Fun at Home with Preschoolers: Let’s Measure!

Your preschool-age child hears you talk about miles, inches, pounds, liters, acres, and minutes. They see you measuring things. They may wonder how tall they are or how long they can stand on one foot. Here are some home activities that can help your child learn basic measurement concepts.

Use the language of measurement.

Introduce your child to words such as weight, balance, size, full yards, area.
Ask them to compare: “Which board is widest?” “Whose boots are heavier? Yours or Dad’s?”
Help them ask questions about measurement: “You could ask Grandpa what he measures at work.” “Let’s find out if your lunchbox holds more stuff than mine.”

Show your child how to use measurement in family routines.

Let your child give pets a set amount of food or water each day.
They can use teaspoons and measuring cups when you cook together.
They can learn to check a rain gauge or thermometer and tell you the results.
Your child can help fill trash bags and recycle bins. You might help them weigh the trash or recycling each week and use a calendar to keep track of how much your family throws out or recycles.
They can have a daily schedule for giving garden plants a set amount of water.

Play games together that use measuring skills.

Join your child in games that involve being aware of distances, such as tag, beanbag toss, and hopscotch. Pathway games such as Candyland also involve distances.
Let them use a timer during games to practice measuring time.

Let your child play with nesting toys, interlocking blocks, geoboards, clay, stacking toys, and fabric squares.
Offer your child measuring tools such as a ruler, eye dropper, balance, or clock, for study or play. Provide clear tubes and containers for sand and water play. Always supervise young children around water.
Help your child use nonstandard items such as hands, thick string, shoes, or floor tiles, to describe the size of things around them. “This table is 5 tiles long.”
Invite your child to guess the weight of toys, checking them on a scale. Help them make a chart of results.
Make a quilt with your child, or let them help you build a model, a birdhouse, or other small construction project.

fun-measure-en

PDF