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How to teach kids measurement through fun activities

by MS Meenakshi

November 10th 2022, 3:02 pm

Measurement is an important math concept everyone needs to know. Children learn standard measuring concepts at school. Since new concepts are introduced at every grade level, your child needs to understand foundational concepts clearly. Mastering basics is necessary to go on to the next level.

 

There are varieties of measurement units that could be challenging. But it is a skill your child will have to use throughout life. You can ease their learning process by injecting some fun into it. To pique your child’s interest, it might be best to introduce them to non-standard units of measurement first.

 

If you are wondering what standard and nonstandard units of measurement are, let us tell you!

 

Standard and non-standard units of measurement

Standard measurement units include those we traditionally use to measure something, such as inches, feet, yards, and so on. Nonstandard units of measurement are informal methods of measuring something. Suppose you want to measure something, but no tool is available; you can use commonly available materials to create new measuring methods. For instance, you can use sticks to measure the length of a table or someone’s height.1

 

Try the measurement activities suggested below to make the learning process entertaining.


Fun Measurement Activities

 

Measure with nature

 

Go for an evening walk, or take your child on a picnic someday. Bring a small ruler with you, and challenge your child to measure anything that interests them. It could be the length of leaves, sticks, or small plants. You could also ask them to arrange sticks by height after measuring them. Such outdoor activities can help provide your child with a gamified opportunity to learn measuring.

 

Tag them along while cooking

Ask your child to accompany you while you cook. You can teach them to measure using cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons. Allow them to follow an easy recipe and practice it on their own. Finally, treat them to the delicious food you made as a result. This can help instill a sense of excitement in them and encourage them to look forward to future learning and cooking sessions.

 

Let the measuring tape be their best friend

 

If your child is old enough to learn concepts like circumference, perimeter, and area, give your child a measuring tape!  They could use it to measure the circumference of a tree, dinner plates, the length of their beds, and other furniture around the house. Challenge your child to find household items to measure.


Use candy to measure 

Give your child a handful of their favorite candy, but before eating them, you can ask them to measure household items using candy and record the data. They can surround any object, like a fishbowl, with candy and find its perimeter, for example. Now ask them to find something else to measure and compare the results. 

 

Children, as well as us, measure things daily without even realizing it is happening. So why not try those consciously with your child? This can help pique their interest and encourage them to learn more about measurement. The next time they are in a measurement math class in school, they might pay closer attention and be more inclined to engage in hands-on activities, and practice learned concepts.



Head to byjuslearning.com to learn more about our Active Learning approach to Math, Language, and Reading for children between Pre-K and Grade 3.  
 

Source

1:Standard & Nonstandard Measurements | Units, Instruments & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com





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