FSU Math Fun Day
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Hands-on activities, workshops and demonstrations!
Information about FSU Math Fun Day
Children and families - come experience mathematics in a fun and engaging way! Come to FSU Math Fun Day! All activities are free!
The Department of Mathematics hosts FSU Math Fun Day, an Open House for the general public of all ages. Each year, faculty, staff, and student volunteers from the Department of Mathematics engage with the community, including K-12 students and teachers, to demonstrate that MATH is FUN! Come join us for some math fun! There will be lots of hands-on activities, presentations, exhibits, demonstrations, and workshops. Activities are available for all ages in grades K-12, but students in kindergarten and grade one will need extra parental help. Anyone and everyone is invited to attend and all the activities are free.
If you have not attended before, we welcome you, and if you are returning, welcome back! The event is free and open to the general public. This is our 10th annual Math Fun Day! Follow us on Facebook for more details!
Note that this is a public event so all minors need to be accompanied by an adult.
Come join us! Please check back often for event updates.
Dr. Monica K. Hurdal, Event Director and Professor in the Department of Mathematics
Email: Math-Fun-Day@fsu.edu or mhurdal@math.fsu.edu
Phone: (850) 644-2202 (Department of Mathematics Main Office) or (850)-644-7405 (direct)
Click here for Maps and Parking Information.
1:00-5:00pm - Hands-on activities, workshops and demonstrations.
Activity rooms are an open house style event, where people can come and go.
- Room 022: Exploring Polygons through Computer Programming
Interested in programming? Come work through a set of programming challenges related to mathematical ideas about polygons in the Scratch programming environment. No prior programming experience needed!
Recommended for Grades 3 and above. Younger children are welcome to see how far they can get as well! - Room 101: The Dilemma Game! - Back by popular demand - a fun cooperative mathematical game ! - (Sign-up Required Outside the Room)
You and your fellow game participants are given a game scenario. The choices you make will lead to different game outcomes, some good and some not so good. What a dilemma! Will you and your fellow players reach the optimal/best outcome or will you reach the worst possible outcome? Join us in playing cooperative games to learn about the mathematical field of Game Theory. Multiple game sessions will be held, and participants will be given a set time limit to play the game. Each session is limited, so be sure to sign-up outside Room 101! Recommended for Grades 5 and above. - Room 102: Fractals
Fractals are infinitely repeating patterns that are similar at every scale and occur in science and nature. Learn what fractals are, and come create your own in 2D and 3D using geometry or a computer!
Recommended for Grades 2 and up. - Room 103: Math In Nature
This Activity Room is hosted by the FSU Society of Undergraduate Math Students (SUMS)
Discover where math appears in nature, music, art, DNA, biology, plants, and animals. Learn about the Fibonacci sequence and investigate the golden mean spiral.
Recommended for all ages. - Room 105: Secret Codes and Puzzles
Create your own secret codes and ciphers and find out how to decipher messages! Be challenged by other mathematical puzzles and riddles! Which puzzles can you solve? - Room 106: Easy as Pi with Featured Faculty!
Join faculty in a variety of hands-on mathematical activities. Activities with numbers, shapes, and software defined radio are some of the things you can try! Or just come and chat about math!
Recommended for all ages. - Room 107: Mathematical Games Room
Try your hand at 3D tic-tac-toe and other games. Learn some of the mathematical strategies for playing various games and use mathematics to improve your playing style!
Recommended for all ages. - Room 205A: Geometric Constructions
Build polyhedra and other shapes with mathematical construction tools, such as Zome. Discover the natural symmetries that govern 3-dimensional space.
Recommended for all ages. - Room 231: Symmetries and Patterns
Explore geometries (rigid geometries and curved surfaces) through easy to make models.
Find hidden symmetries by folding your own hexahexaflexagons and origami shapes.
Try our challenges and puzzles.
Recommended for all ages with mathematical challenges at all levels. - Room 232: Women in Mathematics
This Activity Room is organized by the FSU Student Chapter of the Association of Women in Mathematics
Do you know of any famous female mathematicians? There are lots! Come learn about some of the contributions women have made to mathematics and mathematical research. There are hands-on activities to demonstrate some of the fields of mathematics where women have made discoveries.
Recommended for Grades K-12. - Other Activities: Throughout the event, come participate
in other fun activities!
- Make awesome bubbles with 3D shapes (polyhedra)!
- Learn about snails with touch tanks provided by Sea-to-See and discover the mathematical intricacies of the snail shell and why we use the snail as our logo.
- Scavenger Hunt - Can you find all the answers to our Scavenger Hunt?
- Solve our riddles and puzzles located throughout the hallways.
Support FSU Department of Mathematics and Student Math Societies with a Donation
Donations will be gratefully accepted to support this event and future outreach events, as well as student activities and research! As a thank you gift for onsite donations, you have the opportunity to receive your very own Math Fun Day t-shirt or an autographed kids book, The Mathematical Investigations of Dr. O and Arya, which contains many mathematical activities for kids and is written by our Secret Codes presenter Dr. Giray Okten and his daughter Arya Okten.For online donations, you can also become a
Friend of
FSU Math.
Your donations to FSU Mathematics help support alumni networking, community outreach, research activities, and guest speakers.
- Hear more about Math Fun Day from a 2025 FSU Headlines Radio Broadcast of FSU Math Fun Day
- or a 2024 FSU Headlines Radio Broadcast of FSU Math Fun
- Read about us from a 2024 FSU News article.
Maps and Parking
- Parking Information
- Google Map with Parking around Love Building
- FSU Campus Map Highlighting the Love Building
- Google Map with Love Building
Financial Support
FSU Math Fun Day is made possible through the generous financial support of
- The College of Arts and Sciences at Florida State University,
- The College of Education at Florida State University,
- The Department of Mathematics at Florida State University,
- The Brennan Professorship of Mathematics,
- Friends of FSU Math.
Contact Us
If you would like to support FSU Math Fun Day, and other outreach activities
Event Director: Professor Monica K. Hurdal, Department of Mathematics
Email: Math-Fun-Day@fsu.edu
Phone: (850) 644-2202 (Department of Mathematics Main Office) or (850) 644-7405 (Direct)
Information on this site will be updated periodically.
Like us on facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/FSUMathFunDay;
follow our event on facebook;
and follow us
on Instagram and twitter #FSUMathFunDay