Did you know that long time ago, people measured things without a ruler? Yes, they did! How can cavemen measure anything without a ruler or a metre stick? Well, you are about to find out how.
People used everyday objects to measure stuff. They used their spoon to measure their fabric or their spears. They used their hand to measure how tall their child grew, or how wide their animal hide had to be. They used a stick to measure their tents.
And they used their foot to measure how far or large their land was.
That was how the 12-inch ruler was called a foot. People actually used their foot!
Wait a minute. My foot is bigger than yours. And your dad’s foot is bigger than mine.
Well, that is why they invented a ruler. So that a foot would be the same size. Or your 5-foot rubber duckie would be smaller than my 5-foot rubber duckie.
Let’s measure like a caveman.
Grab a spoon. Any spoon will do (but a wooden spoon would be realistic). Use it to measure these objects in your home.
- How long is your couch? _______ spoons
- How wide is your chair? _______ spoons
- How tall is your lamp? _______ spoons
- How wide is your computer? _______ spoons
- How long is your pet? _______ spoons
- How wide is your bed? _______ spoons
- How wide is your desk? _______ spoons
- How long is your pencil? _______ spoons
- How long are your jeans? _______ spoons
- How long is your bathtub? _______ spoons
Write them down like a pro and show them to us. We can’t wait to see your answers.