Design a Mini-Park (Area & Perimeter)

Today you become a park designer! A mini-park is a small piece of land split into zones — playground, garden, path, lawn. To plan one well, you need two skills you already know: perimeter (the distance around a shape) and area (the space inside it).

Perimeter vs Area

Imagine fencing the whole park. The fence has to go all the way around the edge — that distance is the perimeter, measured in meters. Now imagine laying grass inside the park. The grass covers the space inside — that is the area, measured in square meters.

• Perimeter answers: How long is the fence around the shape?
• Area answers: How much space is inside the shape?
• Perimeter is in meters (m). Area is in square meters (square m).

The Two Formulas

1. Perimeter of a rectangle: P = 2 (L + W). Add the length and width, then double it.
2. Area of a rectangle: A = L x W. Multiply length by width.
3. Always include the unit: m for perimeter, square m for area.

Worked Example: The Whole Park

Our mini-park is 20 m long and 15 m wide. Perimeter = 2 (20 + 15) = 2 x 35 = 70 m of fencing. Area = 20 x 15 = 300 square m of land. So we need 70 meters of fence and we have 300 square meters of space to design with.

Splitting the Park into Zones

A real park is divided into zones. Each zone is its own rectangle, so each one has its own perimeter and area. Adding up zone areas should never go past the total park area.

• Playground 8 m x 6 m: P = 2 (8 + 6) = 28 m, A = 8 x 6 = 48 square m.
• Garden 6 m x 9 m: P = 2 (6 + 9) = 30 m, A = 6 x 9 = 54 square m.
• Path 4 m x 15 m: P = 2 (4 + 15) = 38 m, A = 4 x 15 = 60 square m.
• Total zone area = 48 + 54 + 60 = 162 square m. The remaining 138 square m is open lawn.

Designer Tips

• Sketch first on grid paper. One square = one square meter keeps numbers easy.
• Label every length and width before you calculate.
• Check that all zone areas add up to no more than the total park area.
• For fencing or borders, use perimeter. For grass, paving, or paint, use area.