The number we call π has a long and varied history. In this article we look at its early origins, using Egyptian, Babylonian and Greek sources from more than two thousand years ago. These sources offer wonderful opportunities to introduce meaning and value in a first grade class, even without the need for a decimal point (but if you want to, of course, use the calculator). We take up the challenge of getting as close as possible to π with folding sheets in the first instance. The last part of this article is no longer suitable for lower grades, but is better kept until a slightly higher year.