Bubble Tiles
A hands-on activity inspired by art and geometry.
Bubble Tiles are a MathHappens–designed math material, created to invite playful exploration of pattern, symmetry, and spatial reasoning. Inspired by circular patterns found in the work of Japanese artist Hokusai, the tiles translate these ideas into a physical, open-ended math play.
The Tiles
Each tile is based on a circle made from six 60° arcs. You can invert each arc or not, creating a set of 13 unique tiles that connect in rich, surprising ways. Take a look at how we've chosen to arrange the tiles below. What do you notice? What do you wonder?
The One of Each Frame
To complement the Bubble Tiles, we created a frame that can be filled with one of each Bubble Tile. This challenge has turned out to be a MathHappens favorite across the world. This challenge has captivated young children, grandparents, and professional mathematicians alike! Below are a few ways participants have completed the One of Each frame. Can you find a solution not pictured here?
Bubble Tiles for Your Space
Want to dig deeper? We've made a booklet (downloadable PDF) that includes background, challenges, and classroom-ready prompts that extend this activity.
If you are part of a museum, science center, math club, math festival, or other outreach program in the United States and think a set of Bubble Tiles will support your mission - tell us a bit about your context and we’ll follow up.