Puzzles
In this puzzle you need to find a way of swapping the pink and blue frogs.
Start with 2 pink frogs on the left and 2 blue frogs on the right and one empty space between them:
Rules:
- A frog can step into the empty space.
- A frog can jump over another frog into the empty space.
- A frog can’t jump over more than one frog at a time.
- A frog can not move backwards
Is it possible to move the frogs so the pink frogs end up on the right and the blue frogs end up on the left like this:
You can explore this puzzle using buttons or coins or an online version.
Variations:
- Change the number of blue and pink frogs (3 blue, 3 pink then 4 blue, 4 pink)
- Keep a record of how many moves it takes to swap them over
- Can you make any predictions about how many moves you will need to swap over any number of red frogs and blue frogs?
Source: NRichmaths.org
Categories: Elementary