The day that bakers and mathematicians alike celebrate is almost upon us! March 14 – pi day! Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, equal to 3.14. Actually, the number is infinite (3.1415926535 … to get you started) and it’s quite fascinating.
Celebrate pi day with your kids with these ideas:
Bake a pie, obviously.
Get out your measuring tape and calculate the pie pan’s circumference and diameter. Find the ratio and compare that to other circular items in the kitchen. Bowls, measuring cups, glasses, cans. Pi is always the answer!
Make your own symbol.
The pi symbol (π) is a mathematic sign and a Greek letter. The use of pi dates back thousands of years to the Babylonians, but the symbol was created in the 1700s by a Swiss physicist.
Create a family symbol for your last name. Or create a symbol for often used words in the house, like favorite meals, chores, or activities. Imagine your family bulletin board with fun symbols on the calendar that only your family understands!
Recite something.
The number pi goes on forever, and one person holds a record for reciting the most decimal places. Rajveer Meena recited 70,000 numbers blindfolded, which took 10 hours!
Hold a competition to see who can recite the longest piece. It can be an excerpt from a book or movie, song lyrics, a poem, etc. Bonus points if it’s related to math or pie!
Find a pattern.
Pi is an irrational number, which means it’s a real number that can’t be expressed by a simple fraction, although we sometimes use 22/7 as an approximation. It goes on forever, and there are no detectable patterns in the sequence.
For kids who are too young to grasp irrational numbers, talk about the patterns all around us and how our brains like to make sense of what we see. Go around the house and find as many patterns as you can, in fabrics, tiles, pictures, etc.
Look around us. There’s always a reason to celebrate. Pi day is no exception! If you’re looking for a school that embraces the wonder and excitement of learning, contact us at (480) 641-2640 or (602) 274-1910 to get more information about our K-8 nationally awarded charter school of excellence with an advanced learning curriculum. In addition to online learning, we have campuses in Phoenix, Glendale, East Mesa, and Mesa.
