Nexodyne parent card · Numbers
Make 24
Ages 8–11 · 10 minutes · You’ll need: Printable number cards
A ten-minute number puzzle. Every card has an answer, most have several, and the explanation matters more than the speed.
The rule: Use all four numbers on the card exactly once, with + − × ÷ and brackets, to make exactly 24.
Set up
Print the cards and cut them out, or read them aloud from the page. Keep a pencil and paper nearby for working out.
How to play
- Turn over a card so you can both see it.
- Think quietly. When someone has it, they say “24!”
- They explain their answer one step at a time while the other checks it.
- Stuck after two minutes? Give one first step as a hint (the answers are at the bottom).
- Swap who turns the next card.
What to say
- “Talk me through it.”
- “Which two numbers would you put together first?”
- “Is there another way?”
Easier: Use any three of the four numbers, or aim for 12 instead of 24.
Harder: Find two different answers for the same card, then try the challenge card.
End with one question: “Which card was hardest, and what helped you crack it?”
Cut-out cards
- 1 2 3 4
- 6 6 6 6
- 2 4 6 8
- 4 4 4 6
- 2 2 3 4
- 2 3 4 4
- 1 1 5 6
- 1 4 6 9
- 2 5 7 9
- 3 4 7 8
- 3 3 3 3
- Challenge3 3 8 8
Answers (no peeking until you’ve tried)
- 1 2 3 4 1 × 2 × 3 × 4
- 6 6 6 6 6 + 6 + 6 + 6
- 2 4 6 8 8 × 6 ÷ 4 × 2
- 4 4 4 6 6 × 4 × 4 ÷ 4
- 2 2 3 4 3 × (4 + 2 + 2)
- 2 3 4 4 4 × (2 + 3) + 4
- 1 1 5 6 6 × (5 − 1) × 1
- 1 4 6 9 6 × (9 − 4 − 1)
- 2 5 7 9 5 × 7 − 2 − 9
- 3 4 7 8 (7 − 3) × 4 + 8
- 3 3 3 3 3 × 3 × 3 − 3
- 3 3 8 8 8 ÷ (3 − 8 ÷ 3)
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