On Tuesday, March 26, the Banneker Math Department held a Family Math Night to celebrate mathematics! Math night was after school so parents, families, students, and teachers could attend, have some fun, and do math activities.

The event had a variety of stations where students and families could challenge each other with their math skills, collect points, and win prizes.

The stations consisted of:

Connect Four: Students were able to play the childhood game of Connect Four, perhaps unaware that this game has connotations of math and memory because players are required to remember and identify the patterns in the game to win.

Recite Pi: This station required students to try to recite the everlasting number pi (3.14159265359…). This game tested memory and was fun for families and students.

Riddle Station: Banneker’s Mr. Cash is known for telling riddles to all of his classes. It was only fitting that he run the riddle table where parents get to experience the jokes that their children hear. There were several math riddles that challenged the brain and got participants thinking about numbers.

Challenge Math Questions: Families were tasked with tackling some of the math problems from each class. It was one of the most challenging stations, but the prize was worth the effort when they received candy.

Pencil in Bottle Game: Players had to challenge each other to see who could be the first to drop a pencil into a glass bottle without bending down. This challenge tested players’ accuracy and helped improve hand-eye coordination.

Many more activities kept everybody busy for hours! At the end, everybody could spin the wheel and either win a bag of chips, juice, or three pieces of candy. Dinner was also served by the principal downstairs. This experience wasn’t just a good way to earn extra credit, but a good opportunity to engage with the Banneker family, too.