Celebrating Pi Day with Pie and a Fraction Game

Did you know that 3/14 is Pi Day? You might remember that Pi, approximately 3.14, is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter of a circle. What better day to celebrate Pi than on March 14th? 

I have never been fond of Math, but I want my daughters to grow up loving it and feeling comfortable with numbers. I thought I could do this by showing them that math can be fun and tasty! We did an easy pie activity that teaches fractions and later we celebrated Pi day with a Marie Callender's Pie. Can you think of a more perfect dessert to serve on Pi day?

For the fraction activity, we used a large cardboard circle that came with some frozen pizza we bought. I traced the cardboard circle onto various colors of construction paper and cut it out.

They I cut those circles in half and quarters and eighths.

I gave each of the kids a cardboard circle and put the pile of different pie slices in the middle of the table. They had to try to assemble their own pie from the pieces available.

My daughter  discovered that two halves of a circle make a pie.

My youngest noticed that she could make a pie with one half, one quarter and two eighths.

We were excited to see that 8 eighths make a pie, and my daughter pointed out that this pie made a pattern as well.

This simple math game is an easy way to introduce fractions to young children and to celebrate Pi Day. 

But what would Pi Day be without a Marie Callender's Pie? We had a chance to try a few varieties, Peach Pie and Apple Pie. These 10 oz pies are the perfect size for you and your honey or you can cut the pieces smaller and share with your kids too!

Marie Callender's Pies can be found in your grocer's freezer section. They can be prepared in the oven or in the microwave. I really like this option because sometimes I don't have time to wait for a pie to bake. The microwave option is perfect for when you need some pie NOW!

We opened the package, left the pie inside, and popped it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Then we let it sit in the microwave for another 5 minutes, so it would not be too hot. 10 minutes for pie that tastes like it took all day to bake - that is a pretty good deal!

Before we ate the pie, we talked about how many different ways we could cut it. The kids remembered all the ways we cut our paper pies. We decided to cut the pie into six kid sized pieces which were perfect for me too since I am watching my diet. 

The pie was yummy! The top was sprinkled with cinnamon sugar which just makes everything better. You can also see bits of cinnamon and juicy apple chunks in the photo below. My husband liked the peach pie the best while I preferred a traditional apple pie.

Even kids love Marie Callender's pies! Visit Marie Callender's to discover their wonderful variety of pies and other frozen items. You'll also want to check out the Marie Callender's blog, which features party ideas, crafts, and recipes.

Ready to try your own Marie Callender's pie? For a limited time you can print a coupon for $1.50 off a frozen pie by clicking here. Link expires 3/21/13 and the coupon expires 3/31/13.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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