Saturday, March 5, 2011

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.

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