Celebrate Pi Day on 3-14!

My daughter Victoria made this paper pi plate one year, illustrating pi to quite a few digits.  I printed out the first 500 numbers in pi for her and she assigned a different color to each.  She had fun looking for patterns and looking to see if any numbers were used more or less than others.  My younger kids did the same project, but to fewer digits.Have the kids make the longest paper chain representing pi that they can.  Assign a number to each color and then encourage them to look for patterns in the colors. Highland Homeschool had some Pi Day fun by writing out some of the numbers in pi in sidewalk chalk along the street.  Visit the blog for more math fun.View the list »
Some of the ways we've had fun on Pi Day in the past include hopping onto numbered paper plates as we call out the numbers in pi, measuring and calculating using pi, baking pizza pi and more.

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Pi Day is coming up on 3-14, that wonderful mathematical holiday that celebrates pi (π), the irrational, infinite number that represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

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Pi is equal to 3.1415926535… (continuing on forever). It is an irrational and transcendental number, meaning it will continue infinitely without repeating. It has been calculated on computers to over 1 trillion digits past the decimal point.

In honor of Pi Day, here's a whole slew of fun ways to celebrate with your kids. Be sure to click on the list above to see photos for even more.

  • Sing Pi Day songs and carols. Teach Pi has wonderful pi carols such as "Ludolph the Mathematician" and "Oh, Number Pi." The Math Forum has more songs and carols, such as "I'm a Little Number," "This Old Pi" and "Sing a Song of Pi Day."
  • Challenge the kids to see how many digits of pi they can memorize. Here it is to 50 decimal places: 3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510. How to Memorize Pi has tips to help you.
  • Try cutting pi with various round items and some string. This is a simple, hands-on way to really illustrate pi for kids.
  • Watch Pi Day videos. Pi Day has videos of pi dominos, a Pi Day rap and lots more.
  • Challenge the kids with this Pi Day Sudoku Puzzle.
  • Check out Scholastic's pi resources. They've got videos, history lessons, links and more.

Here’s a mnemonic for pi in the form of a poem about Archimedes by A.C. Orr. The number of letters in each word helps you remember pi to 30 spaces.

Now I, even I, would celebrate
In rhymes unapt the great
Immortal Syracusan, rivaled nevermore,
Who in his wond’rous lore,
Passed on before,
Left men his guidance
How to circles mensurate.

3.141592653589793238462643383279

And here’s a cute one to remember pi to 7 places:

How I wish I could calculate pi…

3.141592

Happy Pi Day!

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  • Some of the ways we've had fun on Pi Day in the past include hopping onto numbered paper plates as we call out the numbers in pi, measuring and calculating using pi, baking pizza pi and more.
  • Highland Homeschool had some Pi Day fun by writing out some of the numbers in pi in sidewalk chalk along the street.  Visit the blog for more math fun.
  • Have the kids make the longest paper chain representing pi that they can.  Assign a number to each color and then encourage them to look for patterns in the colors. 
  • My daughter Victoria made this paper pi plate one year, illustrating pi to quite a few digits.  I printed out the first 500 numbers in pi for her and she assigned a different color to each.  She had fun looking for patterns and looking to see if any numbers were used more or less than others.  My younger kids did the same project, but to fewer digits.
  • How could Pi Day be complete without baking a pie?  Bake a pizza pi, a cherry pi or pot pi, or a combination of lots of types.  One year, we served only circular items for meals to "round" out the fun!
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, Mankato Homeschooling Examiner

Alicia Bayer and her husband homeschool their five children in Westbrook, Minnesota, using a combination of Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, Montessori, Unit Studies, Unschooling and other homeschooling methods. You can reach Alicia at alicia.bayer@gmail.com and find her on Pinterest at Magic and Mayhem.

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