Interactive and FUN Area and Perimeter Problems | Free Printable | Fall Theme
Area and Perimeter Problems
These FREE area and perimeter problems have children using the squares from their pattern blocks to figure out the area and perimeter of different shapes. Each worksheet has a pumpkin theme.
It’s supposed to be fall, but our hot days are still here. Most days are still in the 90’s and my boys come in with sweat dripping off their noses! Yes, it is that bad.
Despite the weather, it is October! And October deserves some pumpkin-themed paper decorated in fall colors. So that is what is coming your way today.
And it is all about area and perimeter problems!!!
Prep-Work
These guys are basically no-prep!
- First, print off the pages.
- Then laminate them or place them in sheet protects if you want to use them multiple times.
- Finally, gather up the orange squares from your pattern blocks and dry-erase markers or pencils.
Finding area and perimeter
Like any concept, in the beginning, it is important to provide hands-on experiences so children can understand why formulas work!
And that is what this simple sheet does. It helps children to understand that we are counting the squares inside a shape to figure out the area and we count the edges to figure out the perimeter!
And when we allow our children to fill the shapes with squares, instead of counting squares already drawn, this concept is driven in a little more.
And that is what we are doing today.
How to use this area and perimeter activity
Math is Fun defines an area like this, “The size of a surface. The amount of space inside the boundary of a flat (2-dimensional) object such as a triangle or circle, or the surface of a solid (3-dimensional) object.”
There are numerous ways we could figure out the area, but today we are focusing on how many squares are in the shape.
We begin by placing all the squares that we can inside the shape. As you can see in this example, there are five squares that fit inside.
Next, we ask our children to describe what they see. After they have observed and commented on the shape, we move into a very important question that will pave the way for further area work.
How could I figure out how many squares there are without counting each square? Or what number sentence or equation could show what you did?
Your goal here is to get them to tell you something like…
“There are five columns and one row so I could say 5 x 1 = 5.”
On harder problems, they may tell you they can skip count.
“There are four in each row so I can count by four. Four, eight, twelve, sixteen. There are 16 squares in this shape.”
At this point, it is important to show them they could also solve by saying 4 x 4 = 16.
The last step is just as important! When your kiddos write their answer, the answer should include inches squared.
Perimeter
After the area is figured out, we move on to the perimeter. Now instead of focusing on what is inside the shape, we are counting the outside.
In this example, there are three squares in a row. So my length is 3 and the height is 1.
If I were to make my way around the shape, starting at the top it would look like this… 3 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 8 in!
It’s that easy.
Children enjoy playing with manipulatives and solving problems with them. It is a great way to introduce the concept, and much more fun than just solving formulas.
Area and Perimeter Worksheets
Below are the free area and perimeter worksheets. You can download this printable b
Area-and-Perimeter-ProblemsYou may also like area exploration with gumdrops and practice finding the area of a triangle.
