Measure Up Players search the area to find items matching a selected measurement. Winning items are the closest to the predetermined measurement. Age Range: 6 to 12 Skills Used: measuring length, estimation Number of Players: 2 to 10 Noise Level: moderate to high Activity Level: moderate to high Materials: cards with measurement terms,
die, timer, ruler, yard and/or meter stick, tape measure, graduated cylinders, kitchen scale
Setup Make one copy of the Measure Up record sheet and several copies of the provided Measure Up cards. Make these two-sided cards by writing a measurement term such as inch, foot, liter, ounce, and so on on the front of the card. Write all linear measurements in one color, volume measurements in another color, and mass measurements in a third color. Different colors or underlining can be used to differentiate metric and standard measurement terms. On the back of each card, list the numbers 1 through 6. After each number, write a measurement amount for that unit or term that is age appropriate for the players to find. For example, the front side of the card might have “ounces” written on it. The list side of the card for an 8- or 9-year-old could show: 1 ounce, 6 ounces, 8 ounces, 16 ounces, 18 ounces, and 24 ounces in the spaces marked 1 to 6.
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How to Play A game director is chosen. This person is in charge of the cards, the timer, the record sheet, and verifying measurements. The game director fans the cards out and offers them to the first player. That player draws a measurement card and reads the unit of measure to all the players. The next player rolls the die. The player with the card reads the amount on the back of the card that corresponds to the number on the die. (Using the setup example, the first player would announce, “Ounces.” If the second player rolled a 4, “16 ounces” would be said.) The game director sets the timer for three minutes. All the players hunt around the area to find an item that matches the measurement—in this example something that would equal 16 ounces. The item is taken to the game director and the player measures the item. The player’s name, the object, and the measurements are recorded. When the timer goes off or all students have found and measured their items, the player who found the item closest to the predetermined measurement wins.
101 Great Classroom Games