Valentine’s Day isn’t just about chocolate and cards - it’s also about teamwork. And did you know that working together can make learning maths easier and more fun? When students explain their thinking to someone else, they often spot mistakes, discover new strategies, and feel more confident.
This Valentine’s, we’ve created a special two-person maths challenge. It’s perfect for a sibling, friend, or parent to solve together.
Mini Lesson: Fractions and Sharing
Fractions can be tricky because they show parts of a whole. For example, if half of a box of chocolates is dark chocolate, that’s ½ of the total box. If ¼ of the box is red lollies, that’s ¼ of the total box.
Talking through problems with someone else helps you check your thinking and make sure your answers make sense. That’s exactly what you’ll do in our Valentine’s Challenge!
The Valentine’s Share Challenge
Two people are sharing a Valentine’s treat box. Each person solves one part, then you combine your answers to find the final solution.
Step 1: Person A
Half of the box is chocolates. Of those chocolates, ⅔ are milk chocolate.
What fraction of the entire box is milk chocolate?
Step 2: Person B
The other half of the box is lollies. ¾ of the lollies are red.
What fraction of the entire box is red lollies?
Step 3: Work Together
Add your fractions from Step 1 and Step 2 to find the total fraction of the box that is either milk chocolate or red lollies.
Hint: Fractions must have the same denominator before you can add them.
Reflection Questions
After completing the challenge, try answering these together:
Working together helps build confidence and shows that maths is about thinking and explaining, not just getting the answer right.
Need a little extra support?
Assessments are the perfect way to see exactly where your child is at in maths. At Mathnasium we offer FREE diagnostic assessments to help identify strengths and gaps, create a personalised learning plan, and match your child with the right maths tutor.
Contact us or visit us in store to book your child’s free assessment today!
Solution
Step 1 (Person A):
Half of the box is chocolates → ½ of the box
⅔ of those chocolates are milk chocolate → ½ × ⅔ = 2/6 = 1/3 of the box
Step 2 (Person B):
The other half is lollies → ½ of the box
¾ of those lollies are red → ½ × ¾ = 3/8 of the box
Step 3 (Combine):
1/3 + 3/8 → Convert to a common denominator (24):
1/3 = 8/24, 3/8 = 9/24
8/24 + 9/24 = 17/24 of the box
Answer: 17/24 of the box is either milk chocolate or red lollies
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