Family and Homeschool Activities: Nonstandard Measurement

These family and homeschool activities are designed to complement the Nonstandard Measurement topic on BrainPOP Jr.

Measurement I Spy

Play an I Spy game with your child where they have to guess an object based on a clue about how you would measure it. For example, if the object is small, such as a cup, your clue might say that you can measure its height with paper clips. If the object is big, like table, you might say that you can measure it with books.

Which Way to Measure?

As you take a walk around the neighborhood, invite your child to think of nonstandard units they might use to measure the length, width, or height, of what they see. For example, a building, a bicycle, or a bird at the park. Which unit is most appropriate for each thing they see? As an extension, ask children about standard units to measure length. Which would be best to measure the bird or the bicycle?   

A Tale of Two Spoons

Instruct your child to put ten spoonfuls of water into a measuring cup. Give your child a soup spoon or tablespoon to use. How much water is in the measuring cup? Record the answer. Then give your child a serving spoon to use. How much water is in the measuring cup? Record the answer and compare it with the first measurement your child took. Discuss with your child why using the same unit of measure consistently is essential when measuring something.