How to Make a Game Out of Measuring Kids' Height & Weight

Knowing a child’s weight and height can help a parent understand how she is growing and how she compares with other children her age. Regularly checking her height and weight can also help a parent monitor and prevent the child from becoming obese. Sometimes it is difficult to get a child to stand still while trying to get accurate measurements of both height and weight. Try playing some games that will keep the child interested in monitoring her measurements on a regular basis.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Yard stick
• Pencil
• Weight scale

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Instructions

• 1

  Make it a competition and have each child see who is growing taller the most quickly. Find a spot on a wall to mark each child’s height progress and take measurements once a month. Offer a prize to each of the children and a different prize for the child who wins.

• 2

  Take the child’s measurement using his own hands. Mark his height on the wall and have him calculate how many hands tall he is.

• 3

  Have kids see how many gallons of water they weigh. Have each child step on the scale and write down the weight. Then have the child balance gallons of water on the scale until the weights are equal. A bag of potatoes or cans of soup can also be used for this activity.

• 4

  Have the child measure your weight and height first. She can also play doctor and take the measurements of her favorite teddy bear or doll.

• 5

  Play “Guess the Weight and Height” game with family members. Ask family members to make a guess, then host a family gathering to see what the actual numbers are. The winner can win a brownie or cookie baked by the child.