Be a House Hunter for Area!

Here's a hands-on activity you can do with your fourth-grader to directly apply the concept of area to the place she knows best – her house. In addition, it is a good review of measurement because she must use a measuring tape to measure each room. Challenge your child to guess the largest and smallest rooms of the house – she might be surprised at how big her room really is!

What You Need:

• measuring tape

• paper/pencil
• clipboard (optional)
   

What You Do:

Step 1:
Begin by taking a walk around the house and asking your child to take some guesses. Which room does she think has the smallest area? Which has the largest area? Which bedroom has the smallest area? Which bathroom has the smallest area?

Step 2:
Explain to your fourth-grader that she will be measuring each room in the house to check if she guessed correctly. Offer a small prize depending on how many of her guesses are correct.

Step 3:
Give her a sheet of paper and ask her to write the following on the top:
A = L x W (Area = Length x Width)
12 inches = 1 foot

Explain to your child:

• How to use a measuring tape and record measurements
• That the length of the room is the measurement of the longer side.
• That the width of the room is the measurement of the shorter side.

Step 4:
Set her loose to roam the house, measuring and recording the length and width of each room.

Step 5:
When she’s finished, help your fourth-grader find the area of each room by multiplying the length and width. Point out that the area is reported in square feet. Compare the results with her guesses. Hopefully, she has earned a prize. If not, a small “participation” prize for her effort will keep her motivated to learn more!

Extension Activity:

As an extension of this activity, have your child measure and cut out 12 inch by 12 inch squares from construction paper. Explain that the square represents one square foot. If a room is 168 square feet, you would be able to fit exactly 168 of the squares on the floor.