Area

Have you ever spread sticky, sweet jam all the way to the crust of your toast? Or have you ever used a bright green crayon to color in the grass in a picture? When you lay a cozy blanket down for a picnic, you make sure it covers a nice, flat spot on the ground. I am that spot. I am the space inside things that you cover up. You can find me on the floor of your room, waiting to be covered by toys and rugs. I am on every single page of your favorite book, holding all the words and pictures. I'm even the part of the screen where your favorite cartoons play. I am the flat surface of everything, big and small, just waiting to be filled with color, stories, and fun.

Hello there. My name is Area. People have known about me for a very, very long time. Thousands of years ago, in a sunny, sandy place called Ancient Egypt, people really needed my help. They were farmers who lived near a giant river called the Nile. Every single year, the Nile River would flood. It was like the whole land took a big, muddy bath. This was good for growing food, but it washed away all the little stone markers that showed where one farmer’s land ended and another’s began. When the water went away, nobody knew which piece of land was theirs. To make things fair, the farmers had to measure the flat ground very carefully to give everyone the right-sized farm back. They discovered a wonderful trick. They realized they could find out my size by counting how many little squares of the same size could fit perfectly inside a bigger shape, like one of their fields. It was like figuring out a puzzle, and it helped them be fair to everyone.

Even though I was discovered a long time ago, I still have a very big job today. I am super important. When your family wants to paint a room a brand new color, they need to know my size on the walls to buy the right amount of paint. When you get a soft new carpet for your bedroom, someone has to measure me on the floor so the carpet fits just right. I help people plan how much grass seed they need for a giant soccer field or a little backyard. I also get to help with really fun projects. People who design playgrounds use me to figure out how much space they need for the swings, the slide, and the sandbox. The creative people who make video games use me to build whole new worlds on a screen. I am the space for all your amazing ideas. I give you room to create, to build, and to imagine anything you want.