Measuring
Year 5 · Maths
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Converting metric units
Match 2.5 km to 2,500 m and 0.25 kg to 250 g.
Play Converting metric unitsArea of rectangles
Different rectangles can have the same area. Sort rectangles and squares by area in cm² in this
Play Area of rectangles
Learning about measuring
These Year 5 Maths games practise Converting metric units, Area of rectangles. 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.
Converting metric units
Year 5 pupils learn to convert between metric units: kilometres and metres, metres and centimetres, centimetres and millimetres, kilograms and grams, and litres and millilitres. Metric units are based on 10, 100 and 1,000, so converting means multiplying or dividing by one of these.
Try an example: Convert 4 m to centimetres.
1 m = 100 cm, so 4 × 100.
Show the answer
400 cm
What to look out for
Using 100 for every conversion. Only metres and centimetres use 100. Kilo- means 1,000 and milli- means one thousandth.
Area of rectangles
Area is the amount of flat space a shape covers, measured in square units such as square centimetres (cm²). Year 5 pupils calculate the area of rectangles, including squares, by multiplying length by width, and compare the area and perimeter of composite shapes.
Try an example: What is the area of a rectangle 9 cm by 4 cm?
9 × 4 = 36.
Show the answer
36 cm²
What to look out for
Adding the sides instead of multiplying. Adding the sides gives the perimeter. Area counts the squares inside, so multiply.
Practise away from the screen
- Read food labels and convert: is a 1.5 litre bottle more than 1,200 ml?
- Measure a tablemat or a book and work out its area.
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 Converting metric units. 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.