Puzzles, games and puzzle hunts · Maths CAS idea
Keep a weekly puzzle noticeboard
Creativity
Write a new original puzzle every week for a school noticeboard or newsletter, and publish solutions and the names of solvers who agree.
Where the maths comes in
Puzzle-writing across number, logic and geometry, with checked solutions.
Which CAS strand it fits
- Creativity: The arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking.
Your CAS coordinator decides how an experience counts at your school. Strand summaries are provisional (our words, being checked).
How to run it
- Agree a location and a weekly slot.
- Write a bank of puzzles ahead of time.
- Post weekly and collect answers.
- Track how many people take part.
How to evidence it
- Puzzle bank and published puzzles
- Participation counts
- Comments from solvers
Date everything and keep it in your school's CAS portfolio as you go. More on what counts as evidence.
Reflection prompts
Questions to think about, not answers to copy. Write your reflections in your own words, in whatever form your school accepts.
- What made a puzzle popular?
- How did you keep going every week?
- What did you learn from a puzzle that had a mistake?
Learning outcomes this often gives a chance to show
- Commitment and perseverance. When did you feel like stopping, and what kept you going? What does your record of sessions or meetings show about how regularly you took part?
- Challenge and new skills. What could you not do at the start that you can do now? Which moment felt most uncomfortable, and what did you do next?
- Strengths and growth. Which part of this did you find easiest, and why do you think that is? What would someone who watched you say you need to work on?
Whether you meet an outcome depends on what you actually do and reflect on, not on the idea. Outcome labels are our short summaries, being checked.
Safety and ethics
- Write every puzzle yourself; publish names only with permission.
Agree every plan with your CAS coordinator first. Safety and ethics for maths CAS.
For puzzle ideas to adapt (never copy), browse competition maths.