Area and perimeter

Ages 9 to 12 Read alone or together · about 30 minutes

Read together

The perimeter of a shape is the distance around its edge. The area is the space inside.

For a rectangle, perimeter is the sum of all four sides. Area is length times width.

A rectangle 5 cm long and 3 cm wide has a perimeter of 16 cm and an area of 15 square centimetres.

Do it

1. Draw a rectangle on squared paper, 5 squares by 3 squares. Count the squares inside (area). Count the edge lengths (perimeter).
2. Draw three more rectangles with the same area of 12 squares but different shapes. Are their perimeters the same?
3. Measure your room or a rug with a tape measure or by steps. Find its area and perimeter.
4. Plan a garden bed with 20 metres of fence. Which rectangle gives the biggest area?

Talk about it

• Can two shapes have the same area but different perimeters?
• Which units do we use for each?

For the grown-up

Perimeter is measured in length units (cm, m). Area is measured in square units (cm², m²). Children often mix them up, so use real objects and squared paper.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

This is a play and practice activity with no factual claims to source.

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.