Five Minute Math- Everyday Estimation, a family-friendly math activity

Estimation is a funny thing. There are so many ways to estimate and so many different ranges that are acceptable. How precise does our guess need to be? Should we guess to the nearest dollar? The nearest ten dollars? The nearest thousand dollars? Because of these variables, estimation can be very difficult to learn.

The best way to teach them? With lots and lots of practice!

In this week’s Five Minute Math activity, we encourage you to look for opportunities to estimate in your daily life!

How to do it:

Think about times you use estimation in a useful way (and when you don’t). Then, use those situations as learning opportunities for your child.

Try to repeat an estimation activity multiple different times over different days- this gives your child an opportunity to “try again” and refine their estimation skills. For example, you could ask them to estimate the total of your grocery order every time you go to the grocery store.

Examples of estimation opportunities you might encounter:

At the store:

• As your child how much they think a bag of fruit (or vegetables) weigh. Then, let them check their guess using the scale.
• Have your child guess how much a cart of groceries might cost. Have them compare their answer against the total you get at check out.

In the car:

• How long will it take to drive a familiar route home? Have your child make a guess, then time the drive. Afterwards, talk about how different factors (traffic, red lights, etc) may have impacted the number.
• Ask your child to guess how many gallons of gas (or how many dollars) it will take to fill up your vehicle at the gas station. Compare their guess to the number on the gas pump.

Around the house:

• How long will it take to fill up the bathtub or pool? Make a guess, then time it to find out.
• How long will it take to eat all of the cereal in the box? Make a guess, then keep a running tally (on the side of the box is fun!) to compare.

If you tried this activity, we’d love to hear about it… especially what kind of estimation activities your choose (and how your child responded). Let us know in a comment! Don’t forget to join our mailing list and follow us on social media to get the latest math tips, program launches, and exclusive deals.