The Florida State University Department of Mathematics will host the 11th annual Math Fun Day this week to invite community members of all ages to engage in exciting activities that show how math makes up the world around them.
Math Fun Day will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, in the Love Building, 1017 Academic Way, on FSU’s main campus. This event, which is free and open to the public, welcomes K-12 students and their families to participate in a series of hands-on games and activities illustrating the wonders of math.
“Seeing so many people excited about math in a non-school setting really makes the event fun and enjoyable for the kids who attend,” said Monica Hurdal, professor of biomathematics and associate chair for academic affairs in the Department of Mathematics.
Math Fun Day 2026 is structured as an open house featuring 10 rooms, each containing different activities that engage students in math, such as programming polygons on a computer, playing 3D tic-tac-toe and cracking secret codes. Participants will have up to four hours to make their way through the activity rooms and experience the joys of mathematics.
The day includes opportunities for students of all different levels to learn how math makes up the world we live in as well as how it’s applied in industry, technology, science and everyday tasks. These activities aim to help attendees find a new appreciation for mathematics and spark interest in the discipline.
“Sometimes, math can have a bit of a negative connotation,” Hurdal said. “If we help everybody realize that you can do cool things with math, we might inspire the next generation of mathematicians.”
This year, Math Fun Day will feature a room highlighting fractals, which are repeating patterns occurring in geometry and nature, hosted by the Math Honor Society Pi Mu Epsilon, and a room discussing prominent female mathematicians, hosted by the FSU student chapter of the Association of Women in Mathematics.
“Math is for everyone, and everyone can participate in it,” said Kaylie Green, a biomathematics doctoral student, president of the FSU chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics, and president of FSU’s Graduate Women in STEM student organization. “Volunteering with Math Fun Day for the last two years has taught me how to adapt math for different levels and continually reminds me how fun math can be. Seeing attendees smile and laugh when they get a question right or suddenly understand something is really rewarding.”
The event is supported by more than 100 volunteers made up of both students and faculty. Although most volunteers hail from the Department of Mathematics, others conduct research in a variety of academic areas, reflecting math’s interdisciplinary nature, and many student volunteers return to help multiple years in a row.
“All of our student volunteers make the event what it is,” Hurdal said. “They put in so much time to engage with the children, and their enthusiasm spreads and inspires others to get involved and enjoy math. It’s always worthwhile when we see kids who ask their parents if they can stay at Math Fun Day after the event is over.”
Visit the 2026 Math Fun Day website to learn more about the event.