Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π and is observed by both pie lovers and math fans on March 14
One of my all-time favorite holidays, Pi(e) Day, is near. We use it as an excuse to invite our friends over for an annual pie potluck, and it’s one of the quirkiest, most delicious days on our calendar. Over the years, we have eaten everything from pizzas to moonpies to barbecue pork pot pies to cherry pies and Samoa pies (inspired by the Girl Scout cookies). Half of the fun is wondering what people will bring, but the challenge is deciding what to try first.
On a more numerically focused note, Larry Martinek, the creator of Mathnasium, introduces the “enigmatic” number pi as follows: “When you take the distance around a circle and divide it by the distance across the circle, you always get the same number. It doesn’t matter how big the circle is. It could be as small as a dime or as big as the sun. The distance around divided by the distance across always comes out the same number. Math people call that number pi. By the way, pi is an unusual kind of number. Its decimal form never stops and never repeats.”
“Pi Day is a great opportunity to teach kids a little ‘math magic,’” says Konner Coleman, Director of Student Success, Mathnasium of Monterey. Whether you embrace a math-oriented Pi Day or a culinary-focused one, it’s bound to be a fun Saturday. The Mathnasium at Del Monte Center will even be hosting a Pi Day Party on March 14 at 2 p.m., and all are welcome.And the party is conveniently located right next to a beloved community pizza spot, Pizza My Heart!
Consider checking out a pie cookbook at the library (hardcover or ebook available) and choosing a recipe to bake and eat together in the name of Pi. Monterey County Free Libraries offers Pie school: Lessons in Fruit, Flour and Butter by Kate Lebo. “In addition to recipes, Lebo invites readers to ruminate on the social history, the meaning, and the place of pie in the pantheon of favorite foods,” notes Sasquatch Books, the publisher. Extra credit if you top your creation with the Pi symbol made of pie crust.
Other fun books about pie available locally include Pie is for Sharing by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard or the easy reader option A Pie for Us! by Vicky Fang. PBS Kids encourages reading Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander with kids aged five to twelve. The book has silly characters with names including Radius and brothers Geo and Sym Metry.
“For a hands-on activity, kids can gather a variety of round objects, measure the distance around and the distance across, and then divide. It’s simple, fun, and surprisingly memorable,” suggests Coleman (Mathnasium of Monterey). Consider baskets, crackers, and orange halves.
If you’re feeling brave, pull up YouTube and play “The Pi Song” by AsapSCIENCE to see how many digits of pi you can memorize through the power of music.
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