Let’s walk from here to that tree,
How many paces will that be?
Spread your fingers as wide as you can,
What you have now is called a hand span .
A hand
span can help you to find out how big
Is the height of a cow, a horse or a pig.
Use your hand span very carefully and see
How many it takes to go right round a tree.
Now get a good friend and make this a game,
Compare if the number of spans round the tree is the same.
Next find an adult and compare their hand span too
To see if they use more or less spans than you.
Now write down the answers and think as hard as can be,
Why is it better to use a tape measure like me?
Click here for the HAND SPAN PACE worksheet.
Click here for the HAND SPAN PACE Guide for Parents.
This problem is adapted from the NRICH task Hand Span with permission of the University of Cambridge. All rights reserved.
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