Free maths worksheet from mathsblog.co.uk: investigating numbers
Here is a follow up to a simple number investigation using 3 boxes and some buttons. It looks at how many different ways 10 buttons can be placed in 3 boxes.
Much the best way to do this is practically and it is a suitable activity for children much older than Year 1. It allows for the making of rules eg can I put all ten buttons in one box and leave the others empty? it also encourages logical thinking and careful recording to ensure that the same combination is not repeated.