Mathematical Treasure Hunt!

The Maths Mates have got the treasure map, and are off to
find the treasure! Time Turtle has been on the ship a very
long time and he can’t remember the word that means
how long it’s been. He’s getting old and a bit forgetful...
Can you help him to find the word along the way?

Follow the clues and collect the letter treasure to help him
remember what that word was...

Notes for parents / carers – read these BEFORE starting:

Prepare the treasure hunt without any children watching!

1. Read through the clues (pink boxes) and answers (blue boxes) first.
2. Print off or write out the clues. Place clues around the home with suggested
additional items, including the coins / treasure (see no. 5 & 6).
3. Keep the answers to yourself! You’ll also find adaptations/further instructions
in the blue boxes.
4. Not sure about the maths yourself? ‘Why is this maths’ boxes (green) are
there to help with explanations.
5. The ‘letter treasure’ coins can be given to children, or be waiting for them
with the next clue. Mix the letter order up to add an extra challenge of
solving an anagram to find the missing word!
6. No printer? No problem! Draw your own, or use real coins or ‘treasure’ items
with letters stuck on.
7. Why not print or get children to draw a treasure map for writing down the
answers. Find a template here: https://www.mathsontoast.org.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2020/07/Map-Answer-Template-treasure-hunt.pdf
8. Discuss ‘why is this maths’ together – children spotting the maths themselves
helps to discover the maths in everyday life.
9. Activities are suitable for a range of ages - be guided by your children, let
them explore ideas, take the maths further, or come up with a related
activity.
10. This resource is a starting point – be creative and adapt the clues to suit
whatever you have available.

For more fun activities visit www.mathsontoast.org.uk

Don’t forget to share your creations and comments on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram tagging @mathsontoast
using #positiveaboutmaths
 What you will need:
 Printer and paper or post it notes / paper. Extra paper / notebook
 Blue tac / sticky tape
 Pencils
 Socks (or other items that come in pairs (see clue 3)
 Dice - if you don’t have one, check this out https://www.mathsontoast.org.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2020/03/Dice-net-1.pdf
 Food that can be easily turned into fractions (see clue 6)
 A knife that is child friendly (if children are doing without supervision)
 A box / treasure chest and padlock – optional (see clue 7)
 Eyepatch and parrot - optional!

Clues for children – print or write out (adapted if needed) and place around the home.

Clue 1:
I have a face but no eyes; I have hands but no arms. What am I?

OR

Clue 1:
I have 4 places, but I only show the digit 4 sometimes; on the left I only count up to
12 or 24, but on the right I can go as high as 59. What am I?

Clue 2:
Captain’s Orders!
Time to Eat
But now we’re here, how many feet?

Coordinate Chicken, Time Turtle, Decimal Dog and Fractions Fox are sat here.
How many LEGS are there altogether?

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 Clue 3:
Chicken is disorganised. Quick, to his cabin to help him:

They come in pairs, and they need sorting!

Further instructions 3:
Now sort these socks into their matching pairs! Count them in 2s. Are there any
left over? Can you create an explanation of odd and even using these socks and
/ or pictures?

Clue 4:
Upon the ship, this item hangs,
Protects from rain and sea splashes,
It might get wet, but it won’t float
It has 2 sleeves and is a _ _ _ _

How many _ _ _ _ _ do you have in your home? Count them! Next, you must roll
the dice until you reach the same number as the number of _ _ _ _ _ you have.

Add the number you roll, or take it away until you reach the exact number. How many
rolls of the dice did it take you to get the exact number? Now find the next clue in
a pocket – but don’t let the captain catch you – or you’ll have to walk the plank!

Clue 5:
I am a rectangle.
I am a 2D shape.
I look back at you! But what do you see?
You use me in your maths lessons when you are doing symmetry.
Come find me!

For more fun activities visit www.mathsontoast.org.uk

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using #positiveaboutmaths
 Further instruction 5:
Look at yourself in the mirror. Can you draw a self-portrait? Why not turn yourself into
one of the Maths Mates crew? Add a pirate hat, eye patch, or features like one of the
animals – doggy ears, chicken’s beak!

Once you have drawn it, have a look, both at your reflection and your drawing – is
your face symmetrical? Now move on to your next clue.

Clue 6:
The Captain demands a feast! “Bring me 1/4 of a slice of bread, 1/2 an apple, 1/3 of the
block of cheese and 1/5 of the strawberries.” Head to the galley, quick!

Clue / final instruction 7:

The treasure chest is locked! You need the final coin. Use these 4 digits and create
the smallest number you can, then the largest number you can. The largest will be
the code on the lock!

7 3 8 5

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Answers and adaptations for organisers only! ‘Why is this maths ‘to help along the way.

Answer and adaptations 1:

A clock! The first clue is for an analogue clock (with hands) and the second for digital –
pick which fits best with what you have at home.

Why is this maths? 1

Solving a riddle is problem solving. Telling the time is an important part of measure.
Ask questions about the time e.g. What time is it now? What time will it be in 10 minutes?
What was the time half an hour ago? You could have these questions ready as an extra
activity or just chat about them.

Answer and adaptations 2:

There will be 14 animal legs plus however many legs there are where you eat. For
example, if you sit at a table with 4 chairs and the table and each chair has 4 legs (as in
the picture on the clue), there will be an additional 20 legs!

Why is this maths? 2

This is a multi-step problem solving task using addition and multiplication.
Encourage children to use skills at their level. Younger children may need to count the
legs (use the picture or you could draw the animals). Older children will spot that there
are 5 lots of 4 for the furniture, so should be able to do 4 x 5 =

Answer and adaptations 3:

Socks!
You could have some socks for the whole family ready to be
sorted and put away (one less job to do!) Or adapt by thinking
about what else comes in pairs and needs sorting – earrings,
gloves, shoe laces, chopsticks, slippers, shoes.

Hide clue 4, and the dice needed for clue 4, in an odd sock.
Having an odd sock can help with the explanation of odd and
even.

For more fun activities visit www.mathsontoast.org.uk

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Why is this maths? 3
This involves sorting / matching, organising into pairs and counting in 2s. All of this is also
useful for explaining and understanding odd and even numbers – getting children to
explain is a great way of learning.

Answer and adaptations 4:

Coat(s). You will probably have a place where you keep all your outside coats.

Put the next clue in a pocket.

Why is this maths? 4

The riddle uses problem solving skills again. Rolling the dice to equal the number of
coats uses mental maths. Younger children can count the dots on the dice.
Even if you only have 4 coats, the odds are low that they would roll a 4 first. More
maths - ask your children: ‘How many rolls do you think it will take?’ and discuss the
probability (likelihood) of the number you want being rolled straight away (1 in 6).

Answer and adaptations 5:

A mirror. Change the shape to match the shape of your mirror, but most are rectangles.
Place the further instruction (drawing task) for them to find as soon as they get to the
mirror (hiding the next clue).

Why is this maths? 5

Symmetry is maths, and an interesting fact is that no one’s face is symmetrical! See if
they work that out! Adding a feature like an eyepatch shows more clearly the lack of
symmetry.
You can also discuss names of other shapes, and shape properties eg. a rectangle has 2
pairs of parallel lines, 4 sides, 4 right angles.

For more fun activities visit www.mathsontoast.org.uk

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 Answer and adaptations 6:
The ‘answer’ here will be the requested fractions of food laid out. Leave the items in
the kitchen, with a safe knife, or items already cut up for younger children (they can
select the ½, ¼ ). Alternatively they could bite the food into fractions! When they
have brought you the ‘feast’ you can reward them by sharing it with them or giving
them a treat of a whole biscuit or similar. Use any food you have / your own
choices. Try out more fun fractions - ask them to add some or all of the fractions
together, or find equivalent fractions to the ones you have.

When they have shown you the fractions of food, you can present them with the 7th
and final clue.

Why is this maths? 6

Fractions lend themselves well to real life situations. This gives children a practical
‘hands-on’ understanding.

Answer and adaptations 7:

Smallest = 3578, largest = 8753

You could have 2, 3 or 5 digits depending on the challenge level needed. If you
have a box and padlock, why not use it – but don’t feel you need to – children
have great imaginations!

Have the final coin / letter ready for once they ‘unlock’!

Why is this maths? 7

Place value is the basis for all maths, and our base 10 number system. It forms
understanding for concepts such as: greater and smaller; sequencing; and
prepares children for procedures such as column written methods. Discuss the
value of each digit in its position: for example with the larger number, the 7
represents 7 hundreds (700), but in the smaller number it is 7 tens (70). All great use
of maths language!

For more fun activities visit www.mathsontoast.org.uk

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using #positiveaboutmaths
Final answer and note:
The letters will form the word CENTURY. Time Turtle has been travelling on the boat for
100 years – no wonder he’s getting forgetful! Time for a well-earned reward of your
choosing!

For more fun activities visit www.mathsontoast.org.uk

Don’t forget to share your creations and comments on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram tagging @mathsontoast
using #positiveaboutmaths