Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Wrapping Paper Area: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Wrapping Paper Area is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children work out the area of pieces of wrapping paper, a gift box top and gift tags by multiplying length by width. They write each answer with its unit. It is two A4 pages, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.
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 read about pieces of wrapping paper, a gift box top and gift tags. Each one gives a length and a width in centimetres. Children multiply the two numbers to find the area, then write the answer with its unit. One piece of paper is a square, so children have to think about what its sides tell them. One question asks for the total area of two tags. There is space to answer under each question.
- A piece of paper is 40 cm long and 30 cm wide.
- A piece of paper is 25 cm long and 20 cm wide.
- A piece of paper is 50 cm long and 35 cm wide.
- A gift box top is 20 cm long and 10 cm wide.
- A square piece of paper has sides of 30 cm.
- A piece of paper is 60 cm long and 45 cm wide.
- Two tags are each 8 cm by 5 cm. What is their total area?
A worked example
A piece of card is 12 cm long and 7 cm wide. What is its area?
This is a different question from the ones on the sheet. It shows two ways to do the multiplication.
Method 1: split the 12- Write the calculation: 12 × 7.
- Split 12 into 10 and 2.
- Multiply each part by 7. 10 × 7 = 70 and 2 × 7 = 14.
- Add the two parts. 70 + 14 = 84.
- Start with a fact you know well: 6 × 7 = 42.
- 12 is double 6, so the answer is double 42.
- 42 + 42 = 84.
Why use wrapping paper to learn about area?
Area is the amount of flat surface that a shape covers. We measure it in square units. A square centimetre is a square with sides of 1 cm. Wrapping paper is a good way into this idea because children already know that a present is covered by a flat sheet. They can picture the paper laid out and ask how much surface it has. That makes area feel real, not just a rule to remember.
For a rectangle, the squares can be lined up in rows. The number of rows is one side and the number of squares in each row is the other side. That is why we multiply length by width. Children who see this link are less likely to add the sides by mistake. It also helps them remember that the answer is in square units, not plain centimetres.
Did you know?
- A rectangle has four right angles, and its opposite sides are the same length.
- A square is a special kind of rectangle, because all four of its sides are equal.
- Area is measured in square units, such as square centimetres, which are written cm².
- There are 100 centimetres in one metre.
- Two shapes can look different but still have the same area.
Skills and curriculum link
- Finding area
- Multiplying
- Using units
- Rectangles and squares
- Reasoning
- Checking answers
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Measurement | Year 5 |
What children will be able to do
- I can find the area of a rectangle.
- I can multiply length by width.
- I can say the answer in square units.
Ideas that help with area
- Rows and squaresPicture a rectangle filled with rows of small squares. The area is the number of rows times the number in each row.
- Square unitsArea is measured in square units. For sides in centimetres, the answer is in square centimetres.
- Length and widthLength and width are the two sides that meet at a corner. Multiplying them in either order gives the same answer.
- Estimate firstRound the sides to friendly numbers and multiply in your head. If the exact answer is far from your estimate, check it again.
Key words
- AreaThe amount of flat surface a shape covers.
- LengthHow long something is, from one end to the other.
- WidthHow wide something is, from one side to the other.
- RectangleA shape with four straight sides and four right angles. Opposite sides are equal.
- Square centimetreA square with sides of 1 cm. It is written cm².
- TotalThe whole amount when you put the parts together.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first question together. Ask your child to picture the piece of paper and say what the two numbers mean.
- Let them multiply length by width in their own way, then write the answer with its unit.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and try the questions that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Draw a small rectangle on squared paper, such as 4 squares long and 3 squares wide. Count the squares in one row, then count the rows. Show how this matches multiplying. Then use squared paper or a grid for the first problem.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to work out how many 10 cm by 10 cm squares fit in each piece of paper. Talk about which pieces divide evenly and which leave a gap. Then ask how they could check their answers.
Make it a game
Measure a real present and a sheet of paper with a ruler. Work out the area of each. Decide together whether the paper is big enough to cover the present, and explain why.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child adds the length and width instead of multiplying.
Try thisGo back to rows of squares on squared paper. Show that area counts all the squares, so it needs multiplying.
Watch forA child writes the answer with no unit, or with cm instead of cm².
Try thisAsk, "What are we counting?" We are counting squares, so the answer is in square units. Write cm² after each answer.
Watch forIn the question about two tags, a child gives the area of only one tag.
Try thisReread the question together and underline the word total. Ask how many tags there are and what to do with each area.
Talk about it
- How do you find the area of a rectangle?
- Why do we multiply the two sides?
- What does a square centimetre look like? Can you draw one?
- How could you check your answer?
- Is the square piece of paper like the other pieces, or different? Why?
- How could you tell that an answer is too big or too small?
Take it off the page
Measure a book
Use a ruler to measure the cover of a book in centimetres. Multiply to find the area. Then guess the area of a different book and see who is closer.
Draw on squared paper
Draw three different rectangles on squared paper. Count the squares in each one, then write the multiplication that matches.
Present wrapping hunt
Find three flat things at home, such as a card, a tray and a placemat. Estimate which has the largest area, then measure and multiply to find out.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. Short sessions work well. If they get stuck, draw a small rectangle on squared paper and count the rows together.
Teachers
Use it as a starter or plenary after teaching the area of rectangles, as an early finisher task or as homework. It links to the Measurement strand in Year 5. Page 2 gives support and stretch for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with real measuring. Let your child measure a card, a tray or a book cover, then multiply to find its area. The sheet is free to reprint for brothers and sisters, or for revision later.
Where this fits
Earlier in Key Stage 2, children count squares to find area and learn their times tables. They also see multiplication as rows of equal groups. This sheet builds on both ideas, so it helps to be secure with times tables before starting.
After this, children move on to bigger or less friendly numbers and to scale drawings. Later still, they meet the area of other shapes, such as triangles. Each step relies on knowing why length times width works for a rectangle.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How do you find the area of a rectangle?
- Why do we multiply the two sides?
- How could you check your answer?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Wrapping Paper Area for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. It also suits confident Year 4 children and Year 6 children who want more practice with area and multiplying.
- What will children practise?
Children practise finding the area of rectangles by multiplying length by width. They write each answer with its unit, and they work out the total area of two gift tags.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2. Children multiply length by width for each piece and write the answer with the unit. Check together using the answers on page 2.
- What if my child finds it too hard?
Try squared paper or a grid. Draw a small rectangle, count the squares in a row and then count the rows. Seeing the link to multiplying often helps before they try the larger numbers on the sheet.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or a later revision session.
- How long does it take?
There is no set time. Children work at their own pace, so let them go as slowly as they need. You can do some questions one day and the rest another day.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. All you need is a pencil, and a ruler and squared paper are handy extras for the support and game ideas.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.