Maths Week Scotland is not just for schools! Maths is in the world around us, and there are plenty of ways for any group to have fun with maths. Whatever the age and interests of your group, there are ways for them to take part in Maths Week Scotland. Scroll down to find ideas for activities from previous years.
This year, our theme is Wild Maths. Why not got Out and About or try a Shape Hunt with your group?
Out and About
We use maths every day to travel to work, meet friends and go on day trips. Taking a day trip or nature walk is an ideal scenario to use and discuss our maths and numeracy skills.
Use a map to decide where you want to go. Talk about different routes you could take and different ways you could travel. Why you would take some but not others?
Do the walk at different times of day. What do you notice changes?
If you have taken a nature walk carry out a nature survey. Measure out a 1m x 1m square and note down or collect items from inside it. Repeat the survey in a different place on the walk and record what you notice?
Shape Hunt
A shape hunt is a fun activity to do with groups of children or young people. Whether you live in a rural or an urban area, head outside for a walk around your local neighbourhood to see what shapes you can discover. Depending how many of you there are, you could also split up in to smaller groups and have a competition to see who can find a certain list of shapes first, or who finds the most shapes.
Community Based Learners Pack
Our 2023 Community Learning Resource Pack contains ways for adult learners and families to celebrate and enjoy Maths Week Scotland. The pack takes the Maths in Motion theme from 2023 and shows how there are numbers in almost everything that we do and think about.
We also still have our 2022 Community Based Learning Pack available, with ideas for activities to do with a range of community based learners including adult groups, ESOL learners and families. Themes covered included Beauty of Maths, Maths in Your Environment, and Maths at Work.
Plan a family friendly session with songs, stories and rhymes. Scottish Book Trust created the Bookbug resource for Maths Week Scotland for anyone to run a fun session with a mathematical theme!
Science Centres, museums and galleries across the country take part in Maths Week Scotland every year with special events, activities and exhibitions. Find out what is happening near you on our events page.
Code-breaking can be a fun way to use logic skills at all ages. This cryptography challenge has some set codes to break but also shows you how to write your own. Try creating your own coded messages for others to crack!
Maths inside is an annual photo competition open to everyone in Scotland. Maths is part of our daily life, have you ever thought about it? The home, exercise route, daily dog walks and the weekly shop turned into a playground… this is your chance to get creative and make mathematical connections! Can you see the maths inside?
Thecompetition will next be open in September 2025.
Many of the family activities on our website are also suitable for community groups, including puzzles, games, and art & craft activities. You can filter by age and type to find the perfect activity for your group!
We are delighted to once again be collaborating with Twinkl Scotland, who have produced a range of new free resources for this year's Wild Maths theme.
Early, First and Second Level have each received resources relating to Drummond Safari Park and to the topic of weather, linking to and informed by Curriculum for Excellence, which support teaching and learning maths.
Finn Finity and the Wild Maths Zoo Adventure is an interactive story that you can read together with your class or as a family. It incorporates maths puzzles and activities, that you solve as you read.
