful maths beyond the usual school syllabus, such as puzzles, binary, modular arithmetic, codes and counting problems.
Will it help with Olympiads?
These ideas, especially counting, number theory and logic, appear in maths contests. Practice with a teacher helps most, and we do not promise results.
What age is it for?
Most lessons suit ages 9 to 16. Younger children enjoy the riddles and tricks.
Is it free?
Yes. The lessons, riddles and games are free.
Keep exploring
Other areas
Foundations
Number sense, fractions, percentages, shapes, counting and sets: the ideas every later topic stands on.
See the lessons →Algebra
Equations, slope, systems, quadratics and Pythagoras: algebra made visible with balances, lines and curves.
See the lessons →Probability and Statistics
Probability, averages and correlation: how to measure chance and what a pattern in data can and cannot tell you.
See the lessons →Calculus
Rate of change and area under a curve: the two big ideas of calculus, seen before they are symbolised.
See the lessons →Start a conversation
Want help with mind-bending maths?
Tell us the age, topic and what feels hard. We match a teacher from our network and confirm the format before anything is booked.
- Tell us the learner’s age or grade and goals
- We’ll suggest a suitable class or learning path
- We’ll confirm format, timing and fees with a parent or guardian
Play it, don't just read it
Take a break and play
Free games that need no sign-up. Pick one and play for five minutes.
Pick a game
- Make 24Combine four numbers with + − × ÷ to make exactly 24. Tap a number, an…Play
- Estimation StationEstimate big sums without a calculator and see how close you get.Play
- Maths MeteorsSums fall from space. Type the answers to blast them before they land.Play
- Fractions and Equivalent FractionsCut a bar into equal parts, shade it, and discover why 1/2 = 2/4.Play