I love Pi Day! I was in 8th grade when my math teacher first taught our class about Pi Day.
He hosted a “pi” potluck, and we took a break from our regular curriculum to read Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi and calculate pi using various household objects. The concept was simple, but we had so much fun.
I’ve kept the tradition and magic of Pi Day alive in our homeschool by baking pie, learning about pi, and even visiting the birthplace of Pi Day—the Exploratorium in San Francisco.
Now that my oldest homeschooler is in middle school, I finally feel qualified to share our favorite Pi Day activities for middle schoolers.
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1. “Pi” Potluck or Pie Tasting
I know this isn’t strictly math-related, but food—and pie—is definitely the quickest way to the heart of every middle schooler I know.
I recommend having at least three different types of pie for a tasting. If you want to serve something more hearty, you can also include pizza “pi.”
2. Calculate Pi
Everyone knows pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.
Give your middle schoolers a variety of round objects and a tape measure, and let them calculate pi themselves. They’ll quickly discover that taking accurate measurements is harder than it looks!
3. Buffon’s Needle Toss
Did you know you can estimate pi using toothpicks and a lined surface?
This activity is based on Buffon’s Needle, a probability experiment where you drop toothpicks across parallel lines and track how often they cross a line.
All you need to do is drop a 50-100 toothpicks across a series of parallel lines that are exactly twice the width of the tooth pick. The ratio of the total toothpicks dropped and the number that cross the line will approximate pi.
The math behind it is a little complex, but the experiment is easy and fun to run. My oldest did this at the Exploratorium on Pi Day and was amazed by the results.
4. Pi Memorization Contest
Give students a list of the first 500 digits of pi and hold a memorization contest on Pi Day.
I haven’t tried this with my own kids yet, but several of my friends have and their students love the challenge.
5. Pi Bracelets
Create a pi bracelet using nine or ten colors of pony beads and string.
Assign each digit (0–9) a bead color, then string the beads in the order of the digits of pi. It’s a fun way to combine math with creativity.
6. Teach the History of Pi
Have you ever wondered how ancient civilizations worked with circles before calculators?
Explore how the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks estimated pi thousands of years ago. It’s fascinating to see how mathematicians gradually refined the value of pi long before modern technology.
7. NASA Pi Challenge
Every year, NASA releases Pi Day Challenge questions where students use pi to solve real-world space problems.
My son loved these last year, and they became part of our morning math warm-up.
Be forewarned: some of the questions are quite challenging and may involve concepts your students haven’t studied yet. I recommend previewing the problems so you can provide any unfamiliar formulas ahead of time.
Easy Pi Day Resources in My Etsy Shop
These are resources I created for my own kids and now share in my Etsy shop. I’m also planning to add a pi memorization worksheet and pi bracelet activity soon.
• Pi Day Potluck Sign-Up Sheet
• History of Pi Worksheet
• Pi Lesson
• Comparing Ways to Calculate Pi: Measurement and Buffon’s Needle Toss
More Ways to Celebrate Pi Day
If you want to go even deeper, you might also enjoy:
• What to Expect Celebrating Pi Day at the Exploratorium
• How to Throw the Ultimate Pi Day Party
Seven Founding Hills 
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