Ducks of a Different Color

When you think of ducks, what color are they in your mind? These ducks here are wearing a whole bunch of colors! They’re called black-bellied whistling ducks, but we love their pink beaks and the funny white ring around their cute little eyes. These ducks are super loud: as their name tells us, they whistle to call each other. They live in Texas and Louisiana, so if you visit there, keep an eye and an ear out for these feathered friends.

Wee ones: Can you count more real ducks, or rubber duckies in the picture?

Little kids: If 3 of a group of 8 ducks swim up ahead, how many are left behind?  Bonus: How many ways could 8 ducks split up into equal groups (with more than one in each group)?

Big kids: If a line of 30 ducks swims along, and every 3rd duck whistles and every 4th duck quacks, which ducks do both?  Bonus: How many ducks don’t make either sound?

Answers:
Wee ones: 8 ducks.

Little kids: 5 ducks.  Bonus: 2 ways: 2 groups of 4 ducks, or 4 groups of 2 ducks.

Big kids: The 12^th and 24^th ducks.  Bonus: 15 ducks. The 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, …up to the 30^th duck whistle (10 of them), while the 4^th, 8^th, 16^th, 20^th, and 28^th quack (5 more), because we already counted the 12^th and 24^th.