Measuring
Year 3 · Maths
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Perimeter
Add up the sides to find the perimeter of rectangles, squares and triangles.
Play Perimeter12-hour and 24-hour clock
Match a.m. and p.m. times to the 24-hour clock, from 00:05 to 23:50.
Play 12-hour and 24-hour clockDays in each month and leap years
Which months have 30 days and which have 31? Sort the months in this
Play Days in each month and leap years
Learning about measuring
These Year 3 Maths games practise Perimeter, 12-hour and 24-hour clock, Days in each month and leap years. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Use counters, a drawing or a number line before moving to a mental method. Ask your child to explain a choice, then change one number and try the method again.
Ask: “How could you show the same answer another way?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
Perimeter
The perimeter of a shape is the distance all the way around its edge. Year 3 pupils learn to measure the perimeter of simple 2-D shapes by adding up the lengths of the sides.
Try an example: What is the perimeter of a rectangle 6 cm by 4 cm?
6 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 20.
Show the answer
20 cm
What to look out for
Adding only the two numbers shown on a rectangle. A rectangle has 4 sides. Write the missing two lengths on before adding.
12-hour and 24-hour clock
Year 3 pupils learn to read time on 12-hour and 24-hour clocks, and to use a.m. and p.m. and words such as morning, afternoon, noon and midnight. The 24-hour clock is used on bus and train timetables, ovens, phones and computers.
Try an example: What is 4:45 p.m. on a 24-hour clock?
p.m., so 4 + 12 = 16.
Show the answer
16:45
What to look out for
Writing 3:15 p.m. as 13:15. Add 12, not 10: 3 + 12 = 15.
Days in each month and leap years
Year 3 pupils learn the number of seconds in a minute and the number of days in each month, year and leap year. There are 60 seconds in a minute, 365 days in a year and 366 days in a leap year.
Try an example: How many days are there in September?
September is one of the four 30-day months.
Show the answer
30
What to look out for
Thinking every month has 30 days. Only four months have 30. Learn the rhyme: '30 days has September, April, June and November.'
Practise away from the screen
- Measure round a book, a table or a photo frame with a tape measure.
- Look at the clock on the cooker or a phone set to 24-hour time.
- Look at a calendar together and check how many days each month has.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Measurement in the National Curriculum in England. Use your school’s sequence to decide when to introduce and revisit each skill. A game covers selected examples, rather than assessing every requirement.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with measuring?
Start with Perimeter. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. This page brings together the games currently available for this topic. It supports selected skills and does not replace the full programme of study or practical teaching.