Ever find yourself running out of ideas for your daily maths warm-ups? We've all been there!

You want something that gets students thinking, gets everyone involved, and doesn't take ages to prepare. And let's be honest, doing the same mental maths questions every day can get a little repetitive!

So, here are five fun and simple maths warm-ups to try with your class next week. They're easy to use and a great way to bring something new to the start of your lessons. 

1. Target Number 

The challenge is to use the available numbers and mathematical operations to reach the target. The fun part? There's often more than one way to get there! Encourage students to compare their solutions, explain their strategies, and see whether they can find a completely different way to reach the same answer.

2. This Is My Change 

Time to put those money maths skills to work. Students are given this shopping scenario with an item price and an amount paid. Their task is to work out the change. You can make things interesting by changing the amounts, adding multiple items, or asking students to find the most efficient way to calculate the change.

3. Cracked Screen

A little maths mystery for your students to crack! They are given a calculation with one number off-limits and are challenged to find a way around it. They can play around with different operations, mix and match numbers, and come up with as many solutions as they can.

4. 2 Truths and A Lie

With three mathematical statements, students are challenged to identify the one that isn't true. They must identify the lie and, more importantly, explain how they know.

5. Odd One Out

There isn't always just one right answer! Ask your students to find the one they think doesn't belong. The fun part? There can be more than one right answer! Encourage students to explain their choices, look for different ways to group the items, and see how many possible answers the class can come up with.

Want 25 More Maths Warm-Ups?

Five ideas down, but that's only the beginning!

If you're looking for more ways to keep your daily maths starters fresh, the Open-Ended Maths Warm Slides brings together 30 interactive warm-up activities in one easy-to-use digital resource.

With an interactive spinning wheel to choose your daily activity, a variety of mathematical challenges and fully editable slides, you'll have plenty of options to keep students thinking throughout the week. The activities are designed with a low-floor, high-ceiling approach, making them accessible to a range of learners while still offering opportunities for deeper thinking and challenge.

So, why spend your Sunday night trying to come up with five new warm-ups when you could have 30 ready to go?