Measure Me

Little levels (ages 4 to 6)

1. Longer or shorter? Tap the longer or shorter snake, pencil or ribbon.
2. Measure with blocks Lay blocks end to end under a pencil, a worm and a ribbon.
3. Shortest to tallest Tap flowers in order of height.
4. Taller or shorter than Max? A giraffe, a cat, a door and a mushroom next to a kid.
5. Which holds more? Pick the jar or bowl that holds more, then pour cups to check.

Big levels (ages 7 to 9)

1. Use a ruler Read lengths in centimeters, then inches.
2. Start at zero! Things placed at 3 or 2 on the ruler: find the real length.
3. Perimeter walk Add the sides of a playground, then a square.
4. Estimate, then measure Guess a line's length in blocks, then measure it.
5. Area with tiles Cover a 4 by 3 rug and a 5 by 2 rug with tiles and count.

The big ideas

• Compare from the same starting line. Two things can only be compared fairly when they start at the same place. Then the one that reaches further is longer.

• Measuring is counting units. Blocks laid end to end with no gaps tell you how long something is in blocks. A ruler is just blocks that are all the same size, with numbers printed on.

• Start at zero. On a ruler the length is the difference between the start and the end. If something starts at 3 and ends at 10, it is 7 long, not 10.

• Tall is not always more. How much a container holds depends on its width as well as its height. Pouring cups is the way to find out.

• Perimeter goes around; area covers. Perimeter is the distance all the way around the edge. Area is how many squares it takes to cover the inside: rows times columns.

Try it at home

1. Foot ruler Measure a room in footsteps, heel to toe. Does a grown-up get the same number? Why not?
2. Block measuring Measure a book, a shoe and a spoon with building blocks or paper clips. Order them from shortest to longest.
3. Pouring test Pick a tall glass and a wide bowl. Guess which holds more, then fill each with a small cup and count.
4. Walk the perimeter Walk around the edge of a rug or a table counting steps. Then cover the rug with sheets of paper and count the area.

Ask after playing

• If a crayon starts at 2 on the ruler and ends at 9, how long is it?
• Why did the wide bowl hold more than the tall glass?
• What is the difference between perimeter and area?