Stick Rulers
Make your own rulers from nature!
Children will love measuring with a ruler they created out of their own natural materials.
Making your Stick Ruler
Find a nice straight stick (a straight stick is best for measuring)
Line up your stick next to your ruler and use clippers to cut the stick 12 inches long
Add lines at each of the inch (and if you would like half inch) marks using a ruler as a guide
4. Start Measuring!!
Stick Rulers
You can make your stick ruler ‘inch marks’ using a permanent marker or by carving notches into it!
Children really enjoy carving. Children as young as three years old can learn to safely carve sticks using safe equipment like child-friendly carrot peelers under adult supervision. Talk with your child about how to safely carve by explaining where to keep your fingers and how to carve AWAY from your body.
Make different measuring tools
Just as easily as you made a stick ruler, you can make a stick yard stick (pictured left) or a stick meter stick.
Measuring
Children enjoy using tools and the stick ruler is the perfect tool for beginning measurement! It’s portable and can be easily packed into your hiking bag. Children find it easy to use and it’s wonderful for counting skills and early engagement.
Get your child excited about measuring!
Take your child on a hike with their new ruler stick and let them stop and measure things along the way (build those math skills!). Perhaps even add some literacy to their hike by bringing a notebook and recording all their measurements.
Subscribe for access to all our downloadable PDFs for free and get downloadables like: Measuring Mission for your child to bring along on your hike!
