Wait Time Estimate
About 30 minutes, indoors, for ages 11 and up.
Where it works
Works in any indoor space
Who it's for
ages 11 and up
Numbers To Write Down:
- your guess before you sit down
- how many people are ahead of you
- how long one person takes at the front
- the actual wait when it ends
Today's Challenge
- 1.Was your guess high or low, and by how much?
- 2.What made the line move faster or slower?
- 3.Would one line or several have been quicker here?
Quick Start: What you need
- 1notebook
- 2pen
The Goal
Predict how long the wait will be, then work out what actually decides it.
How to start
- 1
Gather what you need: notebook and pen. Nothing else required.
- 2
Head indoors and see how many you can find: your guess before you sit down, how many people are ahead of you, how long one person takes at the front, the actual wait when it ends.
- 3
Talk about what you are seeing. Start with "Was your guess high or low, and by how much?"
- 4
Print the worksheet to check things off as you find them, and keep it afterwards.
Guess, Then Check
Write your guess for the wait before you sit down. Count the people ahead of you and time how long the first one takes. Multiply, then compare all three numbers at the end.
A queue feels longer when you cannot see the front. Banks and airports often use one line feeding several desks partly because a single line feels fairer, even when the total wait is the same.
If you want to push it further
- Time one person at the front, then multiply by the queue
- Guess again at a different place and see if you get closer
Print it and go
The worksheet has the checklist, the prompts, and a space to draw in. One page, ready for a bag or a glovebox.