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Long and Short Measuring Hunt: Free Printable Worksheet for Reception
- ForReception
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Long and Short Measuring Hunt is a free printable maths worksheet for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Children hunt for things that are longer than, shorter than and the same length as a pencil. They then compare with their own hand and foot, and look for the longest and shortest things they can find. It takes about 10 minutes and needs only a pencil.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children use a checklist and tick off each find. They hunt for something longer than, shorter than and the same length as their pencil. Then they use their own hand and foot as a measure. At the end they look for the longest and shortest thing they can find. Each line on the list is a small hunt, so children move about, pick things up and hold them side by side. A grown up talks through each choice with them.
- Find something LONGER than your pencil
- Find something SHORTER than your pencil
- Find something the SAME length as your pencil
- Find something LONGER than your hand
- Find something SHORTER than your hand
- Find the LONGEST thing in the room
- Find the SHORTEST thing you can
- Find something LONGER than your foot
What the hunt builds
Comparing
Children hold two things together and decide which stretches further. This is the first step in understanding length.
Using a measure
A pencil, a hand and a foot become tools. Children learn that we can measure one thing against another.
Maths talk
Longer, shorter, longest, shortest and same as are used again and again, so they start to feel natural.
Moving and doing
The hunt gets children up, looking, touching and choosing. Learning through hands on play suits this age.
Why compare length before using a ruler?
Young children understand length best by putting real objects next to each other. Before they meet numbers on a ruler, they need to know what length is: how far something stretches from one end to the other. Holding a pencil beside a book or a spoon makes that idea clear and visible, with no counting needed.
Using a pencil, a hand and a foot as measures also shows children something important. A measure is just something you compare against. It can be any object, as long as you use it the same way each time. That idea prepares them for measuring with cubes, then rulers, in later years.
Choose safe things for the hunt. Adults keep knives, hot items and anything breakable or sharp out of the search. Children should not climb to reach things.
Skills and curriculum link
- Comparing length
- Measuring
- Maths vocabulary
- Lining up ends
- Listening and talking
Ideas to help your child measure
- Start at the same endWhen two things are compared, their ends need to begin at the same place. A table edge or a wall makes a good starting line.
- Look end to endLength is how far something goes from one end to the other. It is not about how thick or heavy something is.
- Keep things straightA bendy or curled object looks shorter than it really is. Smooth it out flat before comparing.
- Use the same measureWhen we compare with a pencil, hand or foot, we keep using that same one. Then the comparison is fair.
Key words
- LongerStretches further from end to end.
- ShorterDoes not stretch as far from end to end.
- Same asMatches in length. The ends line up.
- LongestThe one that is longer than all the others.
- ShortestThe one that is shorter than all the others.
- MeasureTo find out how long something is by comparing it.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Give your child a pencil and read the first line of the checklist aloud together.
- Let them hunt. Ask them to line up both objects at the same starting end before they decide.
- Talk about each find. Ask, "How do you know it is longer?" and tick it off together.
- Check the notes on page 2, then come back another day and hunt again with new objects.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Hunt for one box at a time. Hold up two things and ask, "Which is longer?" Use your hands to show where each one starts and ends. Do the pencil lines first, and leave the hand and foot lines for another day.
To stretch confident children
Choose three things and put them in order from shortest to longest. Say the words "longest" and "shortest" out loud as you point. Then mix them up and ask a grown up to put them back in order.
Make it a game
Play a hunt game. A grown up calls out, "Longer than a spoon!" and the child runs to find something that fits. Swap roles so the child calls out the challenge and the grown up has to hunt.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child compares two things without lining up the ends, so the answer looks wrong.
Try thisPlace both starting ends against a table edge or a wall. Then look at where the other ends finish.
Watch forA child says the thicker or bigger object is longer.
Try thisTalk about length as how far something stretches from end to end. Lay both objects flat side by side and trace along them with a finger.
Watch forA child struggles to decide when two things are the same length.
Try thisLook at the ends together and ask, "Is there a gap?" A small gap means they are not quite the same. Try again with a different object.
Talk about it
- Which of your finds was the easiest to compare?
- How do you know that one is longer?
- What did you do to make the ends line up?
- Can you find something that is longer than your foot but shorter than your arm?
- Which was the longest thing you found? Was anything even longer?
- What word could you use instead of long, or instead of short?
Take it off the page
Shoe line up
Take off shoes and put them in a row. Ask your child to put them in order from shortest to longest and say the words as they go.
Stick hunt
Collect sticks or leaves outdoors. Sort them into longer and shorter than a pencil, then find the longest of all.
Playdough snakes
Roll playdough snakes of different lengths. Lay them side by side and talk about which is longest and which is shortest.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first line, then let them lead the hunt. About 10 minutes is plenty. Praise the thinking as well as the finding, and keep page 2 to hand for the notes.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, a table activity or an early finisher task. It needs only printing and a pencil each. The hunt lets you listen for maths talk and spot who lines up ends carefully.
Home educators
Print it as part of your maths plan and use it again with brothers and sisters. It pairs well with books about size, outdoor play and everyday talk about long and short things around the house.
Where this fits
Before this, children usually play with size words such as big, small, tall and short. They sort and compare things in play. This sheet builds on that by asking them to use one object as a measure for another.
After this, children measure with other objects such as cubes or hand spans, and later use a ruler. Comparing directly, with ends lined up, is the idea underneath all later work on length.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Long and Short Measuring Hunt for?
It is written for Reception, which is ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. It suits children who are starting to use words such as longer and shorter in play and talk.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or to repeat the hunt on another day with different objects.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 10 minutes. Some children will want to keep hunting for longer, which is fine. Page 2 has a stretch idea if they want more, and help ideas if they need a slower start.
- What do I need to do the hunt?
You need the printed sheet and a pencil for each child. The pencil is the measure for the first lines, so children need to be able to pick it up and hold it next to objects.
- What if my child finds it too hard?
Hunt for one box at a time. Hold up two things and ask, "Which is longer?" Use your hands to show where each one starts. Leave the harder lines for another day.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. It gets children moving, looking and talking rather than looking at a screen.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary or table activity, with no preparation beyond printing. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or as part of a wider maths plan.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.