Kyle’s best friend, Lily, moved to San Francisco three years ago, and he missed her a lot. To make her upcoming birthday special, Kyle decided to throw a surprise party for her. Let’s see how he managed to pull it off!
First, Kyle wanted to know exactly how long Lily had been away. By looking at his laptop, which showed the date as January 15, 2022, and a photo with Lily dated January 15, 2019, he realized it had been 36 months, or three years, since she left.
Kyle knew Lily had an online wish list, but he forgot the password. Luckily, he found a clue in his old notes: the numbers 3, 5, 4, and 8. By counting the spots on ladybugs, he cracked the code and discovered Lily’s dream gift—a rare vintage guitar!
Kyle created a secret group chat with Lily’s friends, asking each to contribute $100 to buy the guitar. However, he only received $400 instead of $500. After some detective work, he realized Carrie was lying about sending her share because she had a cast on her leg and couldn’t go jogging.
At the music store, another customer wanted the same guitar. The customer challenged Kyle with a riddle: “I can be flipped and broken but never move. I can be closed and opened and sometimes removed. I am sealed by hands. What am I?” Kyle correctly answered, “A deal,” and got the guitar.
Kyle’s car broke down on the way to the airport, so he needed a ride. He wisely chose a reliable car, avoiding one with only three wheels and another with a creepy clown. The driver agreed to help if Kyle solved another riddle: “From the beginning of eternity to the end of time in space, to the beginning of every end and the end of every place. What am I?” Kyle answered, “The letter E,” and got a ride.
Upon landing, Kyle’s suitcase was missing. He noticed an old lady covering it with a scarf, but the suitcase had a sticker with his name. Mystery solved!
At the bakery, there were three cakes for different Lilys. Kyle chose the one with a cream guitar because he knew Lily wanted a guitar.
The costume store was closed, but a note with numbers 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 9 was on the door. Kyle figured out the code was “4441111199” by entering three fours, five ones, and two nines.
Inside, Kyle found the owner unconscious. The assistant, Stacy, claimed she found him like that, but the police arrested her because the door shuts automatically, proving she lied.
To reach Lily’s house, Kyle had to choose between three paths: angry lions, a wicked witch, or sleep-inducing poppies. He cleverly disguised himself as a woman to pass the witch safely.
At Lily’s house, the spare key was missing. Kyle noticed paw prints leading to the doghouse, where the dog had taken the key.
The friends were hungry and needed to divide a lasagna into 12 pieces with four cuts. By making two cuts to divide it into three pieces, then a perpendicular cut, and finally a horizontal cut, they achieved 12 pieces.
Everyone wanted to bring Lily her cake, so Kyle challenged them with a riddle: “White, fat, and fluffy, may even look like a puppy. Seems heavy but is light, floats about without a worry, but if it turns dark, you have to hurry. What is it?” Jenny answered, “A cloud,” and got to carry the cake.
Lily arrived home, and everyone surprised her with the cake. But during the party, she disappeared. Kyle found her in the basement, but it was just a prank. He knew because Lily had moved positions while he was questioning the suspects.
In the end, Kyle’s surprise party was a success, and Lily had an unforgettable birthday!
Imagine you are Kyle and need to figure out how long Lily has been away. Use a calendar to calculate the number of months between two dates. Try using different start and end dates to practice your skills!
Just like Kyle, you have a code to crack! Create your own secret code using numbers and clues, then swap with a friend and see if you can solve each other’s codes. Remember to use creative hints!
Riddles can be tricky! Work in pairs to come up with your own riddles. Challenge your classmates to solve them. Can you stump the class with your clever riddle?
In groups, plan a surprise party for a fictional character. Decide on the theme, location, and activities. Present your plan to the class and explain why your party would be the best surprise ever!
Using a piece of paper, draw a rectangle to represent a lasagna. Try to divide it into 12 equal pieces using only four straight lines. Share your solution with the class and see if anyone has a different method!
Time – The ongoing sequence of events taking place, measured in seconds, minutes, and hours. – In math class, we learned how to calculate the time it takes to travel a certain distance.
Gift – Something given willingly to someone without payment; a present. – Solving a challenging math problem can feel like receiving a gift when you finally understand it.
Funds – Money saved or made available for a particular purpose. – Our school raised funds to buy new math textbooks for the students.
Riddle – A question or statement intentionally phrased to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning. – The teacher gave us a math riddle to solve, which made us think creatively about numbers.
Code – A system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others, especially for the purposes of secrecy. – We learned how to use a secret code to solve math puzzles in class.
Path – A way or track laid down for walking or made by continual treading. – In geometry, we drew a path to show how a point moves along a line.
Key – A piece of information that helps to solve a problem or answer a question. – Understanding the key concepts in math is important for solving complex problems.
Divide – To separate or be separated into parts. – In our math lesson, we learned how to divide large numbers into smaller, equal parts.
Mystery – Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain. – Solving the mystery of how numbers work together can be exciting in math class.
Surprise – An unexpected or astonishing event, fact, or thing. – It was a surprise to find out how many different ways we could solve the same math problem.
