Year 3 Measurements Activities

Master Measurement with Eight Hands-On Year 3 Maths Activities

Transform your Year 3 Maths lessons with this comprehensive resource featuring eight engaging activities that develop measurement skills in length, mass, and capacity through practical, hands-on exploration and problem-solving.

Eight Complete Activities Included:

1. Measuring My Finger: Start small with precise measurement! Children measure fingers using millimetres and centimetres, developing accuracy with rulers and understanding the relationship between different units of length
2. Weighing Playdough: Get hands-on with mass! Create playdough balls and weigh them using grams and kilograms, exploring estimation, comparison, and the practical use of scales
3. Potion Challenge: Mix up measurement magic! Measure and combine liquids to create 'potions,' developing understanding of capacity using millilitres and litres while practicing accurate measuring
4. 10 Cm Challenge: Develop estimation skills through a fun challenge! Find and measure objects that are exactly (or close to) 10 centimetres long, building measurement sense and accuracy
5. Measurements Scavenger Hunt: Turn measurement into an adventure! Hunt for objects of specific lengths, masses, or capacities around the classroom or school, making measurement active and engaging
6. Perimeter Investigation: Explore the distance around shapes! Measure and calculate perimeters of different objects and shapes, understanding this important measurement concept through practical investigation
7. Measurement Story Problems: Apply measurement skills to real-world scenarios! Solve word problems involving length, mass, and capacity, developing reasoning and problem-solving abilities
8. Identify Units of Measure: Master measurement vocabulary! Learn when to use millimetres, centimetres, metres, kilometres, grams, kilograms, millilitres, and litres—choosing appropriate units for different measuring tasks

Why Teachers Choose This Resource:

• Curriculum-Aligned: Fully supports Year 3 Maths objectives for measurement in the National Curriculum of England
• Hands-On Learning: Practical activities that make abstract measurement concepts concrete and memorable
• Ready to Use: Complete lesson plans with learning objectives, equipment lists, and step-by-step instructions
• Develops Multiple Skills: Builds measuring accuracy, estimation, unit conversion, and problem-solving abilities
• Engaging Activities: Challenges, hunts, and investigations that keep children motivated and active
• Real-World Application: Activities connect measurement to everyday situations and practical uses
• Differentiation Built-In: Activities easily adapted for different abilities within Year 3

Perfect For:

• Year 3 Maths measurement lessons
• Key Stage 2 measurement teaching
• Homeschool maths curriculum
• Building practical measurement skills
• Developing estimation and accuracy
• Applying maths to real-world contexts

Learning Outcomes:

Through these activities, children will measure, compare, add and subtract lengths (m/cm/mm), mass (kg/g), and volume/capacity (l/ml), measure the perimeter of simple 2D shapes, continue to measure using appropriate tools and units, solve problems involving measurement, and understand the relationship between different units of measure.

What Makes This Resource Special:

Measurement is everywhere in daily life, yet it can seem abstract when taught only through worksheets. These hands-on activities transform measurement from numbers on a page into practical skills children can see, touch, and use. By weighing playdough, mixing potions, and hunting for objects, children develop genuine measurement sense alongside technical accuracy.

Building Measurement Confidence:

Understanding measurement requires more than memorizing conversions—it requires developing a feel for how big a centimetre is, how heavy a kilogram feels, and how much a litre holds. These practical activities build that intuitive understanding, helping children become confident measurers who can estimate sensibly and measure accurately.

Real-World Relevance:

From cooking to construction, measurement skills are essential in countless real-world situations. By connecting measurement to practical challenges and everyday contexts, these activities help children understand why measurement matters and how they'll use these skills throughout their lives.

Make measurement meaningful! These engaging activities help Year 3 students master length, mass, and capacity through hands-on exploration, practical challenges, and real-world problem-solving that builds both technical skills and genuine measurement understanding—creating confident, capable measurers ready for future maths success.