5 Number Pattern Games to Try with Numberblocks Generator

A child can recite 2, 4, 6, 8 without knowing why 10 comes next. Give them a new starting number and the difference becomes clear. These five games use Numberblocks Generator to check a guess after the child has worked out the rule.

You'll need scrap paper. The game shows one number at a time; write the sequence down so you can see the whole pattern. If the controls are unfamiliar, the playing guide shows where to find them.

1. What comes next? Start with ones

Write 3, 4, 5, __. Once the child says 6, move the generator from 5 to 6. Then change the puzzle to 11, __, 13. Finding a number in the middle takes a little more thought than adding one at the end.

The game's +1 and -1 controls let you check either direction. Ask, “Why 12?” If the answer is “because it comes after 11,” ask what happens when you start at 13 and step backward.

2. Count in twos, then change the starting point

First count 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. Then start over at 3 and keep the same step: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. Check the numbers in the generator as you go.

The second list often catches people out. It contains odd numbers, but the rule is still “add 2.” Put both lists on paper and compare the gaps between numbers. For more ideas along these lines, hand2mind's Numberblocks routines include counting forward and backward in steps.

3. Find the missing number in a longer pattern

Write 5, 10, __, 20, 25. Don't show the game yet. What number fits the gap? Why? Then enter the numbers to see whether adding 5 works all the way through.

For another round, use 4, 8, __, 16. It's easy to notice that 4 becomes 8; the real test is whether “add 4” also gets you from 8 to 12 and from 12 to 16.

4. Go backward to the start

Start at 10 and count back by one until you reach 6. Next, start at 20 and count back by two: 20, 18, 16, 14, 12. Say each number before you visit it in the generator.

If a child flies through 2, 4, 6, 8 but hesitates at 8, 6, 4, 2, stay with the backward version for another round. The sequence is familiar; the direction isn't.

5. Make a rule and challenge someone else

Now let the child set the challenge. “Start at 6, add 3” gives you 6, 9, 12, 15, __. Let them hide the rule while you solve it, then swap roles. Try a decreasing pattern next.

Before you check the answer, have the puzzle-maker explain the rule. If you disagree about it, test each step. A rule that fits only the first pair doesn't explain the sequence.

When you're ready for a different pattern

Try 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 from the generator guide. The gaps change each time, so “add the same amount” won't work. For an activity away from the screen, the BBC Learning Hub's Numberblocks collection has printable games.