Quick and Easy Pi Day Fun!

Our family's favorite time of year is approaching, Pi Day!! Last year (and probably this year too), I didn't have a lot of time to devote to Pi Day Celebrations. Sad, I know.

Last year, we had just returned from a week long family vacation at Disney World and were too exhausted to bake a traditional Pi(e) or go grocery shopping (and it fell on a Monday, boo), let alone blog about it in a timely manner.

Here's our quick and easy way that we celebrated Pi Day (March 14, ~3.14):

We made English Muffin Pi-zzas with English muffins cut in half, a tablespoon or so of store marina sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese and 3 pepperonis (because Pi is around 3). I didn't take note of the time, but we baked in the oven, at 350 deg F, until the cheese was melted and slightly browned.

Then we decorated our (boxed) cake we baked the night before in our (affiliate link) Pi mold. It was quick and simple.

And the kids enjoyed it!

As always, we took our annual Pi Day Family Photo in our Pi gear (the kids' paternal grandma makes the kiddos special shirts on her embroidery machine, lucky!!). Last year it was Mud Pi!

Wondering how else to spend the day celebrating Pi? Check out the Pi Day Fun that we've had in years past. My favorite has been the Pi-rate Treasure Hunt! I hope your Pi Day Party goes well!

Ultimate Pi Day Party! 3-14-15 9:26:53

Last week, we celebrated the Ultimate Pi Day (3.141592653...) with a Pi Party in the park. We had 20-30 people attend and had so much fun! Here's our Pi(e) spread complete with many homemade and store bought pies.

One of our nerdy attendees made this sign by the pie. Do you get it? Also, our local grocery store got in on the Pi Day fun...notice the price of the mini pie?

We lined the other tables with butcher paper and traced circles for Pi Day Posters and Investigating Pi. One of the attendees decided to reverse my investigating pi lesson to measuring the circumference with a string and seeing how many times she could measure the diameter from the circumference string (a little more than 3). The kids were more excited about the Pi-rate Treasure Hunt! Who can blame them?

Pi-rate booty!

Pi-rate Treasure Hunt:

I printed out an aerial Google Map of the park with clue #1 marked. The park where we had the event had a walking path, so I stuck the clues in obvious places along the path for the problems. Hints were more hidden, so the participants had to actively look for those if they needed the help. The kids had to answer 5 questions (preferably from the same set of questions) to get a prize from the treasure chest.

I had three levels of math problems for the kids to find and solve. I cut and pasted the problems onto colorful 3x5 cards:

Easy (green): Preschool
Medium (orange): k-2 grade
Hard (pink) = 3 grade+

Then I had some problems for adults (yellow) who might have accompanied their kids around. Those were more high school math, up to pre-algebra.

Here are the problems I came up with (note, my goal was to not make anyone cry).

Easy Pi-rate treasure hunt problems
Medium Pi-rate treasure hunt problems
Hard Pi-rate treasure hunt problems
Pi-rate treasure hunt problems for the adults

How did you fare on the Pi-rate Treasure Hunt questions?

How did you celebrate the Ultimate Pi Day??


Just for fun, here's our annual Pi Day Family Photo:

And one of the kids and me:

Previous years' Pi Day Photos.

Pi-rate Treasure Hunt

Guess what?? Pi Day is my favorite nerdy holiday! My favorite activity so far has been celebrating with a Pi Party in the park. We made Pi Day Posters and Investigated Pi (and ate pie, but that's a normal Pi Day activity). Along with that fun, I created a treasure map and some fun math questions and sent the kids on a Pi-rate Treasure Hunt!

I used a screenshot of the park on Google Maps using the satellite feature and marked a path for the treasure hunt. I had five stops along the treasure hunt, each stop had four different levels of math questions. Clues to solving the problems if they needed help were hidden nearby, so they had to look for them if they really wanted the help. The fifth problem was at a treasure chest. After solving that problem, the kids received a small prize (leftover party goodies, like mardi gras beads and silly glasses from years of storage). (Note: edited 2/27/17 to past tense and linked to the math problems).

Easy - 3-5 year olds (preschool)
Medium - 5-7 year olds (k-2nd)
Hard - 7-9 year olds (3-4th)

And just for the adults to play alongside their kiddos:
Adult - Trig and pre-calculus level - brush up on your equations :-)

Happy Almost Pi Day to you!!

Related Post:
Ultimate Pi Party - pictures of our treasure hunt included!

Pi Day 2014 - Family Pic and Pi Treat

I hope you had a fun Pi Day 2014!

We celebrated with Pi Cake! One of the great things about being a nerd is people give you nerdy things for occasions like these. Last Pi Day, we received a pi cake pan from one of my good friends. We made decorating it a family affair:

Undecorated

J writing on the fondant

The finished Pi Day Cake 2014!

To continue with tradition, we took our annual Pi Day Family photo:

Related Posts:

• Pi Day 2013

Investigating Pi for Preschoolers

Happy Pi Day to you!! Today, I'm participating in my first ever Blog Hop. Some math loving mommy bloggers and I have all written posts about Pi and/or Pi Day! Please, check the links at the bottom of the post for more fun things to do on Pi Day. Thanks for stopping by Nerdy Science's feature, Investigating Pi for Preschoolers:

While making our Pi Day Posters, we decided it would be a good time to investigate Pi: the ratio of the circumference of the circle to its diameter.

We traced a circular bowl on the paper:

Then we measured the diameter of the circle, three different times, using yarn. What is the diameter of a circle? It's a line that cuts the circle in half, which you can do many (well, infinite) ways. We chose to be satisfied with measuring the diameter three ways. We cut the length of the diameter out of string/yarn:

We compared the length of the strings to see if the diameters were the same:

The diameters are about the same length (we live in an imperfect world and yarn is stretchy and was probably cut at different tensions - and the circle was traced by a four year old).

We then thought it would be easiest to tape the yarn to the outside of the bowl that was traced, along its circumference. We asked J if one piece of yarn, that we had cut to the length of the diameter, would fit all the way around the bowl. His hypothesis: "No!"

He was correct (the string is hard to see in the picture, so we marked the beginning and end with markers, the string is going from purple to red):

Then we asked about 2 pieces of yarn we had cut to the length of the diameter. He wasn't as certain, but he answered "No," again. He was correct, again (the string is going from red to purple, sorry for the inconsistency):

It took all three strings to make it around the bowl (the yarn we used was pretty stretchy and the actual circumference of the bowl was a tad bit smaller than what we had traced).

So how many strings, measured to the length of the circle's diameter, did it take to go around the bowl? About 3! This is approximating Pi! The actual ratio of circumference to diameter length is an irrational number that goes on forever and ever. It starts out 3.14159 and keeps going. For our 4 year old, seeing that Pi is about 3 made this activity a success!

This ratio, Pi, is used to calculate many things like angles and circular motion, but it takes a lot of math to get into that fun stuff. The most common uses of Pi are found in geometry, like finding the: circumference of a circle = Pi*diameter; area of a circle = Pi*(diameter/2)^2, and the volume of a sphere = 4/3*Pi*(diameter/2)^3.

As for our Pi treat and holiday photo, tune in tomorrow to see our creation and annual family Pi Day Photo.


Blog Hop Time! Check out what these fantastic educators are doing about Pi and Pi Day!

We Love Math blog hop is hosted by 

Dot to Dot Connections 

Mama Smiles

Nerdy Science

Planet Smarty Pants

Teach Beside Me

An InLinkz Link-up

Pi Day Posters

Let me tell you how excited I am about March 2014. Basically, it's Pi MONTH! 3.14, get it? Why wait till March 14 (also 3.14, in the US, at least) to celebrate? I decided we should get into the nerdy spirit a little early and start decorating.

Pi is the ratio of the circumference of the circle to its diameter. I thought we can have art with circles and numbers to hang above our couch for Pi Day.

Here's what we did:

I convinced J to help me lay out some circular items we had around the house (it helps that I have a lid collection for unknown special occasions). We used bowls, lids, bottle caps, and a tape roll and arranged them on some craft paper. Then we traced each circular item. J was really excited to trace the double circles of the tape.

J is almost 5. He's getting really good at writing his letters and numbers, so I let him write Happy Pi Day and as many numbers of Pi that he had the patience to write. He added a heart (though it looks like a pie with a slice taken out) and "I Love You Pi."

Friday is the official annual Pi Day (March 14 or 3.14...). I will be participating in my first Blog Hop, where a group of bloggers write their own posts about a particular topics and link to other blogs writing about the same topic. Friday's topic: Pi Day!! Make sure to come back for a geometry lesson on circles!

Happy Pi Month to you!

Related Post:

• Investigating Pi for Preschoolers
• Prepping for Pi Day

Pi Day 2013 Greatness

People ask me, "What is Pi Day?" My default answer is, "It's like St. Patty's Day, but for the nerds." Instead of green, we wear Pi embellishments, and we eat Pi(e) inspired foods (pizza pie, pot pie, fruit pies, etc). Some people might even go as far as making nerdy Pi drinks, like a PIna Colada or PIneapple juice. You also don't have to be a nerd to celebrate. Ok, maybe you do ;-).

Our homemade mixed berry pi(e) was a hit at my lab meeting and J's schoolmates loved the chocolate cream, Oreo pie.

I want a Pi Day family photo. Out of the last 4 years, we've managed two (2009 (pre-J) and 2011). Luckily, J was a willing participant in our photo shoot this year...

...if we allowed him one silly picture:

After the picture session, we went out for pie with a really good friend of mine, but at dinner/pie, J started feeling icky and couldn't finish his pie :-(. Nobody should be sick on Pi Day! I hope he feels better with a good night sleep.

Happy Pi Day 2013

Rest assure that I am currently sound asleep (or so I hope). I scheduled this to be posted at 1:59a to wish you a very Happy Pi Day (3.14159...)! If you miss it, it's ok to celebrate at 1:59p.

I will be sharing this I <3 Pi pie with my colleagues at work today. The minis will be given to friends.

J and John helped me make the pies. J had a blast with the pie crust: "It's like playdough!" I asked him if he wanted the I <3 Pi pie for his class or if he wanted the chocolate cream, thaw and serve, pie that I bought. Of course, there is no competing with chocolate when it comes to a 3 yr old. Good, because I promised my coworkers a mixed berry pie. I'm actually a little sad that I am missing J's school pi day for the first time since he's been able to eat pie. My normal lab meeting got moved an hour later, making me miss snacktime :-(. I'm sure J will represent Pi Day pretty well on his own (after all it was his first letter he recognized).

We're going to meet one of my good friends from high school for some pi(e) out after school/work today. It's nice to have nerdy friends.

I wish you the Nerdiest of Pi Days!

You know when...

...you're a nerd when you celebrate Pi Day bigger than St. Patty's Day.

I don't think any of us are wearing green today.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I suggest going on a clover hunt.

*Where can we find clovers?
*What color are clovers?
*How many leaves do your clovers have?
*Can you find any clovers with a different number of leaves?
*Why do some clovers have a different number of leaves?

Happy Pi Day 2012!

What kind of nerd would I be if I didn't wish you a Happy Pi Day?

Pi Pi(e)

We'll be eating the pi pi(e) (pictured above) in our lab, and then I'll be taking mini pi(e)s to J's class (I bring treats on important days: bdays and pi days).

Mini Pi(e)s for my mini friends

I think we'll miss celebrating at the proper time this year :-(.  I'll be sleeping when this is posted at 1:59am and there are some final project presentations scheduled for 2p in a class across campus.

1 day till Pi Day!

Are you ready?  Check out how to prepare for pi day with the little ones.

I spent last night making mini-pi(e)s that we'll share with J's class tomorrow.

I also think I'll see if the kiddos can recite some of pi (or at least recognize the numbers).

Some other ideas to try for Pi Day:

Three years ago, I had my baby shower on Pi Day.  It was nerdy and fit well.  One of the fun activities my friends did was have guest talk about nerdy topics like Newton's 3rd Law of Motion or explaining the refrigeration process or combustion engines.  The person who was able to go the longest without saying "Um", "like," or any other filler/thinking word won.  It was pretty funny.  We also matched the scientist to their findings - so nerdy.  I have great friends.

Pi Day: you've been warned

Nerdy Holiday Alert!

As of right now, you have 2 weeks to plan your Pi Day celebrations.  Visit last year's run down of prepping for Pi Day and how our family celebrated Pi Day for some ideas.

Since I was a young kid, I always celebrated with pi(e).  My math club actually held a fundraiser a few weeks before so we can celebrate Pi Day the proper way.  It turned out to be a big thank you to the math tutors for volunteering their time rather than a true showing of nerdom.  However, I get very nostalgic towards Pi Day.  I feel it's a day your true nerd can shine, but I do feel that there should always be more to the holiday, like a figure, so to speak: Mathman, Pi-person, Circumference-to-diameter woman, maybe??  I'll keep thinking about it.  Whoever s/he is, s/he should come and leave calculators on desks, bake pi(e)s and pizza pi(e)s, and bless us with smarts till Pi Day of next year.

I'm excited that J is good at drawing circles now.  He's also really good at math, and he likes pie.  I'll probably end up bringing pie to his classroom again and talking a little bit about fractions: how many friends in the class, how many like or can eat pie, how many pieces should I cut the pie into, and as I serve it note when 1/4 and 1/2 of the pie is gone - how many people have received pie at that point?  Maybe, I can get them to recite Pi to a few decimal places.  That would be pretty nerdy.

I'd love to hear how you and  your family celebrate this nationally recognized holiday.

Happy Pi Day!

Too bad we don't celebrate Pi Day with a day off of work/school.  I'll be adding to this post this evening to tell you all about our Pi Day.

In the meantime, the Exploratorium has a few was to celebrate Pi Day that seem like fun.

Addition on 3/14:

Here's a rundown of the day:

We went to work and school.

I brought pi(e) to J's school for afternoon snack.  The kiddos LOVED blackberry pie!  We talked about the general shape of the pie (circle).  Then what we cut the pie pieces into (triangles) and where the blackberries come from (Oregon - needs lots of rain in the winter and a lot of sunshine in the summer).  Yummy!

As I walked into his classroom, J points to my shirt and shouts, "Pi!" Then I asked what was on his shirt, he said "Pi!" When Dada got home, J was excited to see his shirt had "Pi!" too!  Too bad he has yet to shout out a letter of our alphabet.

Then we had our traditional pie for dessert.  (sshhh, I had 3 slices today)

Prepping for Pi Day!

Yes!! It's my favorite time of the year! You guessed it, Pi Day! Every self-proclaimed nerd needs to celebrate. And really, who doesn't love an excuse to eat Pi(e)??

To fill you in, Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter (any circle). The number is irrational (no, not in a personality sense) and is, thus far, never ending. Most people round it to 3.14159.  It's used for calculating geometrical value for circles (area, surface area, volume).

Well, Pi Day happens to fall on 3/14 at 1:59 (get it? ~3.14159), and now, it's even recognized as a national holiday (it's also Einstein's birthday). In my circle (teehee), we typically celebrate at 1:59p because I've never been at my best at ~2am, even in my younger years.  Celebrations typically include wearing Pi decor and Pi(e) eating and all around being nerdy.  Sometimes, I convince friends and family that we should really party.

It's only right to pass on the tradition to the next generation.

Toddlers

The littlest members of society might find it hard to grasp a ratio of circle circumference to its diameter.  However, just the geometric shape of a circle is fun and an all-around good way to get them excited about Pi (eventually).

Go on a scavenger hunt for round, circular objects.

Coat the floor with butcher paper (or a lot of printer/recyclable paper):
Give your child some tempera/washable paint and have them make circular designs all over the paper with the objects they just collected.

Proudly display their artwork with a sign saying "Happy Pi Day!"

For the older kids:

Take a string of yarn and measure a circle's circumference.  Then see how many times you can measure the diameter of that circle using the string you used for the circle's circumference (should be a little more than 3 times).  You can do this with a cooled pie or a round pizza if you want an excuse to eat while conducting the experiment.

Make a necklace/bracelet out of 11 different color beads.  Assign each digit (0-9 and ".") its unique bead color and represent Pi to as many digits as you can (or as long as the kid's attention span lasts).

For everyone:

Eat Pi(e)!  And, enjoy your nerdiness!

You've been given enough time to prepare for proper celebrations next week.

Related Posts:

• Pi Day Pi(e)s
• Pi Day Pictures, a family tradition