The Dot and the Line Math Trek

Math Trek is a scavenger hunt game for families or informal groups. You walk around, discover math using the clues on the Trek Card, and take pictures of it.

During our Math Treks participants tell us about a strong, pleasant, slightly weird feeling: “I see your math in trees, buildings, people – everywhere! Now that you’ve shown me how to look, I can’t unsee it!” We call this effect math goggles. When you find the same pattern in several very different places, your mind automatically tags that pattern as important and universal, and encourages you to search for that pattern everywhere.

Natural Math, together with Cary Visual Art, ran a Math Trek through the downtown Cary sculpture exhibit on November 8. Our math and our art focused on dimensions, integration, and differentiation – in ways accessible even to young children. It was a cool, sunny Saturday, perfect for outdoor family fun. It was so good to see all the kids happily playing with calculus!

Now you can use the Trek Card we developed with your family and friends. We like to combine Math Trek with quick craft activities, as you can see in photos below. That way you not only discover mathematics all around but also make your own. Click to download the Trek Card PDF. If you would like to help us organize a math scavenger hunt in your area, drop us a line at reach.out@naturalmath.com

P.S. The name of the Trek comes from a 1960s book.