Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Cognitive Development (CD)

Subdomain: Mathematical Thinking and Expression

Goal: Children compare, sort, group, organize and measure objects and create patterns in their everyday environment.

Skill Progression: Measuring

Age: 48-54 Months

Click here to go to all skills for ages 48-54 Months.

Have a dramatic play area for travel set up. Have a variety of different suitcases, clothing for different weather (coats, bathing suits, flip flops, boots, etc.). Have other travel materials as well (brush, comb, toothbrush, tooth paste, etc.). Plan for 3-4 children to play at a time. Have travel brochures and “tickets” to sell them. Have different sizes of suitcases, clothing, etc. Have a bathroom scale to set the bags on.

Talk about the sizes of the suitcases and which ones will hold the most clothing. Talk about the weight of the bags, and how planes won’t let you check a bag if it is too heavy.

Children sequence the bags by size (height, width, area) and know which is heavier by lifting them.

Incorporate measuring into dramatic play as often as possible. Have a scale for weighing, a ruler (just inch numbers) for measuring, a toy clock, etc. as part of the dramatic play area and block area.