Magic Squares have a long and fascinating tradition in maths so it is nice to be able to present a very simple magic square for young children to investigate. The first task is to give them the numbers 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3 and ask them to fit the numbers into the 3x3 box so that the sum of each row, column and diagonal is the same. It is a good idea to cut the pieces of paper with the numbers out so that they can be moved round easily. Once the task has been completed one way ask if there are other possibilities and if there are any rules that have to be followed to make sure that it is correct. The second sheet looks briefly at how these number patterns can be converted into interesting colour patterns, simply by giving each number a colour. Using the knowledge they have gained the third task, with the numbers 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6 should prove to be easier to solve. Go to our Year 2 Magic Square Challenge