Hermit crabs are cool little creatures that live in shells. As they grow bigger, they have to find a bigger shell to live in. Maybe that’s what this pet hermit crab named Pincher was looking for when he left home. Pincher’s family couldn’t find him anywhere. But a week later, their neighbor down the street spotted him hanging out on the sidewalk! Hermit crabs move reeeeally slowly, so it’s no surprise Pincher hadn’t gotten far. Or maybe he just decided there was no place like home.
Wee ones: If 3 hermit crabs line up to swap shells, then 1 more crab joins them, how many crabs are there?
Little kids: Hermit crabs have 10 legs. If you take your pet hermit crab for a walk, how many legs do the 2 of you have together? Bonus: If there are an equal number of people and hermit crabs in a room, and there are 24 legs total, how many people and how many crabs are there?
Big kids: Hermit crabs move only 7 feet per hour! If a crab starts walking at 9am and keeps going in a straight line until 2pm, how many feet does it travel? Bonus: If a hermit crab walks from noon till midnight, can it cross the whole length of a basketball court (92 feet)?
Answers:
Wee ones: 4 hermit crabs.
Little kids: 12 legs. Bonus: 2 people and 2 crabs. Remember, each person/crab pair has 12 legs.
Big kids: 35 feet in 5 hours. Bonus: No, not quite! It will go 84 feet in those 12 hours.
