Math Kangaroo: Where Numbers Start Jumping! 🦘 @ ROCO

Parents, do you ever wonder what happens when your kid meets math problems that don’t look like boring worksheets? Welcome to Math Kangaroo International, the annual competition where math becomes a puzzle, a game, and sometimes even a brain-twister that makes you secretly want to grab a pencil too.

We’re especially proud because ROCO became a Math Kangaroo Testing Center in Fall 2022, and 2026 will mark the fourth year our kids can participate in the Math Kangaroo contest right here at our community center!

• 📌 Competition Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026

• Regular registration: Sept 15 – Dec 31, 2025; Late registration: through Feb 1, 2026.

• Invitation Code: ROCOCHICAGO@2026math (Due to the space limitation, the seats at ROCO are reserved for our Romanian Community. Please don't use the code for the convenience of the location, as we reserve the right to cancel the registration.)

What is Math Kangaroo?

Math Kangaroo is an annual international mathematical competition for thousands of students in grades 1-12. Math Kangaroo's focus is on improving students' math scores and teaching them new strategies for solving word and logic problems, helping them with critical thinking and gaining confidence in the classroom. The contest was started in Australia in 1980 and was brought to Chicago in 1998. Held as an in-person exam every year since 1998, it grew to 31,837 participants in 2019. Due to Covid, it has also been offered online, and in 2020, the numbers climbed to 35,171 participants.  In 2025 a record of 53,562 students participated in this contest. To learn more about this competition at the Math Kangaroo's website.

🦘 Why Your Child Should Join Math Kangaroo

✨ Confidence boost – Kids discover they can solve tricky problems, even when they look intimidating at first. (Math muscles = stronger than spinach muscles 💪).

✨ Creative problem-solving – This isn’t drill-and-kill math. It’s thinking outside the box, zig-zagging like, well… a kangaroo.

✨ Global experience – Your child competes alongside students from more than 70 countries. (Bragging rights unlocked 🏆).

✨ Fun practice – Preparing for Math Kangaroo feels more like solving puzzles and riddles than doing homework. (Shhh, don’t tell the kids it’s “practice”).

✨ Prizes and recognition – Sure, there are awards, but the real reward is seeing your child light up when a tough problem finally clicks.

Testing Facility Info

• Please arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the test
• Parents will NOT be able to wait/spend time at the center
• Parking is free and available

🌟 Celebrating Our 2025 Winners

Our students shined in the Math Kangaroo 2025 competition:
🥇 Stefan D. – 1st in state (Grade 10), discovered his passion and exceptional talent for mathematics through the Math Kangaroo competition.
🥈 Dan H. – 2nd in state (Grade 12), a Math Kangaroo veteran since 1st grade! 
🌟 Marc R. – 6th in state (Grade 7), started Math Kangaroo right here at ROCO.

👏 Congratulations to all our previous years' participants — your hard work and dedication make our community proud! 

📖 Want to learn more about these students’ math accomplishments and activities? Check out our full blog post here.

So, why not let your child take the leap? Register for Math Kangaroo 2026 at ROCO, and give them a chance to see that math isn’t just numbers on a page — it’s an adventure worth jumping into! 🐇➡️🦘