Tetrahedron in a cube activity

Can you fit the tetrahedron in the cube? This nice little puzzle activity challenges 3D spatial awareness and thinking skills, as well as building nets and reinforcing knowledge of some simple polyhedra.

Equipment needed

Card printout, scissors, tape or glue

Curriculum Topics Covered

Nets of 3D shapes and construction; estimation; 3D spatial thinking; properties of 3D shapes

If you build these two nets into an open-topped cube and a closed tetrahedron, can you place the tetrahedron inside the cube (without breaking either!)?

The sizes of the cube and tetrahedron have been carefully chosen so this is a more challenging puzzle than it might first appear…