Today from Bedtime Math: Chief Mouser

Try this fun math challenge with your kids!

Cats like mice. They like to chase them, and catch them, and that usually doesn't work out well for the mouse. But if you don't want live mice running around your house, then cats can help you a lot. In fact, at 10 Downing Street, where the United Kingdom's Prime Minister lives, there's an official job for a cat, called Chief Mouser. It's all pretty simple: the cat lives there and doesn't really need to be told what to do.  There's been an official mouse-catching cat in the home dating back to the year 1515, since mice were an unwanted problem back then, too. The cat who spent the longest time in the job was Wilberforce, who served for 18 years under 4 Prime Ministers in a row. Larry, who is Chief Mouser today, started the job in 2011 when someone noticed mice on the street outside the Prime Minister's house. We're sure these cats are well-fed by their owners, but they probably catch some extra treats on the side, too.  

Now here's today's math~  

Wee ones: Wilberforce was Chief Mouser for 4 PMs, ending with Margaret Thatcher. How many Prime Ministers before her got to have Wilberforce's help?

Little kids: If Larry started in 2011, for how many years has he been Chief Mouser?  Bonus: How many more years than that did Wilberforce serve? (Wilberforce served for 18 years.)

Big kids: If the Chief Mouser is fed 2 meals a day and also catches 1 mouse every day, how many total meals does the Chief Mouser eat in 1 week?  Bonus: If 3 new mice are spotted every day and the Chief Mouser must catch them all, how many mice does the Chief Mouser need to catch this month? (Reminder: March has 31 days).

Answers:

Wee ones: 3 more Prime Ministers.

Little kids: 3 years.  Bonus: 15 years.

Big kids: 21 meals per week.  Bonus: 93 mice.