Learning activities to connect mathematics to everyday life

The online course  Beyond numbers: how mathematics shapes the world first ran on EU Academy from May to June 2025, and is still available in self-paced format.  

The course was designed to help educators bridge the gap between abstract mathematical concepts and their real-world applications. Through engaging examples, case studies and hands-on activities, participants learned how to make mathematics more relevant to, and inspiring and accessible for, their students. 

The learning activities linked below offer valuable ideas and inspiration to teachers who want to connect maths to their students’ everyday lives. 

The learning activities have been reviewed and curated by the course coordinator. A big thank you to the authors:  

Armandina de Carvalho, Danica Utješinović, Efi Xouveroudi,  Eirini Anastasiadou, Luca Amata 

• Age group:  Primary, Upper primary, Lower and Upper secondary education
• Subjects: all
• Published by: European School Education Platform
• Year: 2025
• Languages available: English  

Discovering numbers with real-life objects 

Age category: 4–6 years 

Kaboompics.com / Pexels 

In this project, pupils (aged 4–6 years) explored the concept of measurement through playful, hands-on activities, using measuring tapes, rulers and everyday objects. Starting with height, they measured themselves, their classmates and family members and objects in their surroundings, developing key mathematical concepts such as ordering, data organisation and size comparison. 

Through guided discovery, games and creative tasks like building height charts and making drawings, children learned how measurement connects to real life. The activity encouraged curiosity, problem-solving and collaboration while fostering a deeper understanding of how mathematics helps us make sense of the world around us. 

The scenario was prepared based on my daily pedagogical work, in which the learning of mathematics is realised through simple PLAY, always in a holistic manner where interdisciplinarity is continuous: playing with mathematics is the best strategy to engage children and motivate them. Ensuring that children remain motivated is the way to enhance their learning. Regarding my role as an educator, I had to be attentive to challenge them and, simultaneously, learn and be surprised by them.

Author: Armandia de Carvalho 

Download the activity ‘Discovering numbers with real life objects’  

Geometry in everyday life  

Age category: 11–13 years 

byMALENS / Pexels 

Pupils aged 11–13 discovered how geometry shapes the buildings around them. After a guided photo walk of local architecture, they pinpointed lines of symmetry, identify two and threedimensional shapes and recorded its dimensions for later calculations. 

Back in class, teams annotated their images, compute area, perimeter and volume, then built simple physical or digital 3D models that mirrored the originals. By linking each model to QRcoded analyses, they curated a mini ‘Mathematics in architecture’ exhibition that blended mathematical reasoning with creativity, technology and collaborative presentation skills. 

Creating this activity helped me improve my teaching skills and  motivated me to further encourage student engagement.  

Author: Danica Utješinović 

Download the activity ‘Geometry in everyday life’  

Measuring environmental change through maths 

Age category: 12–13 years  

Kaboompics.com / Pexels 

This activity helps 12–13-year-old pupils apply positive and negative numbers to real environmental issues like melting ice and recycling. They explored data through an experiment, Google Earth visuals and group tracking of recyclable materials, connecting maths to real-world changes. 

Enriched with artificial intelligence (AI) suggestions, the lesson included hands-on, digital and creative tasks like infographics or a short reflective text. It makes mathematics meaningful by showing how numbers help us understand and respond to climate challenges. 

Creating this activity showed me how climate data can speak to all students − when mathematics becomes a bridge, not a barrier. 

Author: Efi Xouveroudi 

Download the activity ‘Measuring environmental change through maths’ 

Measuring the world with Google Earth 

Age category: 14–16 years  

Pixabay / Pexels 

This learning activity invited 14–15-year-old pupils use Google Earth to apply key mathematical concepts such as distance, perimeter, area and coordinates in a real-world context. They measured distances between familiar places, convert between units (e.g. kilometres to miles) and explored global locations using digital tools. 

The activity also encouraged interdisciplinary thinking by connecting maths with geography, history and environmental awareness. Pupils investigated famous landmarks, analysed their geographic and cultural contexts and observed how landscapes change over time, making mathematics meaningful, practical and engaging. 

Creating this activity broadened my teaching strategies and reinforced the value of interdisciplinary learning. As I am not a Maths teacher, designing and scheduling this activity made me think and plan from a different point of view − a simple, structured activity for 14–15-year-olds. It encouraged me to combine knowledge from different disciplines, consult ChatGPT and consider what is age-appropriate as if I were a student myself − an admittedly difficult task. This helped show how Maths is interconnected with fields like Geography, Geology, ICT and Technology. It inspired me to plan a future STEM activity for classroom implementation, even though I now know I won’t be at the same school where I originally envisioned it.

Author: Eirni Anastasiadou 

Download the activity ‘Measuring the world with Google Earth’  

Exploring randomness through maths and coding 

Age category: 16+ years 

ClickerHappy / Pexels 

This learning activity challenged16–17-year-old students to uncover the mathematical foundations behind randomness in digital systems they interact with daily. Through hands-on coding and simulations, pupils explored how pseudo-random number generators (PRNG) work, implemented models like the linear congruential generator and compared their performance with built-in random functions. By simulating events such as dice rolls or loot drops, pupils learned how mathematical algorithms shape outcomes in games and other software, making abstract concepts like probability and randomness both tangible and relevant. 

Pupils designed their own randomness-based systems and reflected on the fairness, predictability and real-world impact of these systems. This approach helped pupils to see mathematics as not just a theoretical subject, but as a powerful tool for understanding and shaping the digital world around them. 

This activity was designed to raise awareness that mathematical models can be hidden in places you’d never expect. These models can be fascinating and engaging because they help us make sense of the world around us, including the fun parts.

Author: Luca Amata 

Download the activity ‘Exploring randomness through maths and coding’