Materials needed

Playing board: tape (wide masking tape) or chalk (sidewalk chalk) three large 2' x 2' squares in a row on the floor or sidewalk with one large X marked in one end square

Tower: 5 boxes of consecutive size so they will stack in a tower

Score sheet: table with two columns for number of pieces in tower stack and number of moves

Rules

Teams of two play -- one moves while the other team member counts the number of moves and records the best score

Only one box can be moved at a time; it must be a top box. It may be moved to ANY open square or onto a larger box. A larger box can never be placed on top of a smaller box. Boxes may be moved backwards into an open square or onto a larger box.

The goal is to reassemble the tower at the opposite end of the playing board in the least amount of moves. Begin by placing a tower of one box and moving it to the other end -- this level takes one move. Next stack two boxex on the X on the playing board. Figure out how to move this tower to the opposite end in the least amount of moves. Record your moves on the score sheet. Continue adding a box and playing the new level.

For older students, have them find the pattern in the number of moves as you add boxes to the tower. For capable students (high school or above), have them generate a formula that predicts the number of moves for a tower of N boxes.

History

The legend says that monks in a temple are moving 64 gold disks from one room to another. There is a resting place between the rooms. When the monks finish their task, the universe disappear.