Learn About Measurements Using a Homemade Scale
Which is heavier, my marble or my teddy bear? Measuring different things in our daily lives is an essential principle in early math. With this easy craft, we make a scale from household materials to compare different weights. Watch this video from PBS SoCal and then make your own scale.
Materials
Directions
Attach the marker to the ruler. Place a marker at the center of a ruler (around the 6-inch mark) so it makes a cross. Tape the marker down to the ruler to secure it.
Attach the cups. Take your two cups and flip them upside down. Tape each end of the ruler to the bottom of each cup.
Flip the cups upward again. It’s a scale! Can your child find five items around the house that could fit inside the cup?
Now, you can compare objects by weight. Explore weight by putting a different number of marbles in each cup and observe what happens. Before adding items to the cups, ask your child which cup will weigh more and why.
Compare the weight of different types of objects. Add a marble to one cup and a small teddy bear to the other cup.
Explore Further
- Use any other objects to compare their weights!
- Is there an object that is small but weighs more than a larger item?
- How many of each item can you fit in each cup?
- Make another balance scale using a clothes hanger to compare the weights of small toys.
Author: 
- Activity Type
- Craft