On Saturday, March 7th, Mathhappens Foundation had the joy of participating in the Lauderdale Science Festival, hosted by the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The day was filled with exciting events, hands-on activities, and a vibrant mix of partners from across the community, all coming together to celebrate science, learning, and discovery. Staff at the event included Jordan Varat and Lauren Siegel from MathHappens Austin office along with some help from local residents Julian Curtis and Jonathan Somerville.

At our booth, we brought our Mathhappens Versatile Garden along with a curated selection of materials you would find in a Mathhappens Math Room including Geometiles, our Butterfly Puzzle, and Bubble Tiles! Families were invited to explore patterns, puzzles, shapes, and open-ended mathematical play in a low pressure and welcoming environment. Throughout the day, we watched children and adults alike dive into the materials. All ages engaged in building, experimenting, asking questions, and discovering that math can be playful, creative, and deeply engaging.

One of the most inspiring parts of the day was seeing families of all kinds come together around these experiences. Parents, grandparents, and children collaborated on challenges, shared moments of curiosity, and discovered new ways to think about mathematics together. These kinds of interactions are exactly why we love bringing math into public spaces. When math is experienced through exploration and play, it becomes something everyone can enjoy.

We are grateful to the Museum of Discovery and Science and the Lauderdale Science Festival organizers for creating such a dynamic and welcoming event. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the Fort Lauderdale community and to share the spirit of Mathhappens with new families.

Experiences like this remind us how powerful it can be to bring mathematics beyond the classroom and into places where families naturally gather. We look forward to continuing this work in public spaces and hope that we might create a more permanent opportunity in Fort Lauderdale for local families to return to in the future to explore, play, and discover the joy of mathematics.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to build, puzzle, experiment, and play with us! At Mathhappens Foundation, we believe math truly happens everywhere, and this event in Fort Lauderdale was a great example of that.