Estimate a Minute Activity

One famous Swiss export are watches. Anyone who has been to Switzerland will also know how the public transport system runs exactly on time - almost to the second! It's very impressive! How accurately can your Troop estimate the length of one minute. Get everyone to shut their eyes. The leader needs to time one minute. When each person thinks one minute has passed, they put their hand up and open their eyes. See who is the most accurate.

Contributed by:
Liz Watts
Tres Condados Girl Scout Council, California, USA
Former Guider and Adviser, UK

We used your Estimate a Minute activity as part of our Thinking Day 1999 meeting/party featuring Switzerland. However, we adapted it. We have found
that our girls face competition in school all the time, and competitive moments are thrust upon them in situations where absolutely no competition is necessary, or in situations where cooperation would be more productive.

Using my genuine Swiss cowbell, I signaled the beginning of the minute. Everyone's eyes were closed. When our Brownies (and my co-leader) thought that the minute had ended, they raised their hands. The purpose of the activity was for each girl to see how close SHE came to estimating a minute, not to see who could come closest.

We have used this approach recently with a number of our activities, so that girls have the opportunity to try-it for themselves, without worrying about whether or not they would "win". It has given the quieter girls more of a level of participation.

Contributed by:
Mari Corson
Co-Leader, Brownie Troop 663, USA

Do you have any other ideas for activities? Contact The GuideZone Team with your comments or suggestions!

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This page last updated May 28th, 2000