As a Experience Early Learning (EEL) Blogger, I receive the EEL Preschool Curriculum in exchange for my honest opinions and authentic stories about our experiences using the curriculum. All opinions and thoughts are completely my own .
Non-standard measurement is when you measure items with objects rather than a measurement tool like a ruler. It’s a fantastic way to get children to start making predictions, learn how to line objects up from edge to edge, and to just have fun with math! You can use anything: paper clips, bear counters, kids hopping, or even feathers!
Creating a sense of wonder in mathematics allows children to fall in love with math. I loved this activity that came in our Bird Body Daily Discovery bag from Experience Early Learning (EEL).
“I wonder what is about as long as this feather?” is the first thing I asked my girl. She proceeded to take her feather and measure all sorts of objects and when she found one, she was so excited to show me.
EEL sent us a colored worksheet to make predictions along with the actual measurements, and a bog of feathers in a variety of colors that were about the same length.
How do you get a 2 year old to help out in this? You give him the feathers. My kindergartener would ask her brother for a feather which he would give so she could measure. I had to coach her a little on lining the feathers up end to end along the length of an object.
When it came to measuring a child, I knew my 2 year old would not lay down to let his sister measure him. So, I had him and I measure her! He liked placing the feathers down while I made sure they were end to end.
My girl is 10 feathers long! Good thing she wasn’t any longer because these are all the feathers we had in our bag from Experience Early Learning.
One thing I learned from this lesson: I need to get some house plants, lol!
Check out this post on using blocks to measure from a few years back! Awe, memories….
Now go have fun creating wonder and memories with your kiddos!
