File Folder Measurement Games

Giraffe Necks

• Using an animal the children find interesting helps excite them about a project. Cut out two sets of pictures of giraffes of different neck lengths. It is a good idea to laminate the two sets of pictures for continued use. After you cut the pieces out, glue one set of giraffes to the inside of the file folder and leave one set loose. Glue small sections of Velcro to the giraffes on the folder and onto the back of the loose giraffes. The students will place the loose giraffes on the corresponding sizes in the folder.

Nests in a Tree

• Attaching yarn to pictures for a file folder game not only helps keep the pieces with the appropriate folder, but also helps to teach lengths. Glue a tree to the inside of the folder that has a long trunk and big bushy leaves. Laminate five little bird nests and attach five different lengths of yarn to the bird nests. Glue small pieces of Velcro to the leaves of the tree in equal length as the yarn. Then glue Velcro to the backs of the nests. The children will learn which piece of yarn is long enough to reach which nest's spot on the tree.

Counting Measures

• Using different-size pictures of rulers and corresponding pictures of fruit, the children can learn measuring while learning how to count. Glue up to 10 different lengths of pictures of rulers onto the file folder in random order. Then glue one side with small pieces of Velcro at the ends of the rulers. Laminate pictures of various fruits or animals in amounts corresponding to the lengths of the rulers. If a ruler is 3 inches long, the corresponding picture of apples will have three apples. Glue the connecting Velcro to the back of the pictures for easy adhesion to the folder.

Shapes and Measurements

• Children learn easily with visual stimulation. Using shapes to count a measurement helps the child learn how things fit together and how to measure lengths as well as recognize shapes. Cut out and laminate several pictures of various shapes of all the same color and size for each shape type; e.g., red circles and blue squares. Glue pictures of various sizes of people onto the inside of the file folder, with enough space between each for the shapes to be stacked next to the person. An example is Mary is four squares tall.