Sticky Notes - Pi Day + Pizza = Hands-On Math Fun for Kids!

Why was the pizza so bad at math? It kept cutting corners!
Why was the number 6 afraid of 7? Because 7, 8 (ate), 9!

Pi Day (March 14th) is the perfect excuse to play with food and numbers!

We’re strong believers in the idea that kids learn best when they can see, touch, and taste math in action. Research from MIT’s Learning Lab shows that engaging in real-world, hands-on activities helps children grasp complex math concepts. When kids roll out dough, measure ingredients, and slice a pie into fractions, they learn practical skills, build confidence in the kitchen, and build a deeper understanding of numbers.

1. Choose Your Recipe

We recommend Great Grecian Personal Pan Pizzas!

2. Measure + Mix

Start by gathering and measuring your ingredients. Involving kids in measuring ingredients, doubling recipes, and exploring fractions in the kitchen gives them with hands-on experiences that make math both fun and relevant. The DREME Network at Stanford University notes that families who incorporate math discussions while cooking help children develop an intuitive grasp of mathematical concepts, making math both practical and enjoyable.

Make it Mathy!

Younger kids can help scoop, pour, mush, and mash.

Have them touch and count the ingredients as you add them.
Compare the sizes of bowls and measuring cups – which is the biggest/smallest?
Explore volume – how many small scoops equal a big one?

Math skills: one-to-one correspondence; counting; volume measurement; spatial awareness; size relationships; unit relationships

Older kids enjoy measuring and leveling dry ingredients or rolling and shaping the dough.

Play with proportion –Can you make an equal mix of three toppings?
Scale the recipe – how much flour would you need if you wanted to double the recipe?

Math skills: division; multiplication; proportional reasoning; fraction scaling

3. Sprinkle + Arrange

Let kids take the lead by designing a custom pizza with their favorite toppings.

Granting children autonomy in their choices builds confidence and decision-making skills. Research in developmental psychology and educational studies supports the idea that when children participate in selecting their meals, they are more engaged, more open to trying new flavors, and exhibit increased enthusiasm for learning about nutrition.

Make it Mathy!

Younger kids can scoop, sprinkle, and arrange toppings.

Have them count as they add toppings—how many mushrooms did you add?
Compare amounts visually—which section has more toppings?

Math skills: one-to-one correspondence; counting; size relationships; spatial reasoning

Older kids love to experiment with flavors and patterns.

Ask multiplication questions—what if you wanted twice as much of this topping?
Encourage pattern-making—can you create a design that repeats in two quarters of the pie?

Math skills: multiplication; fractions; symmetry, and pattern recognition

4. Slice + Share

Now it’s time to slice, share, and explore fractions you can see and taste!

Experts in early childhood math education confirm that using physical objects—like food—to represent fractions enhances understanding and retention. Cutting a pie into pieces turns abstract numbers into real, visible concepts that kids can engage with—and eat!