7 Ways to Celebrate Pi Day
March 14th is a special day for mathematicians and math-lovers all around the world. Not only does this day mark the birthday of Albert Einstein, the theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity, but March 14th is also the calendar equivalent of pi or 3.14. To celebrate, many students recognize this special day by taking part in activities designed to enrich and deepen their understanding of the concept of pi.
To help your family celebrate Pi Day, we have compiled a list of activities to start your own Pi Day tradition. Don’t forget to let us know which of these activities you will be exploring. Happy Pi Day!
1. Area of Pie (or a Cookie)
Have your children measure the diameter of a pie (or a cookie) in centimeters. Then use that measurement to calculate the area of the circumference of the pie or cookie using the correct formulas.
Circumference – C = 2πr
Area – A = πr2
2. Paper Chain
Create a paper chain with each link representing a number of pi. As an added bonus for some math fun throughout the year, write a math problem on the inside of each link. Have your children remove a link each day and solve the math puzzle for that day.
3. Word Pi
For each number of pi, have your children try to read or sound out a word that has that many letters in it. Be sure to keep a running tally of all the words and numbers to make sure there are no repeats.
4. Pi Bracelets
One creative way to celebrate Pi Day is by creating a beaded bracelet using a different color for each digit of pi. Be sure to have your children keep track of how many beads they use to determine how many digits of pi your children used in order for the bracelet to fit on their wrist.
5. Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi Book
Reading Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Wayne Geehan is another great way to celebrate Pi Day and to help your children practice their reading skills and learn about math. This story about the discovery of the value of pi can help to explain the concept of pi to your children, as well as presenting the opportunity to explore other concepts such as ratios and fractions.
6. Pi Word Connect
One way to help your children practice reading and writing is by playing Pi Word Connect. Starting with the letter “i” in pi, have your children say and write a word that begins with “i”. Then have your children think of a word that begin with the same letter that the previous word ended with. For example, your children would start the game saying and writing “pi.” Then your child could continue with “igloo,” followed by “orange” and “eat.”
As an added challenge for older children, try combining this game with Word Pi by asking them to think of words that start with the last letter of the preceding word and have the same number of letters in each word that corresponds with pi. For example, one opening sequence for this added challenge could be “ice,” “e,” “eave,” “e,” “every” to correspond with pi’s opening sequence of 3.1415.
7. Pi Day Pie
Lastly, one way you and your children celebrate can celebrate Pi Day is by enjoying a slice of pie.
What other ways could your family do to celebrate Pi Day?