When is Recess? In a Minute… How Long is a Minute?

If you’re a primary school teacher, you have heard that same series of questions a thousand times over the year. When is lunch, when is recess, when do we go home? Whether you respond with ‘in a minute’ or ‘in five minutes’, you will likely get the response…How long is that? 

If this sounds like your daily classroom conversations, you need to dive into time estimation concepts with your students! The ability to estimate time is a critical skill to learn early on as it helps with planning, motivation, and time management down the road. If students don’t understand how long a minute is, then any attempt at managing their time will likely fail.

Estimating Time First Grade Math Worksheets

This printable resource pack is designed to help students understand the difference between subjective time and measured time. The time estimating activities included have students estimate the time they’ll need to complete a given task and then measure the actual time it takes. Did it take longer? Shorter? Why?

We have included three versions of this activity for you to choose from, featuring a variety of fun movements, actions, and tasks to estimate time in seconds and minutes. The worksheets included are

• What Can You Do in 10 Seconds? First Grade Math Worksheet
• What Can You Do in 1 Minute? First Grade Math Worksheet
• What Can You Do in 5 Minutes? First Grade Math Worksheet

Download Your 1st Grade Math Worksheets

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the editable Google Slides resource file or the quick-print PDF version.

This resource was created by Lisamarie Del Valle, a teacher in Florida and Teach Starter Collaborator.

Even More 1st Grade Common Core Worksheets (TEKS Too!)

Don’t stop there! Your lesson plan wouldn’t be complete without these activities and teaching resources too: 

teaching resource

Free Telling Time to the Minute - Worksheet Pack

Practice telling time to the minute by writing the digital time and drawing the hands on analog clocks.

teaching resource

Parts of a Clock Anchor Chart

Familiarize students with the analog clock face, hands and other parts of a clock with a printable poster created for the primary classroom.

teaching resource

Clock Worksheet Cut and Paste– 5-Minute Intervals

Use a clock worksheet to cut, paste and build a clock with five minute increments.