Why a Math Summer Camp is Fun!

There are so many summer camps and things to do in Palo Alto and Menlo Park during the summer. Although summertime is a great time to relax, practicing math should be on the top of your child’s things to do during the summer list. If your child practices math during the summer, it will ensure a strong math start for the new year because they will not forget any math skills they learned in the previous school year. This is why you should enroll your child to Palo Alto – Menlo Park Mathnasium’s summer camp.

Palo Alto - Menlo Park Mathnasium Summer Camp

Palo Alto – Menlo Park Mathnasium Summer Camp

Mathnasium Summer Camp = Perfect Summer

Since it is summer, Mathnasium’s summer camp will teach and review math with your child while having fun. What is perfect about our summer camp is that you can choose the days to take your child to Mathnasium’s summer camp. This ensures that your child can have some days to relax and some days to brush up on their math skills. Doesn’t that just sound like a perfect summer for your child?

Math Outside of Mathnasium

Mathnasium’s summer camp is a great way for your child to review old concepts and learn new ones, but on the days that your child does not go to Mathnasium, there are lots of ways to get your child’s brain thinking and practice math skills.

  1. Take your child to their favorite restaurant. Ask them to calculate the cost of their order after tax and if applicable, after tip. See how close they get.
  2. Bake with your child! Baking is a great way to practice fractions. When a recipe calls for a cup of something, use 1/4 of a cup instead and ask your child how many 1/4 of a cup they need to make a cup.
  3. Take your child to the Exploratorium in San Francisco which is an amazing museum filled with learning.

We hope to see your child this summer! For more information about Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park and other unique word problems, visit our website at  http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark

Alternative to Summer Camp in Palo Alto & Menlo Park

Summer is quickly approaching, which means it’s time to start thinking about what summer camps to sign your child up for. If you want your child to excel in math and to exceed in their math skills, Palo Alto – Menlo Park Mathnasium’s summer camp is perfect for your child. At Mathnasium’s summer camp we ensure that your child will learn new math skills as well as have fun! We have a wide range of fun, summer related math games for your child to do.

We also have tons of programs to solidify your child’s math skills and to brush up on new materials during the summer camp session. This includes our Master Series which teaches concepts and skills, Power Work Outs, which prepares your child with new information and brushes up on already learned math topics, and Math Game Sessions which teaches your child math skills in a fun way by playing games.

Summer Camp Math

Summer Camp Math

Here are some exciting summer related math problems.

  1. You and a friend are playing in the sand at the beach. You have a bucket that can fill up to 6 cups of sand. If you use a 1/4 of a cup measuring cup to fill up the bucket, how many times will you need to use the measuring cup? What if you use a 1/3 of a cup measuring cup?
  2. Every 30 seconds, there is a huge wave in the ocean. How many huge waves will there be in 30 minutes? How about in an hour? What about in a whole day?
  3. The radius of a beach ball is 6 inches. What is the volume of the beach ball? (Volume = 4/3 * pi *r^3)

We hope to see your child at our summer camp! For more information about Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park and other unique word problems, visit our website at  http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark

Triangular Numbers in Menlo Park

Most people in Menlo Park and all around the world know that a square number is a number that can be square rooted. For example, the number 64 is a square number because the square root of 64 is 8 which is a whole number. Something that people in Menlo Park and elsewhere might not know are triangular numbers. A triangular number is any number that can form an equilateral triangle. Here is a picture of of the first 6 triangular numbers:

First 6 triangular numbers

First 6 triangular numbers

As you can see, the number 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, and 21 are triangular numbers because they can form an equilateral triangle. This means that each side of the triangle has the same length (in this case circles).

In order to check if a number is a triangular number use this equation: n(n+1) / 2

You can input any number you want for n, and if the result is a whole number, you know the number you inputted is a triangular number. Lets do an example. From the picture above, we know the number 10 is a triangular number. Lets prove it!

10*(10+1)/2

10*(11)/2

110/2 = 55 which is a whole number! Thus 10 is a triangular number!

Now, it is your turn to find the next 6 triangular numbers! You can either use the guess and check method by plugging numbers in for n OR you know the next triangular number will have a side length of 7. Draw a triangle with 7 circles on each side, and then fill it in with circles. Then you can count the total number of circles in that triangle. That will also tell you the next triangular number.

 

 

Answers! Don’t Peak!

7th: 28

8th: 36

9th: 45

10th: 55

11th: 66

12: 78

For more information about Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park and other unique word problems, visit our website at  http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark

Wintertime Frozen Yogurt in Palo Alto

Pinkberry Fro-Yo in Palo Alto

The winter weather is never an excuse to not eat ice cream. Although the weather in Palo Alto is getting chillier, it is still good weather to indulge in some frozen yogurt. In Stanford Shopping Center (in Palo Alto), there is a popular frozen yogurt place called Pinkberry. Pinkberry is so popular that during the afternoon and night time, there is always a line going outside the door. What makes Pinkberry so special? Well, first of all, frozen yogurt is a great substitute for ice cream because it is healthier yet just as delicious. Pinkberry fro-yo is made from real non fat milk and non fat yogurt. They also have an abundance of awesome toppings. They have fresh fruit like strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapefruit, and more. They also have nuts, crushed up cookies, chocolate chips, spices, pretzels, gummy bears, and more. Lastly, you can top off your creation with nutella, chocolate sauce, honey, or even a fruit puree. Their flavors constantly change so you can always try something new! Check out their website to learn more: http://www.pinkberry.com/

Pinkberry Fro-Yo in Palo Alto

Pinkberry Fro-Yo in Palo Alto

Math and Pinkberry?

One of the best things about Pinkberry is that choosing what you want is actually a great math problem! Next time you are in Palo Alto with your child, stop by at Pinkberry to treat them to some delicious frozen yogurt and to do some math.

  1. A small original frozen yogurt has 100 calories. You want to add strawberries(5 calories), blackberries(10 calories), nutella(90 calories), and chocolate chips(50 calories). How many calories does your order total to?
  2. A small Pinkberry fro-yo with toppings costs $4.95. A swirly fruit bowl is $4.95, a smoothie costs $5.25, and a fresh fruit parfait is $4.75. How much do all of these cost together?
  3. Challenge Problem: There are 6 flavors at Palo Alto’s Pinkberry. If you want two flavors swirled together, how many different combinations are there?

For more information about Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park and other unique word problems, visit our website at  http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark

Quick Math Tricks in Palo Alto

If your Palo Alto child’s multiplication is strong, you can start teaching them these math tricks.

Math Tricks in Palo Alto

Math Tricks in Palo Alto

Trick #1: Squaring a 2 Digit Number Ending in 5

  1. Multiply the 1st digit by itself plus 1
  2. Put 25 at the end

Ex: 35^2

Step 1: 3 * (3 + 1) = 3 * 4= 12

Step 2: 1225

Answer: 1225

Trick #2: Multiplying by 5

  1. Divide the number by 2
  2. If the result is a whole number, add a zero to the end, otherwise, ignore the remainder and add a 5 to the end

Ex: 382 * 5

Step 1: 382 / 2 = 191

Step 2: 1910

Answer: 1910

Trick #3: Subtracting from 1000

  1. Subtract all but the last number from 9
  2. Subtract the last number from 10

Ex: 1000 – 423

Step 1: 9 – 4 = 5

Step 2: 9 – 2= 7

Step 3: 10 – 3 = 7

Answer: 577

These 3 tricks will be very useful for you Palo Alto child to use. Check out some more math tricks from this website!

Here are some practice problems you can do using these tricks

  1. 55^2
  2. 876 * 5
  3. 1000 – 824

Don’t peak! Here are the answers:

  1. 3025
  2. 4380
  3. 176

For more information about Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park and other unique word problems, visit our website at  http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark

Pondering About the Number Zero in Menlo Park

Some of the children at the Menlo Park Mathnasium have asked what is zero? Is it a number? Symbol?

Facts about the Number Zero

The Number Zero

The Number Zero

  1. The number zero is a number and a numerical digit. A numerical digit is a symbol that combines two numbers. For example, 10 is a number, but 1 and 0 are both numerical digits.
  2. Although zero seems like a pointless number, it actually is one of the most important numbers. It is an additive identity, which means that no matter what number you add to zero, the number will remain the same.
  3. zero is an even number because it is divisible by 2
  4. zero is not positive or negative
  5. zero is the only natural number that is not positive  (a natural number is any number that is countable visually – can’t be negative)
  6. Any number multiplied by zero is zero
  7. Any number divided by zero is undefined
  8. zero divided by any number is zero
  9. In English, writing or saying zero can also mean the word nothing.

Now that you know some facts about the number 0, your Menlo Park child can do these math problems!

  1. What is 1 * 2 * 3 * 4 * 5 * 6 * 100 * 234 * 342 * 523 * 6434 * 0?
  2. What is 0/9283902?
  3. What is 38472/0?

For more information about Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park and other unique word problems, visit our website at  http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark

 

 

Hamburgers in Palo Alto

In Palo Alto, there is a very delicious and fun burger restaurant on California Avenue called “The Counter.” Unlike most hamburger places, The Counter is a custom burger restaurant. Your first step is to choose what type of meat, size, and bun you want. Your second step is to choose a cheese. Your third step is to choose your toppings,and lastly, you choose your sauce. This Palo Alto restaurant also has pre-designed hamburgers as well, along with delicious milkshakes and amazing french fries. The counter is great because you can always try something new, and it is the perfect place to do some math while you wait for your order to arrive!

A burger from the Counter in Palo Alto.

A burger from the Counter in Palo Alto.

Money Math!

You and your friend went to Palo Alto to eat at the Counter. You ordered a burger, french fries, and a milkshake which totaled $19.75. Your friend ordered a salad, chili cheese fries, and a soda which totaled $20.25.

  1. How much did the two orders cost together?
  2. If tax is 8.25%, how much does tax cost?
  3. If your tip is 15%, how much does your tip cost?
  4. What is the total amount of money your dine in costs?
  5. If you split the cost with your friend, how much money does each person need to pay?

Feel free to use your own numbers to do the math! That way, each friend can make their own prediction of how much money your food will cost!

All pictures were taken from the Counter’s website! Check out their menu to see if you wold want to visit!

For more information about Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park and other unique word problems, visit our website at  http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark

New Year in Palo Alto

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

The Gregorian Calendar

Is you Palo Alto child confused about what it means to start a new year? Well, starting a new year is when the Gregorian calendar restarts. January 1st always marks the New Year for the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar is the the most widely used calendar. It is also a solar calendar, which means that the dates indicate earth’s position as earth revolves around the sun. A normal Gregorian calendar has 12 months (January – December) and on average 365 days, unless its a leap year, then a year would have 366 days.

New Year Facts

  1. If you and your Palo Alto child watched the big apple drop in New York, you might have noticed the abundance of people in the city. Every year, about 1 million people go to Times Square in New York to watch the big apple drop.
  2. Approximately 1 billion people watch a New Years Eve event on television.
  3. The Time Square Ball weighs 11,875 pounds and is 12 feet in diameter.

Math Time!

  1. Now that you and your Palo Alto child know that the ball is 12 feet in diameter, you can easily calculate the volume! The volume of a sphere is            4/3 * pi *r^2.
  2. If a leap year occurs ever 4 years, and the last leap year was on Wednesday in 2012, what day and year will the next leap year be on?
  3. If the Time Square Ball weighs 11,875 pounds, how much does it weigh in kilograms?

For more information about Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park and other unique word problems, visit our website at  http://www.mathnasium.com/paloalto-menlopark!