Screen Time Maths
Maths hiding in screen time: weekly totals
Add minutes across days and compare totals.
Quick answer
By adding up the minutes you spend on screens each day, you can find your weekly total and compare it with others or with your own goals.Learning outcome
By the end of this page, you will be able to add up minutes from different days to find a weekly total and compare it with other totals or your own goals.Success signs:
- You can add up screen time minutes for each day of the week
- You can compare your weekly total with someone else’s
- You can set a goal for how much screen time you want each week
- You can check if you have met your screen time goal
Why this matters
Maths is all around us – even in the time we spend on our screens! When you add up how many minutes you spend watching videos, playing games, or using apps each day, you're doing maths. This helps you understand how much time you spend on screens and if you're keeping it balanced. It also helps you set goals for yourself, like spending less time on screens or more time on reading or playing outside.How it works
Let’s break it down into simple steps:- First, write down how many minutes you spend on screens each day of the week.
- Then, add all those minutes together to find your total for the week.
- You can compare your total with someone else's or with your own goal.
Examples you can see
Let’s imagine your friend, Sam, wants to see how much time they spend on screens each week. Here’s how they do it:| Day | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Monday | 30 |
| Tuesday | 45 |
| Wednesday | 20 |
| Thursday | 60 |
| Friday | 35 |
| Saturday | 90 |
| Sunday | 75 |
- Monday: 30
- Tuesday: 45
- Wednesday: 20
- Thursday: 60
- Friday: 35
- Saturday: 90
- Sunday: 75
Try it as a mini adventure
Adventure: Screen Time Tracker Challenge Imagine you're a detective trying to solve a mystery about how much screen time you and your family spend each week. You need to collect clues by writing down your minutes each day, adding them up, and comparing totals. Here’s your challenge:- Step 1: Write down how many minutes you spend on screens each day this week.
- Step 2: Add up all your minutes to find your weekly total.
- Step 3: Ask a parent or friend to do the same and compare totals.
- Step 4: Decide if your screen time is too much or just right, and set a goal for next week.
- Monday: 25 minutes
- Tuesday: 30 minutes
- Wednesday: 20 minutes
- Thursday: 40 minutes
- Friday: 35 minutes
- Saturday: 60 minutes
- Sunday: 50 minutes
Common mistakes
- Mistake: Forgetting to add all the days together.
Why it happens: It’s easy to skip a day or get distracted.
Fix: Use a checklist or write each day one by one to make sure you don’t miss any. - Mistake: Adding the same day twice.
Why it happens: You might double-check a day and accidentally add it again.
Fix: Cross off each day as you add it to avoid confusion. - Mistake: Thinking that 1 hour = 60 minutes, but mixing it up.
Why it happens: Sometimes it's hard to remember that 1 hour = 60 minutes.
Fix: Use a simple reminder like “1 hour = 60 minutes” and write it down.
Parent and carer guide
As a parent or carer, you can help your child by:- Setting up a simple chart or notebook to track screen time each day.
- Encouraging your child to add up the minutes themselves, or help them if they get stuck.
- Discussing the results together – is the total high or low? Is it okay?
- Setting a goal together, like “Let’s try to keep screen time under 300 minutes a week.”
- Using this as a chance to teach about time, addition, and planning.
- “Let’s see how much time you spend on screens this week.”
- “Can you add these numbers together for me?”
- “What do you think your goal should be for next week?”
- It’s okay if your child makes a mistake – that’s how they learn!
- Don’t focus too much on the numbers; focus on the learning process.
- It’s normal for screen time to vary from day to day.
Practice questions
- How many minutes is 2 hours and 30 minutes?
- If you spend 45 minutes on Monday, 30 minutes on Tuesday, and 60 minutes on Wednesday, what is your total for these three days?
- What is the total for 10 minutes, 25 minutes, 15 minutes, and 30 minutes?
- How much time do you spend on screens if you spend 20 minutes on Monday, 40 minutes on Tuesday, 30 minutes on Wednesday, 50 minutes on Thursday, 25 minutes on Friday, 60 minutes on Saturday, and 45 minutes on Sunday?
- Compare these totals: You spent 200 minutes, and your friend spent 250 minutes. Who spent more time on screens?
- 150 minutes
- 135 minutes
- 80 minutes
- 270 minutes
- Your friend spent more time on screens
FAQ
What is screen time?
Screen time is the amount of time you spend looking at a screen, like a phone, tablet, computer, or TV.
Why should I track my screen time?
Tracking your screen time helps you understand how much time you spend on screens and whether it's balanced with other activities like reading, playing, or spending time outside.
How can I make it fun to track screen time?
You can make it a game by setting goals, using a chart, or comparing totals with friends or family.
Can I use screen time tracking to set goals?
Yes! You can set goals like spending less time on screens or using screens for specific activities like learning or playing educational games.
What if I don’t have a screen at home?
You can still practice adding up minutes using other activities like time spent reading, playing games, or doing crafts.