14th March International Day of Mathematics, 26th March World Maths Day

Every day should be Maths Day, but there are so many specific days on the calendar. There is E-Day to celebrate Euler's Number (7.2.25); Pi Day (14.3.25); Square Root Day (5.5.25); Women in Mathematics Day (12.5.25); International Sudoku Day(9.9.25) and Fibonacci Day (23.11.25).

The International Day of Mathematics (IDM) is a worldwide celebration. Each year on March 14 all countries are invited to participate through activities for both students and the general public in schools, museums, libraries and other spaces. The theme for this year is Mathematics Art and Creativity. What fun!

If you look at the website, you will see lots of things to get you involved with the theme. This year’s creative challenge is constructing mathematical elements using everyday physical objects (such as household items, objects from nature, or even people). Use your artistry and creativity (this year’s theme!) to make sculptures that bring mathematics off the page and into the real world!

Often the preschool teachers will ask for books that show numbers and or patterns in nature or the environment. They will use a picture from one of these books as a provocation. These are some of the books I suggest.

• Growing Patterns and Mysterious Patterns  by Sarah Campbell

• Swirl by Swirl  by Joyce Sidman

• Flow Spin Grow  by Patchen Barss

• Pitter Pattern  by Joyce Hesselberth

• Wings, Waves and Webs  by Robin Mitchell Cranfield

• Magic Counting  by Nabeel Khan

• Shape Search  by Melissa Stewart

• Deadly Science: Numbers in Nature  by Corey Tutt

• Dreaming Up  by Christy Hale 

• Patterns in Australia  by Bronwyn Bancroft 

• Lots and Lots of Zebra Stripes  by Stephen Swinburne

• Patterns at the Museum  by Tracey Steffora

• The Art Garden  by Penny Harrison

• The Art of Clean Up  by Ursus Wehrli

• Searching for Treasure  by Johanna Bell

and look out for All About Patterns  by Elizabeth Rusch which is coming in April.