All Activities
Maths

Fill the Containers

Overview

Children explore which containers hold more or less.

Learning Objective
Children compare how much different containers can hold.

Resources needed

  • Containers of different sizes
  • Water or sand
  • Cups or scoops

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Show different containers.
  2. 2 Ask: 'Which holds more?'
  3. 3 Fill containers using cups.
  4. 4 Count how many cups each holds.
  5. 5 Compare results.
  6. 6 Ask children to explain their thinking.
  7. 7 Order containers from most to least.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Use different materials (sand, water, grain)
  • Predict before filling
  • Use equal-sized containers to compare shapes
More information

Connect to familiar experiences (e.g. fetching water). Vocabulary: holds more, holds less, full, empty.

Use very different-sized containers so differences are obvious at first.

Do children predict based on height only (common misconception) or consider width too? Can they order results correctly?

Use any available containers — cups, bottles, bowls. Sand, soil, or water from any local source works as the filling material. A leaf or bark piece can serve as a scoop.

Children consistently judge capacity by height alone, thinking a tall thin container holds more than a short wide one. This is a deeply held misconception. Address it directly by filling both and counting scoops.

Activity details
Early Years Medium 15–20 minutes 5 minutes prep Small Group Outdoor
Topics
Capacity Counting