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Estimating Event Durations

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Estimating Event Durations

Help Hamish plan a picnic. Choose sensible time estimates, compare short and long events, and use a timer for one activity. A partner or adult can help you time it.

Make a sensible estimate

Think about how long each picnic activity might take. Circle the best estimate.

1.Hamish claps her hands 10 times. Which is the most sensible estimate?

About 5 seconds
About 5 minutes
About 1 hour

2.Hamish eats her picnic sandwich. Which is the most sensible estimate?

About 1 second
About 10 minutes
About 3 hours

3.Hamish runs to collect a ball and comes straight back. Choose a sensible estimate for this short event.

About 20 seconds
About 20 minutes
About 2 hours

Compare event durations

Use seconds for quick events and minutes for events that take longer.

4.Which event probably takes longer: blowing one big bubble or eating a snack? Explain your choice.

5.Put these events in order from shortest to longest: playing a 30-second game, washing your hands for 20 seconds, and having a 10-minute picnic lunch.

6.A race takes 40 seconds. Is that less than or more than 1 minute?

Less than 1 minute
More than 1 minute
Exactly 1 minute

Check the picnic clock

Read the clock pictures and think about the time between events.

7.Hamish starts packing at 2:00 and finishes at 2:10. About how long does packing take?

10 minutes
10 seconds
1 hour

Starts: 2:00

Finishes: 2:10

8.The picnic game begins at 3:00 and ends at 3:30. Does it last about 30 seconds or about 30 minutes?

About 30 seconds
About 30 minutes

Game starts: 3:00

Game ends: 3:30

Be a time detective

Try one activity with a timer. Your result may be different from someone else's.

9.Choose a safe activity: clap 10 times, hop 5 times, or walk across a room. Before you begin, estimate how many seconds it will take. Then time the activity and write your actual time.

10.Compare your estimate with your measured time. Was your estimate close, too short, or too long? Give one reason it may have been different.