Perimeter

Have you ever traced the edge of something with your finger? Maybe it was the crust of your pizza or the round rim of a big, chocolatey cookie. I am that line you follow. I am the path you walk all the way around the playground, right where the grass meets the wood chips, making sure you stay inside the safe area. I am the shiny ribbon you tie carefully around a birthday present to keep the wrapping paper closed and the surprise hidden inside. I am everywhere, making a special border that gives things their shape. You can’t always see me, but I am there, at the very edge of things. I am the line that keeps the yummy jelly from oozing out of your sandwich and the sand from spilling out of the sandbox. I help things stay neat and where they belong. So, what am I?

I am Perimeter. It’s a big word, but it has a simple job. My name means ‘to measure around.’ I was born a long, long time ago in a warm, sunny place called Egypt. There, farmers grew their food near a giant river called the Nile. Every single year, the Nile River would flood. Whoosh. Water would cover all the land. This was good for the soil, but it was also a big problem because the water would wash away all the little stones and sticks the farmers used to mark the edges of their fields. When the water went away, nobody knew where their land started or ended. They would argue and get confused. So, they needed a clever way to measure the outside of their fields again. They took long ropes and tied knots in them, all the same distance apart. Then, they would walk along the very edge of a field, laying the rope down and counting the knots. One, two, three knots long on this side. One, two, three, four knots long on that side. By adding up all the sides, they knew exactly how big the border of their farm was. I helped them be fair and build their fences in the right spot every year.

My job didn’t stop in ancient Egypt. Today, you use me all the time, maybe without even knowing it. When your family builds a wooden fence to keep your puppy safe in the backyard, they need to measure me to know how much wood to buy. When you decorate the border of a picture frame with sparkly gems or put colorful holiday lights all around a window, you're measuring me. Think about playing outside. I make the white lines on a soccer field that show where the ball is in or out. I make the track you run on during a race, showing you the exact path to follow. I help us create spaces that are safe, organized, and beautiful. I am the magic line that gives everything its shape, and I am always here to help you measure, build, and create your wonderful world.