Can Your Students Solve the Famous Handshake Problem? (Grades 3-8)
It's always a good idea to mix up your instruction every now and then just to keep your kids on their toes.
And sharing today's fun math riddles and brain teasers like the Handshake Puzzle with your students is a great way to engage your students and incorporate some excitement into your upcoming lesson plans.
The Famous Handshake Problem
Here's the scenario:
If there are 20 people in a room and they each shake each other's hands once and only once, how many handshakes are there all together?
This challenge makes for a great warm-up or cool-down activity for sparking mathematical discussion and creative problem-solving at any grade level!
Click Here to Download Your Free Handshake Problem PDF Worksheet
It's always fun to see the variety of strategies (acting out, drawing diagrams, algebraic, etc) that your students will apply to try to solve this puzzle.
More Free Resources: 10 Super Fun Math Riddles for Kids (with Answers)
Handshake Problem: Solution
Answer: 19 + 18 + 17 + ... + 3 + 2 + 1 = 190 total handshakes
Are you looking for more super fun Math Riddles, Puzzles, and Brain Teasers to share with your kids?
My best-selling workbook 101 Math Riddles, Puzzles, and Brain Teasers for Kids Ages 10+! is now available as a PDF download. You can get yours today by clicking here.
Do you want more free math activities and resources for grades 1-8 in your inbox every week? Subscribe to our mailing list here to get more free math goodies!
Read More Posts About Math Education:
By Anthony Persico
Anthony is the lead educator and founder of Mashup Math. He lives in Denver, Colorado and is also a YouTube for Education partner. Follow him on Twitter at @mashupmath.