NCERT Joyful Mathematics, Class 1, textbook pages 122–128

Class 1 maths puzzles: helping your child think it through

Brain teasers and number riddles, taught with things you already have at home: a 10-minute activity, a game for the week, a 5-day plan and the mistakes to watch for.

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Puzzles in Class 1 Maths: what they teach

The book ends with brain teasers: numbers read in a mirror, digits that change upside down, sums hiding in a grid, matchstick numbers. NCERT says a child can stay with one puzzle for a week and should not be marked on them.

Why it matters later. Puzzles build patience and reasoning, and show that maths problems can have more than one answer. NCERT asks that children are not marked on them.

See it: the puzzles in pictures

69turn a 6 upside down
Some digits change when turned over. Which ones?
2525what does a mirror show?
A small mirror makes this puzzle a hands-on game.
98543672which two make 17? 9 and 8
Finding sums in a grid: try, check, try again.

You need

  • paper and pencil
  • a small mirror
  • some matchsticks or ice-cream sticks
  • a pack of cards

How to use the puzzles

  1. Give one puzzle a day and leave it on the fridge. Do not give the answer the same day.
  2. Ask “What have you tried?” instead of giving a hint.
  3. If there is more than one answer, celebrate finding a second one.
  4. Make your own: “I am between 5 and 10 and I am 2 more than 6. Who am I?”

Words to use

  • try another way
  • what if
  • more than one answer
  • prove it

Watch for

  • Giving up after one try. Praise trying a new way, not only getting the answer.
  • Wanting you to solve it. Ask “What have you tried?” and leave it for tomorrow.

What it sounds like at home

A short example of the conversation. Your words will differ; the questions are what matter.

YouI am between 5 and 10. I am 2 more than 6. Who am I?

Your child7?

YouCheck it: is 7 two more than 6?

Your childNo, one more. It’s 8!

YouNow make one for me.

A game for this week: Who am I?

  1. Think of a number up to 20.
  2. Give clues: “I am more than 10. I am less than 15. I am 2 more than 11.”
  3. Your child guesses. Then they give clues for you.
  4. Make it harder with clues about digits later.

A 5-day plan, 10 minutes a day

  1. Day 1Upside-down numbers: which digits change?
  2. Day 2Numbers in a mirror.
  3. Day 3Find three numbers that add to a total.
  4. Day 4Who am I? riddles.
  5. Day 5Make up a puzzle for another family member.

Everyday moments to practise

  • Car number plates: which digits look the same upside down?
  • Riddles during a car or bus ride.
  • Making up puzzles for grandparents.
  • Matchstick numbers on the table.

Quick check

Ask these at the end of the week. Tap to see the answer.

I am between 5 and 10 and I am 2 more than 6. Who am I?

8.

Which digit becomes a different digit when you turn it upside down?

6 becomes 9, and 9 becomes 6.

Find two numbers that add to 17 using 9, 8 and 5.

9 and 8.

Ready for the next chapter when your child…

  • Tries more than one approach before asking for help.
  • Explains how they solved a puzzle.
  • Enjoys making puzzles for others.

Activities, wording and illustrations are Mathify Kids’ own, following the topics of NCERT’s Joyful Mathematics (Class 1). See the full Class 1 parent guide for every chapter.

Questions parents ask

What kind of puzzles are in Class 1 NCERT maths?

Number riddles, mirror and upside-down digits, shape grids where no shape repeats, matchstick numbers and simple sum puzzles.

Should I give the answer if my child is stuck?

Not the same day. Ask what they have tried and leave the puzzle out for another day.

Are puzzle answers marked in school?

No. The book says children should not be assessed on puzzles; they are for enjoyment and thinking.