If your child has ever declared they’re “just not a maths person,” St Raphael’s School in Parkside has an event that might just change their mind, and yours too.
On Thursday 11 June, the school is hosting The Amazing Maths Race, a free community evening where families race around the school solving hands-on challenges together. It’s fun, it’s free, and it’s open to all Adelaide families with children from toddler age to Year 6, no enrolment at the school required.
What happens on the night?
Across six themed stations, children and their parents or carers work as a team to tackle activities built around measurement, geometry, probability, data, patterns and problem-solving. These aren’t abstract textbook exercises. They’re designed to reflect the kind of maths families use in everyday life, when cooking dinner, planning a trip, working out how much something costs, or figuring out the rules of a game.
The night runs from 6:30pm to 8:00pm, and at the end every family takes home a Maths in Action booklet packed with ideas for keeping the learning going at home. There are also maths-themed prizes up for grabs.
Why does it matter?
The Amazing Maths Race is part of The Maths Movement, a broader initiative running at St Raphael’s that challenges the belief that mathematical ability is something you either have or you don’t. The program is designed to build confidence in both children and the adults supporting them, because parents and carers who feel uncertain about maths can often, without meaning to, pass that anxiety on.
“The Maths Movement is about helping children and families see that maths is everywhere,” says Principal Emma Fowler. “When people experience maths through real-life situations, through movement, problem-solving, teamwork and play, they begin to understand that everyone can develop confidence with numeracy.”
The event is particularly welcoming for families who have struggled with maths themselves. You don’t need to know the answers. You just need to show up.
How to register
The Amazing Maths Race is free and open to the whole Adelaide community. Registrations are open now via the St Raphael’s School website.
The Amazing Maths Race
Date: Thursday 11 June 2026 | 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Location: St Raphael’s School, 114 Glen Osmond Road, Parkside Free entry | Toddlers to Year 6
Register: www.raph.catholic.edu.au
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