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Maths Adventures

Bakery maths quest: patterns

A story-led junior maths adventure using recipes, sharing and delicious fractions to continue repeating and growing patterns.

Quick answer

You can use patterns to solve problems in the bakery, like making sure you have the right number of ingredients for each batch of cookies or figuring out how many cupcakes to put on each tray.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to create and continue simple repeating patterns using objects, shapes, or numbers, and use patterns to solve real problems like planning how many ingredients you need for your bakery. Success signs:
  • You can make a pattern using shapes or objects and explain what comes next
  • You can find missing parts in a pattern
  • You can use patterns to solve a simple problem, like how many cupcakes to put on trays
  • You can explain how patterns help you plan in the bakery

Why this matters

Patterns are everywhere in the real world, especially in the bakery! When bakers make cookies, they often repeat the same sequence of ingredients or shapes. Recognising and creating patterns helps you plan your work, solve problems, and even make sure you have enough ingredients for all your customers. Whether you're making a beautiful cake design or counting how many muffins go in each box, patterns help you think ahead and be more organised.

How it works

Patterns are repeating sequences. They can be:
  • Shapes like red, blue, red, blue
  • Numbers like 2, 4, 6, 8
  • Actions like jump, hop, jump, hop
  • Objects like 1 cookie, 2 cupcakes, 1 cookie, 2 cupcakes
To make a pattern:
  1. Choose what you want to repeat (like shapes, numbers, or actions)
  2. Decide how many items are in your repeating group
  3. Repeat the group over and over

Examples you can see

Let's look at some patterns in the bakery:
  • Cookie shapes: A baker makes cookies in the shapes of stars, hearts, and circles. She makes a pattern: star, heart, circle, star, heart, circle. What comes next? It's a star!
  • Number pattern: A baker counts how many cupcakes she makes each day: 5, 10, 15, 20. What comes next? It's 25!
  • Ingredients: A recipe says: 2 eggs, 3 cups of flour, 2 eggs, 3 cups of flour. What comes next? It's 2 eggs, 3 cups of flour.

Try it as a mini adventure

The Bakery Pattern Challenge You are the assistant baker in a busy bakery. The head baker has given you a pattern to follow for making cupcakes: Pattern: 1 red cupcake, 2 blue cupcakes, 1 red cupcake, 2 blue cupcakes Your mission is to make sure you have the right number of cupcakes for the next 4 trays. Each tray holds 5 cupcakes. 1st tray: 1 red, 2 blue, 1 red, 1 blue = 5 cupcakes 2nd tray: 1 red, 2 blue, 1 red, 2 blue = 5 cupcakes 3rd tray: 1 red, 2 blue, 1 red, 2 blue = 5 cupcakes 4th tray: ? red, ? blue, ? red, ? blue = 5 cupcakes What goes in the 4th tray? You need to continue the pattern! Answer: 1 red, 2 blue, 1 red, 2 blue = 5 cupcakes You can also try this with your own pattern:
  • Make a pattern with 3 shapes
  • Count how many of each shape you need
  • Make sure your pattern continues correctly

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Forgetting to check if the pattern repeats correctly
    Why it happens: You might get excited and not look carefully at the pattern.
    Fix: Look at the first few items in your pattern and make sure they repeat exactly.
  • Mistake: Thinking the pattern is different from what it really is
    Why it happens: You might see 2 red, 2 blue, 2 red, 2 blue and think it's 2 red, 2 blue.
    Fix: Count the number of items in your repeating group and make sure it's the same every time.
  • Mistake: Not knowing how many items to put in a pattern
    Why it happens: You might not understand how many items are in the repeating group.
    Fix: Count the items in the first group and then repeat that many items in the pattern.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child by:
  • Playing pattern games with everyday objects like buttons, blocks, or toys
  • Looking for patterns in the kitchen while cooking or baking
  • Encouraging your child to explain their pattern to you
  • Practising with simple number patterns like 2, 4, 6, 8
  • Letting your child create their own patterns and asking them to continue it
How to help in 5-10 minutes:
  1. Ask your child to make a pattern with 3 objects
  2. Ask them to continue the pattern
  3. Ask them to explain what comes next
  4. Ask them to count how many of each object they used
  5. Encourage them to make their own pattern and challenge you to continue it
What not to worry about:
  • Your child might not get the pattern right away – that's normal!
  • They might make mistakes – that's part of learning!
  • They might not know all the words – focus on the ideas!

Practice questions

  1. What comes next in this pattern: red, blue, red, blue, red, ?
  2. Continue this pattern: 3, 6, 9, 12, ?
  3. What comes next in this pattern: circle, triangle, square, circle, triangle, ?
  4. Continue this pattern: 10, 20, 30, 40, ?
  5. What comes next in this pattern: 1 cookie, 2 cupcakes, 1 cookie, 2 cupcakes, 1 cookie, ?
Answers:
  1. Blue
  2. 15
  3. Square
  4. 50
  5. 2 cupcakes

FAQ

What is a pattern?

A pattern is a repeated sequence of things like shapes, numbers, or actions. It keeps repeating the same order over and over.

How do I know what comes next in a pattern?

Look at the first few items in the pattern and see what repeats. Then, continue that same repeating group.

Can patterns be made with numbers?

Yes! Numbers can make patterns too. For example: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 is a pattern where each number is 2 more than the last.

Why are patterns important in the bakery?

Patterns help bakers plan how many ingredients they need, how many items to put in trays, and how to arrange things neatly.

How can I practice patterns at home?

You can make patterns with toys, blocks, or even food like fruit or crackers. Try to create a pattern and then continue it!