X Tables
Screen Time Maths

Weekly Totals maths mission

A junior real-world challenge using weekly totals to practise addition without feeling like a worksheet.

Quick answer

You can use weekly totals to add up your screen time each day and find out how much time you spend on devices each week. This helps you understand how much time you're spending on screens and can help you manage it better.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to add up your daily screen time to find your weekly total and understand how much time you spend on devices each week. Success signs:
  • You can write down your screen time for each day of the week
  • You can add up your daily times to find your weekly total
  • You can compare your weekly total to other people's totals
  • You can explain why tracking screen time is helpful

Why this matters

Tracking your screen time helps you understand how much time you spend on devices like phones, tablets, computers, and TVs. This is useful because it helps you make good choices about how you use your time. When you know your screen time, you can make sure you have time for other important things like playing, reading, eating, sleeping, and spending time with family. In games and real life, knowing how to add up time helps you plan your day better. For example, if you're planning a trip, you need to add up how long different parts of your journey will take. If you're helping to plan a party, you need to add up how long different activities will last. Understanding weekly totals is a helpful skill for managing time and planning your day.

How it works

To find your weekly screen time total, follow these steps:
  1. Write down how many minutes or hours you spend on screens each day
  2. Use a chart or table to organize your daily times
  3. Add up all your daily times to get your weekly total
  4. Compare your total to other people's totals or to your goals

Examples you can see

Let's imagine you're doing a screen-time challenge with your family. Here's how you might track your screen time for one week: Weekly Screen Time Tracker
Day Screen Time (minutes)
Monday 45
Tuesday 30
Wednesday 60
Thursday 25
Friday 75
Saturday 90
Sunday 60
Now, let's add up all these times to find your weekly total:
  • Monday: 45 minutes
  • Tuesday: 30 minutes
  • Wednesday: 60 minutes
  • Thursday: 25 minutes
  • Friday: 75 minutes
  • Saturday: 90 minutes
  • Sunday: 60 minutes
To add these numbers, you can start with the biggest numbers and work your way down:
  • 90 + 75 = 165 minutes
  • 165 + 60 = 225 minutes
  • 225 + 60 = 285 minutes
  • 285 + 45 = 330 minutes
  • 330 + 30 = 360 minutes
  • 360 + 25 = 385 minutes
So your weekly screen time is 385 minutes.

Try it as a mini adventure

Let's go on a screen-time mission together! Your mission is to track your screen time for one week and then add up all your times to find your weekly total. Here's your mission plan:
  1. Start by writing down how much time you spend on screens each day
  2. Use a chart like the one above to keep track of your times
  3. At the end of the week, add up all your times to find your total
  4. Compare your total to a friend or family member's total
  5. Discuss what you learned about your screen time habits
Let's say you spend 2 hours on Monday, 1 hour on Tuesday, 1.5 hours on Wednesday, 30 minutes on Thursday, 2 hours on Friday, 3 hours on Saturday, and 1 hour on Sunday. First, convert everything to minutes:
  • Monday: 2 hours = 120 minutes
  • Tuesday: 1 hour = 60 minutes
  • Wednesday: 1.5 hours = 90 minutes
  • Thursday: 30 minutes
  • Friday: 2 hours = 120 minutes
  • Saturday: 3 hours = 180 minutes
  • Sunday: 1 hour = 60 minutes
Now add them up:
  • 180 + 120 = 300 minutes
  • 300 + 120 = 420 minutes
  • 420 + 90 = 510 minutes
  • 510 + 60 = 570 minutes
  • 570 + 60 = 630 minutes
  • 630 + 30 = 660 minutes
Your weekly total is 660 minutes, which is 11 hours!

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Forgetting to convert hours to minutes when adding up screen time Why it happens: Children may not remember that 1 hour equals 60 minutes Fix: Always convert hours to minutes before adding up your times
  • Mistake: Adding numbers incorrectly, especially when working with larger numbers Why it happens: Children may make errors when adding numbers with many digits Fix: Use a calculator or count on your fingers to double-check your addition
  • Mistake: Forgetting to include all days of the week Why it happens: Children may forget to track one or more days Fix: Use a chart or checklist to make sure you don't forget any days
  • Mistake: Not organizing numbers in a clear way when adding Why it happens: Children may not know how to organize their work Fix: Write numbers in a line or use a table to keep your work organized

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child with this screen-time mission by:
  • Creating a chart or table to help your child track their daily screen time
  • Encouraging your child to convert hours to minutes before adding
  • Helping your child add up their times using a calculator or by counting on fingers
  • Discussing the results with your child and what they learned about their screen time habits
  • Setting goals for reducing screen time if needed
  • Making the activity fun by turning it into a game or competition
You can also:
  • Ask your child to explain how they added up their times
  • Help your child compare their results to other family members
  • Use the activity to teach about time management and planning
  • Encourage your child to think about how they might change their screen habits
Remember, this is a learning experience, not a test. Encourage your child to make mistakes and learn from them. Celebrate their efforts and progress, not just the final answer.

Practice questions

  1. What is the total screen time for a week if you spend 30 minutes each day?
  2. How much time do you spend on screens if you watch TV for 2 hours on Monday, 1 hour on Tuesday, and 1.5 hours on Wednesday?
  3. If you spend 1 hour on a tablet on Saturday and 30 minutes on Sunday, how much time is that in total?
  4. What is the weekly total if you spend 45 minutes on Monday, 60 minutes on Tuesday, 30 minutes on Wednesday, and 90 minutes on Thursday?
  5. How much time do you spend on screens if you spend 2 hours on Monday, 1 hour on Tuesday, 1.5 hours on Wednesday, and 30 minutes on Thursday?
Answers:
  1. 30 minutes × 7 days = 210 minutes = 3.5 hours
  2. 2 hours + 1 hour + 1.5 hours = 4.5 hours = 270 minutes
  3. 1 hour + 30 minutes = 60 minutes + 30 minutes = 90 minutes
  4. 45 + 60 + 30 + 90 = 225 minutes
  5. 2 hours + 1 hour + 1.5 hours + 30 minutes = 4.5 hours + 30 minutes = 270 minutes + 30 minutes = 300 minutes = 5 hours

FAQ

What is screen time?

Screen time is the amount of time you spend looking at screens, such as phones, tablets, computers, or TVs.

Why should I track my screen time?

Tracking your screen time helps you understand how much time you spend on devices, which can help you make good choices about how you use your time and ensure you have time for other important activities.

How do I convert hours to minutes?

To convert hours to minutes, multiply the number of hours by 60. For example, 2 hours = 2 × 60 = 120 minutes.

What if I forget to track one day?

If you forget to track one day, you can still add up the days you did track. You can also try to remember the time spent on that day or estimate it.

How can I use my weekly screen time total?

You can use your weekly screen time total to set goals for reducing screen time, compare your habits to others, and plan your day better to make sure you have time for other activities.