National Pi Day 2024 will be celebrated on Thursday, March 14. This day focuses on the mathematical constant known as pi, which represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Since pi plays a big role in math and science, we’re sharing some pi day activities for elementary students that will teach them all about the never-ending number. Have fun and expand your knowledge with some pi games!
When you divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter, the result is always pi. This is true for any circle of any size, which makes pi a mathematical constant. Pi is an irrational number that begins with 3.14. Hence, that is why National Pi Day is celebrated on 3/14! The digits of pi go on forever without any pattern or repetition, making it especially interesting to mathematicians. Pi’s symbol is the Greek letter π.
In 2022, Emma Haruka Iwao and her team of software developers at Google were able to calculate 100 trillion digits of pi, creating a new world record. That’s something to celebrate!
Physicist Larry Shaw connected pi to March 14th when he organized an event for the staff at the San Francisco Exploratorium in 1988. Shaw served pie and tea to everyone, and the gathering became an annual tradition. Soon after, other math geeks around the country began their own pi day activities. In 2009, US Congress declared Pi Day a national holiday!
Now that you know what pi and Pi Day is all about, let’s get into some ways you can celebrate Pi Day 2024 with your elementary students! We’re sharing some pi games you can play using supplies around your classroom, as well as some pi day activities possible on a selection of Math & Movement mats.
The oldest known game involving pi is Buffon’s Needle Problem. In the 1700s, a French nobleman named Count Buffon observed that a popular game of chance could help calculate the value of pi.
To try his experiment, toss some pencils or toothpicks on a sheet of lined paper. Next, count how many pencils or toothpicks you tossed, as well as how many of those touch a line on the paper. Dividing these two numbers will give you an answer close to pi!
Try Buffon’s Needle Problem as a contest – whoever can calculate the most digits of pi from their pile of pencils or toothpicks wins!
Many artists have used pi as an inspiration for their artwork. For example, pop artist Michael Albert makes collages using the digits of pi, and has reached up to 777 digits so far.
For a creative spin on Pi Day activities, encourage students to create artwork of their own. Here are some ideas:
Gather a variety of cylindrical objects, such as plates, coins, drinking glasses, soda cans, soup cans, tape rolls, and toilet paper rolls. Have students measure the circumference and diameter of each object by using a string and a ruler. Next, challenge students to divide the circumference by the diameter and watch the solution come out to be close to 3.14 every time!
For younger students who are not dividing yet, have a scavenger hunt for circular objects around the classroom. Alternatively, have students name circular objects or bring circular items from home. See who can find or name the most objects in this pi game!
Make a pi paper chain by assigning a color of paper to each digit and connecting the loops with tape.
Get your whole school involved in this pi day activity and see how long your chain can get! The world record for the longest pi chain was set in 2011 with 65,000 links. See if your school can beat that!
For a fun individual activity, make pi day bracelets! Assign each digit to a different color bead. Then, have students string the beads together in a pattern that matches the digits of pi.
Test your students’ knowledge of the digits of pi with this fun math movement!
A simple movement-based activity like this one can help kids burn off some extra energy and focus better on the day’s lessons. As another fun pi game, challenge your students to come up with their own cheers or dances to recite the numbers of pi.
Looking for ways to use your Math & Movement materials in your Pi Day activities for elementary students? We have a couple of ideas for you!
Use your Place Value Hop P3 (Decimals) to build the number pi! Have students place the numeral cards in the boxes at the top of the mat. Then, have students take turns hopping and reciting the number. Start on “3” and continue to the right through the decimal places, saying “3 ones”, “1 tenth”, “4 tenths”, “1 thousandth”, and so on aloud. Pi day is a great opportunity to practice place value!
Younger elementary students who are not ready for circumference lessons can still participate in the Pi Day games! Decorate paper plates to look like pies. Cut “slices” out of the paper plates to make fractional pieces. Have students match the different-sized slices to the correct fraction on the Equivalent Fractions Hop mat. Or, challenge students to create a whole “pi” from the slices.
Are you on your volume lesson in math or science class? Ask your students to find pi in the formulas on the Finding Volume mat. Talk about each formula and how pi relates to each shape.
Pi Day celebrations can be educational and productive at school. Save these Pi Day activities to make March 14th special for elementary students every year. What plans does your school have for Pi Day 2024? Let us know in the comments!
Feature image by Linda Roisum from Pixabay
Research shows that ELL students prefer a kinesthetic learning style. Incorporating movement-based learning strategies into lessons can help bilingual classrooms thrive.
Discover how movement-based learning can help teachers implement effective classroom management strategies for elementary students.
Get ideas on how to celebrate Pi Day 2024 with your elementary students.
Find out how Math & Movement is aligned to your state’s education standards.
Please leave your email and a quick note for us. We will get back to you soon! In the meantime, here are answers to some of our most common questions:
→ Shipping is 10% of the order subtotal.
→Yes, we accept purchase orders!
Enter your email to get our training manual with over 250 active math movements. No materials necessary!
One Response
Excited for Pi Day 2024! Love the idea of combining fun with learning through activities like Buffon’s Needle Problem. It’s a creative way to teach elementary students about pi while engaging in a bit of healthy competition. Can’t wait to see who calculates the most digits! #PiDayFun #MathIsCool