Play and Mathematics in Five Days
First Edition of the Mathematics Camp

Organised by the Talentum Reformed School in partnership with the hypha_etc Association, invited 9–11-year-old students to experience mathematics as discovery, play, and creative thinking.

Through hands-on activities and carefully designed challenges, participants explored patterns, rules, and relationships that form the foundation of mathematical reasoning. Working with physical tools and collaborating in small groups, students were introduced to the basics of logic and set theory in an age-appropriate, engaging way.

Learning continued beyond structured sessions through strategy board games, where children could recognise and apply the ideas explored earlier in the day. The camp concluded with a creative highlight: students designed their own board games, transforming newly learned rules and patterns into original creations.

This first edition welcomed 15 students, including five children from neighbouring communities, who participated through community-supported places made accessible by hypha_etc.

Building on the enthusiasm and experiences of this first edition, the Mathematics Camp is envisioned as a growing programme, with future editions continuing to make mathematical thinking engaging, accessible, and joyful for young learners.

Concept and organizing team:

Zsuzsa Dályay, mathematician, psychologist, Budapest

Kata Tordai-Soós, chemistry and physics teacher, Cluj-Napoca

Judit Zágoni, mathematics teacher, Cluj-Napoca

Child coordinator: Anna Geréb, teacher, Cluj-Napoca