Can you see the maths inside the shapes and spaces around us? What shapes can you see? Why have these shapes been chosen and not other shapes? How do the shapes you see fit together …or not!? Where can you find similar shapes? Why are the same shapes used in different places? Why are the same shapes used for different tasks?

🚲 What shape is used on a bicycle wheel? Why is this shape and not others used for a wheel? What happens if another shape is used? Can you find another shape that works for a wheel? What would be different? What would be the same?

🏗 What shapes are used in building the spaces around us? Why are these shapes chosen? Can you find another place where the same shapes are used? What is the reason for these shapes to be used? Where will you look? What will you discover?

🔺🔹⬣⬠ Why regular triangles, square and hexagons in tiles, and not pentagons? 🚧 Why traffic cones and not traffic cylinders? 📦 Why cuboid cardboard boxes and not spherical?

⚽️🎱🏹🪁🎻🎺 The ‘why’ of shapes has returned for 2023! Below you will find some past entries for inspiration. Click on the photos and scroll down to display complete submission details. These are just examples to get you thinking and not models to follow. Be as creative as you like with your titles and commentaries! Ask lots of questions and see what you can discover!

Winning entries make deep connections between the subject(s) of their photo and the maths inside them and explain this in their commentary. Discover for yourself or find ideas and inspiration in our past winners and resources

👉👉 If you have found the maths inside the ‘why’ of shapes, please submit to this category 📸