Area and Perimeter using Pentominoes

I began using math stations today.  One of my kids favorite stations was the area and perimeter station.  I filled a black tub with one inch square tiles and pentominoes.  Pentominoes have five squares hooked together on a flat plane in 12 different variations.  Students can do so many activities with them in relation to shapes, rotations, reflections, translations, area, and perimeter.  I created a set of pentominoes which you can download for free. Click here for your free download. Ideas for using the pentominoes includes:

1. finding the area and perimeter of each pentomino
2. using the pentominoes to cover a given shape (like a puzzle)
3. combine the pentominoes together to create a shape with a given area
4. combine the pentominoes together to create a shape with a given perimeter
5. using the pentominoes to cover a given shape and then find the area and perimeter

Do you use pentominoes in your classroom? If so, do you have an idea you can share? I would love for you to leave a comment and let us know.