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Maths learning resources

Help build confidence and excitement for maths with hands on activities, 3D objects, image banks and object hunts. Teachers can use our maths resources in the classroom, while families can use them to support home learning.

Making activities

Get your class interacting with maths! These activities have easy to follow, step-by-step instructions using simple materials.

Bubble Geometry

Make use of geometry in observing the shapes and angles soap bubbles create when they join together.

For KS2 (7-11)

Cipher wheel

Make a cipher wheel of your own, which you can use to encrypt and decrypt messages.

For KS2 (7-11)

Make an animation

Make a device called a phenakistoscope, which displays a continuously looping animation.

For KS2 (7-11)

Mystery tubes

Work out how shoelaces are connected inside a closed tube.

For KS2 (7-11) and KS3 (11-14)

Shape detectives

Cutting out simple shape templates and look through them to find similar shapes in the real world.

For KS1 (5-7)

Build a Dome

Use straws and strong shapes to make a self-supporting dome.

For KS3 (11-14) and KS4 (14-16)

Bottle top shapes

Get creative with geometry by drawing lines on bottle tops and seeing what shapes you can make.

For KS1 (5-7)

Image Banks

Discover how maths has shaped and impacted society and spark discussion and curiosity around maths with these beautiful examples from our museum collections in these image banks.

Image bank: maths and computing

This image bank showcases the tools, people and challenges behind the development of computers.

For KS2 (7-11) and KS3 (11-14)

Image bank: maths and health

This image bank showcases ways of using maths to understand bodies and diseases.

For KS3 (11-14) and KS4 (14-16)

3D Objects

Explore objects from the Science Museum Group’s Collection to fuel curiosity and discussion around maths. These virtual 3D reconstructions of some of the objects in Mathematics: The Winton Gallery invite you to look closer and explore the application of maths and science principles by seeing how the objects might work.

Enigma cipher machine

Enigma cipher machines were designed to create complex encrypted messages that were almost impossible to break.

For KS2 (7-11) and KS3 (11-14)

Ishiguro’s storm model

Shizuo Ishiguro, an electrical engineer and mathematician, developed this electronic storm model to simulate the North Sea and increase our ability to predict the impact of storm surges on our coastline.

For KS2 (7-11), KS3 (11-14) and KS4 (14-16)

Catalytic converter

A catalytic converter is a large metal box that sits underneath your car. They help reduce the chances of us getting ill by reducing the emission of toxic fumes.

For KS2 (7-11), KS3 (11-14) and KS4 (14-16)

Marine sextant

Sailors use sextants to work out their ship’s location at sea so they can navigate.

For KS2 (7-11), KS3 (11-14) and KS4 (14-16)

Maths object hunt

Encourage students to follow their curiosity and work together to hunt for different maths related/ themed objects. They’ll complete challenges and use observation and questioning skills to get thinking and talking about how maths has shaped our lives. While these are meant to be completed in the Science Museum Group museums, most of the questions can be answered using everyday objects.

Great object hunt: Shapes and Patterns

Find something that has circles on it, something that has parallel lines…

This activity has been designed to be used in any setting: try it around the home or on a trip to the shops.

For KS1 (5-7) and KS2 (7-11)