How Long Will It Take To....

ages 4-6

Supplies

A watch or clock

Activity Detail

Developing a sense of the passage of time is difficult for preschoolers. You can help them learn by doing this activity. Have your child estimate how long it will take to do something such as walk to the park or drive to preschool. Use a watch or clock to time how long it really takes, and then compare your child's estimate with the actual time and discuss it with her. If your child estimates it will take 5 hours to drive to preschool, explain that it only took 10 minutes and that 5 hours is a really long time. Continue to do this over time, and your child will feel a sense of accomplishment as her estimates get closer to the actual time.