Measuring
Grade 2 · Math
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Telling the time to five minutes
Quarter past, 20 to, 5 past: match each clock to its time in this
Play Telling the time to five minutesChoosing units: cm, m, g, kg, ml and liters
Would you measure a bath in millilitres or liters? Pick the best unit in this
Play Choosing units: cm, m, g, kg, ml and liters
Learning about measuring
These Grade 2 Math games practice Telling the time to five minutes, Choosing units: cm, m, g, kg, ml and liters. 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.
Telling the time to five minutes
In this game each card describes where the hands are pointing, and children match it to the time it shows, such as quarter past 7, 20 to 6 or 5 past 9. Picturing the hands helps children draw them correctly too.
Try an example: The minute hand points to 4. The hour hand is just past 2. What time is it?
4 is 20 minutes past.
Show the answer
20 past 2
What to look out for
Reading the minute hand on 4 as 4 minutes past. Count in fives from 12: 5, 10, 15, 20.
Choosing units: cm, m, g, kg, ml and liters
In this game children decide which unit they would use to measure everyday things, such as the length of a pencil, the mass of a bag of potatoes or the water in a bath. Choosing the right unit is the first step before estimating and measuring.
Try an example: Which unit would you use to measure the length of a pencil?
A pencil is a short length.
Show the answer
centimeters (cm)
What to look out for
Using a length unit for mass, such as measuring an apple in cm. Ask first: am I measuring how long, how heavy, or how much it holds?
Read the full Choosing units: cm, m, g, kg, ml and liters guide
Practice away from the screen
- Ask the time on an analogue clock at home several times a day.
- Look at food packets and find the units: g, kg, ml or liters.
Curriculum connections
Telling the time to five minutes
Supports part of Common Core 2.MD.C.7: telling time to the nearest five minutes. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.
Common Core connection: 2.MD.C.7. This is focused practice for part of the standard.
Choosing units: cm, m, g, kg, ml and liters
Supports part of Common Core 2.MD.A.1: choosing tools and units. This game uses metric units only, not inches, feet or pounds. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.
Common Core connection: 2.MD.A.1. This is focused practice for part of the standard.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with measuring?
Start with Telling the time to five minutes. 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. These games provide focused practice. Grade suggestions do not replace your school’s curriculum, and any Common Core connection applies only to the skill described.