Online Resource: Amusements

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With the changing nature of the Internet, these sites may no longer exist or they may exist in different formats. To suggest new sites for inclusion, to report bad links, or to comment on any of the listings in this resource, please use the feedback form .

1. Absurd Math
   Absurd Math is an interactive mathematical problem solving game series. The player proceeds on missions in a strange world where the ultimate power consists of mathematical skill and knowledge. Many of the pages have hidden clues and areas. Anytime a player needs help, they may e-mail staff for assistance. Response is usually within two days. Teachers and parents, may e-mail for answer keys.
2. Algebra - Fun with Calendars
   A fun mathematical puzzle to play with friends. (Or teachers, with your class.) Take any calendar. Tell a friend to choose 4 days that form a square like the illustration at the site. Your friend should tell you only the sum of the four days, and you can tell her what the four days are. How does the puzzle work? You know how people always want to see a use for algebra? Well this puzzle uses algebra.
3. Amusing Mathematics Web Pages
   This site is part of the Math Forum and provides links to sites dealing with mathematical quotes, fun with numbers, and math jokes.
4. Car Talk’s The Puzzler
   Check out NPR’s Car Talk’s weekly puzzle or as the Car Talk boys say "a curious little conundrum."
5. Clever Games for Clever People  
   The games at this site are all taken from: John Conway’s On Numbers and Games. John Conway says in the preface to this book that he wrote it to tell about the relationships between two of his favorite subjects: theories of transfinite numbers and mathematical games.
6. Colorful Mathematics  
   Down loadable software for IBM compatible machines. The games have been selected on the basis of being both important mathematics problems, and being fun to play. Each addresses a different mathematical concept while at the same time all being related to graphs and their properties.
7. Four Fours Puzzle
   Four 4's Puzzle - Using four 4's and any operations, try to write equations that have the numbers from 0 to 100 as the answer.
8. Grey Labyrinth
   An archive of puzzles from mathematicians, philosophers, and others. The answers are posted but you are challenged to answer them without peeking!
9. Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles
   A good collection of math games, puzzles, quotes, and additional information. This site also contains a number interesting online polls concerning mathematics and education in general.
10. K-12 Math Problems, Puzzles, Tips & Tricks
    Another site of the Math Forum and contains divisibility tests and problems from the Russian Math Olympics.
11. Ken's Puzzle of the Week
    This site has a current puzzle and archives of past puzzles, plus links to other puzzling sites.
12. Little Math Contest  
    Even though this sites is intended for grades through five through ten and is a contest, the questions could be used in lower level math classes.
13. Magic Squares
    This Math Forum site provides the history, the math, and the geography of the Magic Square.
14. Mathematical Quotation Server
    Search on quotations or click to get a random quotation.
15. Mathematrix  
    A site devoted to exploring mathematical recreations, some of the more entertaining and often lesser-known areas of mathematics, and offering a random math "quote of the moment" from a Mathematics and Computer Science major at Boston University. 
16. MathTrek Archives
    This site is sponsored by Mathematical Association of America, features columns by Ivars Peterson published over the last four years.
17. Math Problems from the Montpelier Portfolio Program
    Have your students try one of the math problem solving challenges offered at this site. Hints are offered on how to solve "non-conventional" problems.
18. Fun, Puzzles
    Fun Puzzles are divided into 3 groups: not so hard, not easy and quite hard. This site also has several illusions and various other (and sort of mathematical) amusements.
19. Soma Cube Page:
    Seven 3 dimensional pieces which can be put together to form a cube. It is considered "one of the simplest and most elegant of all three-dimensional put-together puzzles."
20. Walk Through Time: The Evolution of Time Measurement
    This site is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Physics Lab Presentation.