Square yard facts for kids

A square yard is a way to measure an area. Imagine a square shape where each side is exactly one yard long. The space inside that square is one square yard.

One yard is the same as 3 feet or 36 inches. So, a square yard is an area that measures 3 feet by 3 feet. You can find this measurement by multiplying the length of one side by itself (this is called squaring the number).

This unit of measurement was once used in many English-speaking countries. However, today, the square metre is more commonly used around the world. Still, the square yard is still used in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Pakistan, and India.

What is a Square Yard?

A square yard helps us measure how much flat space something covers. Think about a rug or a piece of land. If you want to know how big it is, you might measure its area in square yards.

To understand a square yard, first, you need to know what a yard is. A yard is a unit of length. It's about the length of a baseball bat, or roughly three of your foot-long rulers placed end-to-end.

When we talk about a square yard, we are talking about an area. Imagine drawing a perfect square on the ground. If each side of that square measures exactly one yard, then the space inside that square is one square yard.

How Do You Calculate a Square Yard?

Calculating a square yard is simple! If you have a square or a rectangle, you just need to know its length and width.

• If you have a square, and one side is 1 yard long, then its area is 1 yard × 1 yard = 1 square yard.
• If you have a rectangular garden that is 5 yards long and 3 yards wide, you multiply the length by the width: 5 yards × 3 yards = 15 square yards.

This is why it's called "squaring" the measure of one side when you have a perfect square. You are multiplying the side length by itself.

Where is the Square Yard Used Today?

The square yard is part of the Imperial units system, which was widely used in the past. While many countries have switched to the metric system (which uses units like the metre and square metre), the square yard is still common in certain places.

For example, in the United States, you might hear about land being measured in square yards, or carpets being sold by the square yard. It's also still used in the United Kingdom, Canada, Pakistan, and India for specific measurements, especially in areas like real estate or construction.