Each year on March 14, many students celebrate Pi Day—Pi being the mathematical constant. Pi Day is a fun way to get students excited about math and engaged in projects that will encourage a deeper appreciation of the subject. Pi Day activities for kids can include arts and crafts, word games, and scavenger hunts. Activities like these can engage all members of your family and make for an educational and fun day.
Pi Day activity #1: Arts and crafts
One great way to engage your student this Pi Day is through arts and crafts. Art projects allow students to visualize what they’re learning about while having fun doing so. A common activity for Pi Day is making a paper chain, where each number is assigned to a different piece of construction paper on the chain. Once put together, your child will have made a long and celebratory paper chain to display somewhere in your home. Other Pi—themed crafts include:
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Make a banner where each pennant displays a number of Pi. Encourage your child to decorate each pennant in a way that relates to math.
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Create a puzzle in the shape of a circle where each puzzle piece has a digit of Pi written on it. Students have to put the pieces of the puzzle back together so the numbers are in the correct order.
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Pi Day activity #2: Word games
It can also be fun to incorporate word games into your Pi Day activities. For instance, have your child create Pi-ku poems. Just like if they were to write a haiku, encourage your student to compose a poem where each line is made up of a specific amount of syllables—three in the first line, one in the second line, and four in the third line, for example. You can take this activity a step further and have your child write their poem on a decorated pie-shaped piece of paper.
Another word game you can play with your child is challenging them to come up with as many words as they can that start with the letters “P” and “I.” This not only encourages them to expand their vocabulary, but also to practice their spelling skills.
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Pi Day activity #3: Scavenger hunt
Creating a Pi Day scavenger hunt is a fun activity to get your child excited about math. Create a hunt where they have to find a certain number of items that coincide with the numbers in Pi. For example, challenge them to find three STEM-related books on their bookshelf, one box of cookies, four circular objects around the house, one ruler—until you’ve covered as many digits in Pi as you desire. This activity can be fun for the whole family, as you could separate family members into teams competing for the win.
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Whatever way you celebrate Pi Day, don’t forget about well-loved activities like baking a pie or participating in Pi-themed trivia games. Regardless of what activities you choose, celebrating this day is a great way to encourage your student to interact with numbers.
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