Home Activity: Measurement Conversions

10-minute activities to practice with your child at home

Dear Families,

Your child is learning to convert between different units of measurement - like changing feet to inches or cups to pints. These skills are used every day in cooking, shopping, and building projects. The activities below bring these conversions to life!

Why This Matters for the FAST Test

The Florida FAST assessment tests both customary (inches, feet, cups, pints) and metric (centimeters, meters, liters) conversions. Students need to know when to multiply (going to smaller units) and when to divide (going to larger units). Word problems often involve real-world scenarios.

Quick Reference - Post This on Your Fridge!

Length: 12 in = 1 ft | 3 ft = 1 yd
Capacity: 2 c = 1 pt | 2 pt = 1 qt | 4 qt = 1 gal
Weight: 16 oz = 1 lb
Metric: 100 cm = 1 m | 1000 mL = 1 L | 1000 g = 1 kg
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Activity 1: Kitchen Conversion Challenge

Practice capacity conversions while cooking

  1. Next time you cook or bake, ask your child to help measure ingredients.
  2. Challenge: "The recipe calls for 2 cups. How many pints is that?" (1 pint)
  3. Ask: "We need 1 quart of milk. How many cups should we pour?" (4 cups)
  4. For a bigger challenge: "Grandma's recipe makes 1 gallon. How many cups is that?" (16 cups)
  5. Let your child predict, then verify by measuring!
Tip:

Keep measuring cups and a quart container handy. Let your child physically pour 2 cups into a pint container to see that they're equal!

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Activity 2: Measure Your World

Practice length conversions around the house

  1. Measure your child's height in inches using a tape measure.
  2. Convert together: "You're 52 inches tall. How many feet and inches is that?" (4 feet 4 inches)
  3. Measure room dimensions: "This room is 12 feet long. How many inches?" (144 inches)
  4. Measure in metric too: "The table is 120 centimeters. How many meters?" (1.2 meters)
  5. Compare: "Which is longer - 5 feet or 2 yards?" (2 yards = 6 feet, so 2 yards is longer)
Tip:

Use a yardstick to show that 1 yard = 3 feet. Mark 36 inches on it to show that 36 inches = 1 yard = 3 feet.

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Activity 3: Grocery Store Weights

Practice weight conversions while shopping

  1. In the produce section, weigh fruits and vegetables.
  2. Ask: "These apples weigh 32 ounces. How many pounds is that?" (2 pounds)
  3. Look at package weights: "This cheese is 8 ounces. How much of a pound?" (1/2 pound)
  4. Challenge: "We need 3 pounds of chicken. How many ounces?" (48 ounces)
  5. Compare metric: "This is 500 grams. Is that more or less than 1 kilogram?" (Less - it's half a kg)
Tip:

Many products show both ounces and grams. Use these to help your child see both measurement systems in action!

Questions to Ask Your Child

Resumen en Espanol

Conversiones de medidas: Su hijo esta aprendiendo a convertir entre unidades de medida, como pulgadas a pies o tazas a pintas. Estas habilidades se usan diariamente en cocina, compras y proyectos.

Actividades en casa:

Recuerde: Unidad mas pequena = multiplicar. Unidad mas grande = dividir.

FAST Success Kit | Grade 4 | FL B.E.S.T. Standards: MA.4.M.1.1-1.2
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