Stripes on a knitted jumper, the rhythm of lessons on a school timetable, spots on a leopard’s skin… Wherever something repeats over and over again, you will find a pattern. The objects in this image bank showcase the many ways we can find and interpret patterns.

Mathematical patterns and sequences are all around us, waiting for people to sniff them out and use them to understand the world. Spotting a pattern is not only pleasing in itself: it can also lead us to ask interesting questions about how and why the pattern happened, which can help us make calculations and solve problems.

From geometry to algebra to numbers, finding and playing with patterns can help us work mathematically and make sense of the world.

Highlighting the patterns in both familiar and unique museum objects helps to increase awareness of how full of patterns our everyday lives are and how patterns are useful to us.

Curriculum Links

Downloadable resources

Maths and Patterns – Image Bank (PDF Document)