As part of the Essex Year of Numbers initiative, we want you to demonstrate your mathematical skills and tell us how many spooky characters you can count in the Halloween story below.
If you think you’ve counted correctly, you could be in with the chance of winning an annual family pass to Colchester Zoo, where you can continue the maths fun with their maths trail!
It was a foggy Halloween night in Essex and Ella and her little brother, Jack, were visiting Colchester Zoo with their family.
As they wandered deeper into the zoo, a shadowy figure appeared, perched by the entrance to the witch’s garden.
“Welcome, brave visitors!” the figure croaked. “To lift the Halloween spell, you must count all the pumpkins, bats, cats, witches and skeletons you meet as you roam the zoo tonight!”. Four pumpkins with glowing grins lined the pathway, flickering softly in night breeze as Ella, Jack and their family set off on their adventure.
Up above, two silent bats swooped through the air, their wings cutting through the crisp night.
Ella and Jack’s eyes widened. “Look! There’s a black cat too!” Jack exclaimed, as the sleek creature darted between the bushes.
Suddenly, they stumbled upon a pair of mischievous witches stirring a bubbling cauldron. “Don’t forget about us!” one of the witches cackled. The other winked, adding, “We're here to cause a little Halloween chaos!”.
As they continued walking through the zoo, Ella and Jack spotted three skeletons dancing around a tree. Their bones clattered with every move, but they were having so much fun, it made them both giggle.
As the moon shone brightly in the dark sky, Ella and Jack sat down together to count all the spooky characters they’d met in the zoo that night…can you help them break the Halloween spell?
Question: How many spooky characters did Ella and Jack meet on their Halloween adventure at Colchester Zoo? (Hint: Don't forget the pumpkins, bats, cat, witches, skeletons and shadowy figures!)
Submit your answer to essex.yearofnumbers@.essex.gov.uk
Essex Year of Numbers Halloween social media competition terms and conditions
These standard terms and conditions are subject to any other terms and conditions or rules provided to you or to which you are referred at the time of entering the competition.
- This competition is organised by Essex County Council (ECC), County Hall, Market Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1QH.
- Entrants must be aged 5-years-old or over. Children (of 13-years-old or under) should get their parent’s or guardian’s permission before entering their personal details (child’s name, age, parent / guardian name, email address).
- ECC reserves the right to void, suspend, cancel or amend the competition at any time without prior notice. Any changes will be posted on essex.gov.uk
- In the event of any dispute regarding the competition, the final decision of ECC shall be binding and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.
- Terms and conditions shall be governed by English law and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
- This competition is separate to any other Essex Year of Numbers competition and people can choose to take part in all, any or none.
- By submitting an entry to this competition, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions as set out, and you warrant that you have the legal capacity to enter into and agree to be bound by the same.
Qualifying entrants
- Entrants must satisfy the following conditions to enter the competition: live, work or learn in Essex or have another legitimate connection with Essex now or at any time in the past, submit a piece of work that is their own, enter as an individual, pair or group.
- Children (of 13 or under) should get their parent’s or guardian’s permission before entering their personal details (name, email address).
- Employees of ECC and their families are eligible to enter this competition.
- Use of false name or address will result in disqualification.
- ECC reserves the right to disqualify any entrant if it has reasonable grounds to believe the entrant has breached any of these terms and conditions.
- ECC reserves the right to disqualify an entrant or work if their conduct or submitted entry does not fit with the specified brief.
- ECC will not accept competition entries that are automatically generated by computer; completed by third parties in bulk; illegible, altered, reconstructed, forged or tampered with; or incomplete.
Competition entries
- Entries can be submitted by schools, community groups and individuals. Please ensure the requested contact details are submitted with the entry.
- Emailed entries can be submitted to essex.yearofnumbers@.essex.gov.uk
- The closing dates for the competition is 23:59pm on Friday 1 November 2024.
- Entries received before launch date or after the closing date are automatically disqualified.
- ECC accepts one entry per individual, which can include more than one entrant per household.
- ECC cannot accept responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation, communications line failure, theft, destruction, alteration of, or unauthorised access to entries, quadrants or entries lost or delayed whether or not arising during operation as a result of server functions, virus, bugs or other causes outside its control.
- ECC accepts no responsibility for entries not received for whatever reason or for missing contact details submitted with each entry.
- By entering this competition, the entrant or the parent on behalf of an entrant is indicating their agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
Prizes
- Entries will be eligible for prizes as advertised in the individual competition pages.
- Where a specific prize is not available, an equivalent will be awarded.
- Prizes are non-transferable and no cash alternatives to the prizes will be offered.
- By entering the competition, the winner(s) agree(s) to take part in publicity e.g. media, social media and featuring on the ECC website.
Liability
- ECC cannot accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant entering the competition or as a result of accepting any prize.
- ECC is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any computer on-line systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software failure of any email or entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the internet, including any injury or damage to entrant’s or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in the competition.
Data protection and publicity
- ECC handles information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation and is the data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018 (ECC privacy notice). The personal information provided by you when entering into the competition will be used to administer the competition and will not be shared with anyone unless the law allows us to do so. Essex County Council will hold your name, age, email and postal address to announce the winner of the competition.
- By providing your name, age, email and postal address to ECC you consent to ECC processing your personal data for the purpose of running this competition and to provide you with information about this competition.
- If you would like to see any personal information held on you by us please contact Transparency Team (TT): Essex County Council, PO Box 11, Chelmsford CM1 1LX, 01245 431851, transparencyteam@essex.gov.uk