Daily STREAM Activity: Measure Volume

Make a splash and having fun with math!

Activity best for children age 5 and up

Measuring things is a great math activity to do. You can measure height, weight, length. You use rulers and scales to measure those things. How about measuring the amount of space something occupies?  That is called volume. What kind of measuring tool do you use to measure volume? We are going to use measuring cups, they hold liquid in them. We also are going to use water to help us measure how much volume, or space, different containers can hold. If the water is poured in a small container does it look like it is more water than water poured into a big container? What about if you put water into a tall skinny container vs a short round container? You can color the water with food coloring or leave the water clear. This can be done outside as a fun way to help beat the heat, at the kitchen table or even in your tub.

Materials you’ll need:

1 cup measuring cup

Water

Various sizes and shapes of clear containers 

Various measuring cups

Optional: food coloring

Questions to answer while experimenting:

Which one holds more water?

Which one holds less water?

How many ½ cups does it take to make 1 cup?

How many ¼ cups does it take to make 1 cup?

How many ⅓ cups does it take to make 1 cup?

Directions

STEP 1
Measure 1 cup of water and pour it into the container you want to use first. Get another 1 cup of water and pour it into another container. Does one look like it has more water than the other? Or less water? Both have the exact amount 1 cup!

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STEP 2
Keep filling up containers to see what 1 cup looks like in all of them. You can add some food coloring to make it easier to see the water amount.

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STEP 3
Use the measuring cup or measuring spoons to see how many ½  make 1 cup. Repeat with ⅓ and with ¼. Have fun measuring with water to learn the volume of a container.

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Math extension:

Use a scale to weigh the containers of water.