Road Trip

 Planning a road trip? Maths is your secret co-pilot. Distances, fuel cost, speed – it’s all numbers.

5 Real-Life Maths Problems Hidden in Your Summer Holiday

It’s the summer holidays. The books are shut, the timetable’s gone, and school seems a million miles away. But if you thought you’d left maths behind, think again—because it’s lurking everywhere. From road trips to ice cream stalls, maths sneaks into your summer without so much as a calculator in sight.

Here are 5 real-life maths problems hidden in your holiday—and why solving them makes maths not just useful, but fun.

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1. 🚗 The Road Trip Riddle

“We’re 120 miles from the campsite, and we’re driving at 60mph. When will we arrive?”

You’re not just calculating time = distance ÷ speed—you’re practicing key GCSE maths in motion. Add in a few pit stops and traffic delays, and you’ve got a nice algebra problem to keep everyone entertained (or mildly annoyed).

Bonus challenge: What’s the average speed if you get stuck in traffic for 30 minutes?

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2. 💶 The Foreign Exchange Fumble

“If £1 gets you €1.15, how much will your €9.20 gelato cost in pounds?”

Suddenly percentages and ratios are no longer abstract—they’re affecting your dessert. Currency conversion problems are brilliant for:

• Ratio and proportion

• Mental arithmetic

• Decimals and rounding

Top tip: Always check your change. Mental maths keeps you sharp—and can save you money!

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3. 🍦 The Ice Cream Cone Conundrum

“How many scoops can I get with £5 if one scoop costs £1.60?”

You’ve got division, decimals, and budgeting all rolled into one sticky-fingered problem. And if you’re buying for a group of friends, even better—add in multiplication and sharing (the maths and the ice cream).

Extra scoop challenge: What percentage discount would you need to afford an extra scoop?

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4. 🏖️ The Suncream Spread Problem

“If one bottle of sunscreen covers 2 full-body applications, how many bottles do we need for 4 people on a 5-day holiday?”

You’re dealing with multiplication, division, and units. Apply some logic (and maybe a bit of geometry if you really want to get fancy) and you’ve got the perfect maths-meets-skin-safety scenario.

Extra challenge: If the bottle costs £6.50, what’s the cost per application?

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5. 🎢 The Theme Park Ticket Tangle

“A family ticket costs £80 and includes 2 adults and 2 children. Single adult tickets are £32.50 and child tickets are £19. Should we buy individual tickets or the family pass?”

Now you’re into real-world functional maths: comparing prices, working out best value, and applying arithmetic in context. It’s exactly the kind of problem-solving that students need for exams—and life.

Follow-up: What if there are 3 children? Can you mix and match for the best deal?

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✏️ Maths is Everywhere

These aren’t made-up textbook questions. They’re the maths of real life. And noticing these moments—not just solving them—turns maths from a school subject into a life skill.

At Philip M Russell Ltd, we teach GCSE and A-Level maths with practical examples, visual learning tools, and real applications. Whether in our classroom or online via our film studio, we bring the numbers to life.

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🎓 Foundation or Higher. Real understanding, real improvement.
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