Pi Day: A Slice of Mathematical Celebration

Pi Day: a celebration of curiosity, creativity, and the wonders of math. How many digits of pi can you recite? 3.14159265 … that’s all I’ve got. Read more to see how you can turn that into a classroom activity, plus we will explore the magic of Pi Day, from its history to its delightful celebrations. 

History

Long ago, before fancy mathematical tools, computers, and calculators, people were curious about shapes like circles. They began to realize that when you measure the circumference and diameter, you usually get the same number. THREE. 

Around 2,500 years ago, the Greeks really started to figure out the mysteries of circles and π. One famous Greek mathematician, Archimedes, was super clever. He found a way to calculate the value of π more accurately by using a special method involving polygons inside and outside a circle.

Then, in the 17th century,  Isaac Newton helped develop new mathematical techniques that allowed people to calculate π to many, many decimal places. Now, with the invention of computers in the 20th century, we’ve been able to calculate π to trillions of decimal places!

Even though π is a never-ending number, we usually just round it to 3.14 (like March 14th) or use the symbol π to represent it. It’s super important in math, science, engineering, and lots of other fields.

So, that’s a little peek into the amazing history behind the magical number π! It’s been a journey of discovery and curiosity that’s still going on today. Pretty cool, right?

Pi Day activities!

Pi Day is a fun celebration for children and adults that can involve various activities related to math, science, and, of course, pie!  Here are some of my favorite activities:

• Pi Recitation Challenge: Test your memory skills by seeing how many digits of pi you can recite from memory. Make it a fun challenge by offering prizes for the person who can recite the most digits accurately.
• Pie Baking: Have fun with friends or as a class and bake a pie! You can try making different types of pies like fruit pies, savory pies, or even mini hand pies.
• Children’s Read Aloud: Fancy a good “dad joke”? Might I Interest You in a Piece of Pi?: A Collection of Pi Puns for Pi Day
• Do the Math: Provide plenty of circular objects like coffee cans, soup cans, pie tins, paper plates, bowls, CDs, and candles. Then have kids measure the diameter and circumference, divide the circumference by the diameter, and watch their amazement as the number comes out to about 3.14 every single time.
• Pi Newsletter: Our newsletter this month also covers Pi Day! Featuring even more activities, books, and Pi facts.

Whether we’re baking pies, making cool circle art, or solving puzzles, there’s always something exciting to discover in the world of math. So, here’s to another year filled with exciting adventures in math and beyond. Happy Pi Day, everyone!