🔎 DisneyGrade 3Reading: grades 3-4Place valueAdditionSubtractionSkip countingDivision

The Case of the Missing Magic Paintbrush

Oh no! The legendary Magic Paintbrush has been swiped from the Disney Animation Studio Vault. Without it, the cartoons cannot be drawn! Chief Detective Mickey needs your math skills to track down the sneaky Ink Thief and save the animation magic.

Suspects

Possible suspects

Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.

21 of 21 still in play

Name	Magic Skill	Pocket Item	Outfit Detail	Fur Color	Main Fear
Oswald	shadow mimic	firework sparkler	wears white gloves	white fur	sticky honey
PJ	pixie dust	firework sparkler	wears white gloves	brown fur	bright spotlights
Goofy	shrink potion	spinning wheel	wears white gloves	white fur	sticky honey
Minnie	pixie dust	firework sparkler	wears yellow shoes	white fur	sticky honey
Ortensia	shadow mimic	lucky coin	wears white gloves	white fur	sticky honey
Jaq	super bounce	cartoon glove	wears yellow shoes	white fur	loud sirens
Louie	magic paint	cartoon glove	wears white gloves	black fur	bright spotlights
Pluto	shrink potion	spinning wheel	wears yellow shoes	white fur	sticky honey
Daisy	shadow mimic	spinning wheel	wears white gloves	black fur	sticky honey
Ludwig	shrink potion	firework sparkler	wears yellow shoes	white fur	bright spotlights
Gideon	shrink potion	cartoon glove	wears yellow shoes	white fur	sticky honey
Clara	shadow mimic	firework sparkler	wears yellow shoes	white fur	sticky honey
Donald	pixie dust	music box	wears white gloves	black fur	sticky honey
Gus	magic paint	music box	wears white gloves	black fur	loud sirens
Max	magic paint	music box	wears yellow shoes	white fur	bright spotlights
Dewey	shrink potion	cartoon glove	wears white gloves	brown fur	sticky honey
Mickey	shrink potion	firework sparkler	wears white gloves	black fur	bright spotlights
Scrooge	shadow mimic	firework sparkler	wears yellow shoes	brown fur	sticky honey
Clarabelle	super bounce	cartoon glove	wears yellow shoes	white fur	sticky honey
Launchpad	super bounce	music box	wears yellow shoes	brown fur	bright spotlights
Horace	shrink potion	spinning wheel	wears white gloves	black fur	loud sirens

Clue 1

Place value

You find a digital keypad glowing near the main vault door. To crack the security code, we must find the value of the digit in the tens place.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

400

1000

900

100

1000

500

700

400

1000

500

8000

700

200

600

400

1000

6000

What is the value of the 9 in 3,498?T

What is the value of the 6 in 967?A

What is the value of the 1 in 710?R

What is the value of the 3 in 234?V

What is the value of the 6 in 26,114?L

What is the value of the 5 in 253?I

What is the value of the 8 in 8,347?P

What is the value of the 4 in 458?H

What is the value of the 5 in 591?S

What is the value of the 1 in 104?D

What is the value of the 1 in 1,537?E

What is the value of the 4 in 2,846?K

What is the value of the 8 in 783?O

What is the value of the 6 in 678?W

What is the value of the 2 in 205?G

What is the value of the 9 in 916?C

What is the value of the 7 in 784?N

0/17 letters found

Clue 2

Addition

On the floor, several spilled jars of sparkling glitter paint are scattered. If we add the blue jars to the gold jars, we will find the path.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

431

297

916

480

890

480

584

916

721

431

240

337

480

240

916

337

548

556

625

282

587

916

374

795

240

480

297

795

916

480

178 + 253 =T

113 + 127 =W

225 + 255 =S

324 + 224 =R

487 + 429 =E

130 + 244 =L

551 + 244 =O

256 + 465 =C

393 + 194 =Y

315 + 310 =N

300 + 590 =U

99 + 198 =H

202 + 135 =A

94 + 188 =G

360 + 224 =P

346 + 210 =I

0/16 letters found

Clue 3

Subtraction

A stack of classic animation sketches is missing some pages. By subtracting the remaining drawings from the original total, we get our next lead.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

585

362

181

895

462

896

258

462

543

134

258

463

585

401

258

344

181

289

363

541

463

585

462

158

607

541

362

708

543

181

541

786 - 201 =T

1100 - 392 =O

509 - 108 =R

750 - 207 =N

496 - 34 =I

534 - 171 =B

408 - 250 =C

544 - 286 =A

564 - 275 =D

1271 - 375 =L

543 - 181 =H

547 - 6 =Y

690 - 83 =K

1176 - 281 =V

256 - 75 =E

750 - 287 =S

161 - 27 =W

376 - 32 =P

0/18 letters found

Clue 4

Skip counting

Mickey stencils are printed along the hallway floor in a steady pattern. Skip counting the ears by threes reveals the hidden vault room.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

120

Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, ___, 26, 28W

Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, ___, 70, 80C

Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, ___, 40, 45F

Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, ___, 90, 100E

Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, ___, 130, 140U

Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, ___, 24, 27I

Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, ___, 70, 75N

Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, ___, 18, 20O

Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, ___, 30, 33A

Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, ___, 39, 42R

Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, ___, 25, 30H

Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, ___, 30, 32S

Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, ___, 16, 18T

Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, ___, 45, 48D

0/14 letters found

Clue 5

Division facts (1-12) — the last clue

We find a box of magic sketch pencils left behind by the thief. Sharing them equally among the four detective team members gives us the final clue.

First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!

Step 1 — solve these

110 ÷ 10 = ?

63 ÷ 7 = ?

32 ÷ 8 = ?

8 ÷ 1 = ?

1 ÷ 1 = ?

36 ÷ 3 = ?

21 ÷ 7 = ?

40 ÷ 4 = ?

10 ÷ 5 = ?

35 ÷ 5 = ?

40 ÷ 8 = ?

Step 2 — cross out the sentence with each answer

1.The villain splashes magic paint on the canvas, then flips a shiny lucky coin.

2.The villain blends into the wall like a shadow, then spins a wooden spinning wheel.

3.The villain splashes magic paint on the canvas, then waves a big cartoon glove.

4.The villain sprinkles pixie dust in the air, then escapes with a firework sparkler.

5.The villain sprinkles pixie dust in the air, then waves a big cartoon glove.

6.The villain bounces high over the security wall, then waves a big cartoon glove.

7.The villain bounces high over the security wall, then spins a wooden spinning wheel.

8.The villain drinks a tiny shrink potion, then escapes with a firework sparkler.

9.The villain blends into the wall like a shadow, then escapes with a firework sparkler.

10.The villain bounces high over the security wall, then escapes with a firework sparkler.

11.The villain drinks a tiny shrink potion, then waves a big cartoon glove.

12.The villain splashes magic paint on the canvas, then spins a wooden spinning wheel.

Solve it

Name the culprit

Choose the one suspect left standing.

Answer Key — The Case of the Missing Magic Paintbrush

Culprit: Clarabelle (super bounce · cartoon glove · wears yellow shoes · white fur · sticky honey)

Clue 1 (Place value): "THE CROOK DOES NOT HAVE A SPINNING WHEEL"
What is the value of the 9 in 3,498? = 90 (T) · What is the value of the 6 in 967? = 60 (A) · What is the value of the 1 in 710? = 10 (R) · What is the value of the 3 in 234? = 30 (V) · What is the value of the 6 in 26,114? = 6000 (L) · What is the value of the 5 in 253? = 50 (I) · What is the value of the 8 in 8,347? = 8000 (P) · What is the value of the 4 in 458? = 400 (H) · What is the value of the 5 in 591? = 500 (S) · What is the value of the 1 in 104? = 100 (D) · What is the value of the 1 in 1,537? = 1000 (E) · What is the value of the 4 in 2,846? = 40 (K) · What is the value of the 8 in 783? = 80 (O) · What is the value of the 6 in 678? = 600 (W) · What is the value of the 2 in 205? = 200 (G) · What is the value of the 9 in 916? = 900 (C) · What is the value of the 7 in 784? = 700 (N)
Clue 2 (Addition): "THE SUSPECT WAS WEARING YELLOW SHOES"
178 + 253 = 431 (T) · 113 + 127 = 240 (W) · 225 + 255 = 480 (S) · 324 + 224 = 548 (R) · 487 + 429 = 916 (E) · 130 + 244 = 374 (L) · 551 + 244 = 795 (O) · 256 + 465 = 721 (C) · 393 + 194 = 587 (Y) · 315 + 310 = 625 (N) · 300 + 590 = 890 (U) · 99 + 198 = 297 (H) · 202 + 135 = 337 (A) · 94 + 188 = 282 (G) · 360 + 224 = 584 (P) · 346 + 210 = 556 (I)
Clue 3 (Subtraction): "THE VILLAIN WAS TRAPPED BY STICKY HONEY"
786 - 201 = 585 (T) · 1100 - 392 = 708 (O) · 509 - 108 = 401 (R) · 750 - 207 = 543 (N) · 496 - 34 = 462 (I) · 534 - 171 = 363 (B) · 408 - 250 = 158 (C) · 544 - 286 = 258 (A) · 564 - 275 = 289 (D) · 1271 - 375 = 896 (L) · 543 - 181 = 362 (H) · 547 - 6 = 541 (Y) · 690 - 83 = 607 (K) · 1176 - 281 = 895 (V) · 256 - 75 = 181 (E) · 750 - 287 = 463 (S) · 161 - 27 = 134 (W) · 376 - 32 = 344 (P)
Clue 4 (Skip counting): "WE FOUND WHITE FUR AT THE SCENE"
Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, ___, 26, 28 = 24 (W) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, ___, 70, 80 = 60 (C) · Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, ___, 40, 45 = 35 (F) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, ___, 90, 100 = 80 (E) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, ___, 130, 140 = 120 (U) · Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, ___, 24, 27 = 21 (I) · Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, ___, 70, 75 = 65 (N) · Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, ___, 18, 20 = 16 (O) · Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, ___, 30, 33 = 27 (A) · Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, ___, 39, 42 = 36 (R) · Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, ___, 25, 30 = 20 (H) · Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, ___, 30, 32 = 28 (S) · Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, ___, 16, 18 = 14 (T) · Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, ___, 45, 48 = 42 (D)
Clue 5 (Division facts (1-12)): surviving statement (box 6) → Clarabelle
110 ÷ 10 = 11 · 63 ÷ 7 = 9 · 32 ÷ 8 = 4 · 8 ÷ 1 = 8 · 1 ÷ 1 = 1 · 36 ÷ 3 = 12 · 21 ÷ 7 = 3 · 40 ÷ 4 = 10 · 10 ÷ 5 = 2 · 35 ÷ 5 = 7 · 40 ÷ 8 = 5

About this mystery

Grade level: Grade 3 math
Math topics: Place value, Addition, Subtraction, Skip counting, Division
Reading level: grades 3-4
Theme: The Case of the Missing Magic Paintbrush — set in The Disney Animation Studio Vault
Format: Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
Solution: One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects

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