Maths Tales Contest
Join in with our Maths Tales Contest!
In partnership with Read Write Count with The First Minister
As part of Maths Week Scotland 2024, we are thrilled to announce our Math Tales Contest, in partnership with Read Write Count with The First Minister. This exciting story-writing competition invites young authors in classes P1-7 to create a tale incorporating some maths elements.
Fantastic prizes await the winners in two categories: P1 - P3 and P4 - P7. While we provide guide templates to get you started, we encourage you to unleash your learners’ creativity! Find out how to take part below .
Who can enter?
We welcome entries from any children in Scotland that are of primary school age. Judging will be across two age categories:
- P1 – P3
- P4 - P7
Prizes will be awarded within both age categories.
Home-educated children are also welcome to enter. Please select the age category equivalent to your learning level.
Please note that only individual entries are possible (i.e. one child/author per story). Team entry is not possible.
How to enter?
Entries can be a comic strip, a short illustrated story, or anything your learners can imagine, but they must include the following three required elements:
- A shape
- A number
- The Maths Week Scotland mascot, Finn Finity
How you want to incorporate Finn Finity is up to you – Will Finn be a hero? A villain? A sidekick? Something else? You decide!
You can download the guide templates below, or create your own Maths Tale from scratch on blank A4 paper. Illustrations are encouraged, though we will also accept written only entries. Both hand written and typed entries will be accepted.
- Written only entries should be a maximum of 750 words.
- All other entries (comic strips, illustrated stories etc) should be a maximum of 6 pages.
Please make sure each entry includes the child’s first name and class e.g. “Anna, P3”, and story title at the top of the first page.
All entries must be in portrait format.
You can use art materials of your choice, but bold and bright designs will get the best results if being digitised.
How to submit your entry
Entries must be submitted by an adult on behalf of the child. As well as teachers, the competition is open to home-educated children and, if you are a parent or guardian, you are welcome to submit your child's entry individually. For home-educated children, please state the class equivalent to your learning level.
Entries must be submitted as a PDF file or Word document, via the form below. Entries will not be accepted via email or social media.
Document Check List:
- Include each child’s first name, class, and story title at the top of their first page.
- Save entries in PDF or DOC format (scan hand drawn/ illustrated entries if necessary).
- Please name your document: NAME OF SCHOOL + CLASS*
- If you want to submit multiple entries, you may upload them all as one document or submit them separately, whichever works best for you.
* Note for home educators: For document naming, instead of name of school, you can put your child's first name.
Please submit your entry by 6pm on Friday 11 October 2024. Late entries will not be considered.
If you are a teacher submitting entries from a school, please also make sure you have added yourself to our Maths Week Scotland schools map (this is not applicable to entries from families or home educators).
By entering the competition, entrants will be deemed to have accepted the terms and conditions.
If you have any issues submitting your entry, please email mathsweekscot@nms.ac.uk