Mathsy Gifts


Searching for mathsy gifts? A quick look around the internet shows that there are hundreds of great ideas. In the UK, websites like Etsy, Zazzle, Red Bubble and Maths Gear are full of brilliant presents for maths teachers and their families. This page lists a small selection to inspire you. I've included gifts for children, gifts for the home, mathematical fashion, books and stationery.

Gifts for Children
If (like me) you're trying to turn your children into mini-mathematicians, or if you're buying a gift for a teacher who is having a baby, you'll love this selection of presents for kids.

@El_Timbre tweeted a link to this beautiful wood puzzle 'My First Number Sets'. I love this! 
My First Number Sets - Nausicaa Distribution on Etsy.

The seller is a very creative lover of maths and statistics and her shop is full of awesome stuff. Normal distribution plushies, ABCs of statistics burp cloths, a p-value cross-stitch kit, an Euler's Identity coffee cosy, box plot bookends... I want to buy it all!

For babies there's lots of cute mathsy onesies, and how about these books: Non-Euclidean Geometry for Babies and Introductory Calculus for Infants! (I bought the latter for my daughter, I admit it's not great, but it's a cute gift idea!).
If you're looking for educational gifts for children then you might like Flag Maths, Plyt and Math Mat. I love this Geometric Rainbow Shape Sorter - my daughter will be getting this for Christmas!
Gifts for the home
Give your house a mathematical makeover!

Maths clocks have been very popular lately. The clock pictured here seems to be the most common, but the number 9 bothers me because it's not exact. I have a similar maths clock in my kitchen - it's a great talking point for guests. I also have a giant whiteboard in my kitchen which I intended to fill with genius mathematical theorems, but it's ended up as a huge, overwhelming to-do list!
There's loads of maths mugs (like this Putting the Fun in Functions Travel Mug), but let's look at some more creative ideas for your kitchen. I love this Pi bottle opener! This Pi engraved chopping board is a work of art - it's such a shame that it's currently unavailable to buy (watch this space!).
This mathematical chopping board from mathsgear.co.uk is perfect for a chef who likes precision.
Other mathsy bits and pieces for your kitchen include maths equation tumblers, a pi cookie cutter and a mobius strip mug.

Look at this awesome equation bookshelf! Perfect to go on a wall decorated with a math wall decal.
  
And here's something else for your wall: a Minimal Math Concepts canvas or framed print from artflakes.com.
And these Romantic Geek Art on vintage book pages are lovely.
Shapeways sells beautiful mathematical art. I like this Mobius NautilusPi Pen Holder and Klein Bottle Opener.
I also really like the style of this geometrical art from JazzberryBlue.
How about a Math in Black cushion?
Or perhaps go one step further with a mathematical duvet cover!

Fashion
Dress the part!

There's loads of maths and science ties and t-shirts on websites like Zazzle and spreadshirt.co.uk. There's also wonderful maths cufflinks from websites like Etsy.
If you're a smartly dressed man who wears pocket handkerchiefs, how about one with a graph paper pattern? You can get a graph paper tie too.
Women might like this maths bag, this Pi scarf and these infinity earrings. There's lots of cool maths jewellery on Cafe Press and Etsy. This binary dress is lovely!

Is anyone brave enough to wear a Fibonacci dress?
How about a maths watch? Or, if you've got a lot of money to spend, there's a beautiful Mobius Sterling Silver bangle for £575.
Books and DVDs
There are loads of brilliant books that maths teachers would want to receive for a present - a good starting point is this list of recommendations from Simon Singh.

Maths in Minutes makes a great gift, as does 50 Mathematical Ideas You Really Need to Know.

These mathematical books from Wooden Books look rather nice, and Maths Jokes 4 Mathy Folks is also a good idea for a present.

In the same way an English teacher might want a first edition of a classic novel, a maths teacher might want Classic Maths Textbooks which are available to buy on Amazon.

All the Alex Bellos books are worth a read so should be on your Christmas list if you haven't already read them! Alex also has a couple of lovely colouring books, including Patterns of the Universe: A Coloring Adventure in Math and Beauty.

I'm going to see Festival of the Spoken Nerd soon - I can't wait! They have a great collection of merchandise on their website and their prices are all multiples of Pi. Their Full Frontal Nerdity DVD is great entertainment for maths teachers.
Stationery
We all love pretty stationery. Look at this fantastic personalised planner! And if you have an iPad then you might like a mathematical iPad cover.

You can never have too many notebooks! There's a large selection on Red Bubble.
This can all be wrapped up in symmetrical wrapping paper.

Oh, and don't forget the crackers!

Happy shopping!







3 comments:

  1. I've written a follow-up post here: http://www.resourceaholic.com/2016/07/mathsgifts2.html

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  2. Great selection! I've been trying to build up a good resource at getgiftsforgeeks.com/maths-geeks/ but I still haven't put together nearly as good a variety as you have here!

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