In this 3rd grade elapsed time unit, you will find EVERYTHING you need to teach this tricky skill! Included are elapsed time worksheets, elapsed time games, elapsed time activities, and elapsed time mini-lessons.
$7.00
Help your students master one of the trickiest 3rd grade skills with this Elapsed Time Unit! Packed with elapsed time worksheets, games, and differentiated mini-lessons, this unit makes learning how to find start times, end times, and time intervals both simple and fun.
Students will use clocks, number lines, t-charts, and “backwards N” strategies to calculate elapsed time in hours, ten-minute intervals, and minutes. With over 200 pages of content, your students will gain confidence as they learn to move forward and backward in time using multiple strategies.
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This elapsed time worksheets resource includes multiple formats for whole-group lessons, small-group review, and independent practice:
9 Mini-Lessons for Interactive Notebooks:
Introduce or reinforce elapsed time concepts with nine differentiated mini-lessons your students can glue into their math notebooks. Each one focuses on a different strategy or level of difficulty so you can easily meet the needs of all learners.
Mini-lessons include:
Elapsed Time in Hours on a Number Line
Elapsed Time to the 10 Minutes on a Number Line
Elapsed Time to the Minute on a Number Line
Elapsed Time in Hours on a T-Chart
Elapsed Time to the 10 Minutes on a T-Chart
Elapsed Time to the Minute on a T-Chart
Elapsed Time in Hours using the Backwards N
Elapsed Time to the 10 Minutes using the Backwards N
Elapsed Time to the Minute using the Backwards N
These anchor charts and examples give students visuals and references to use throughout the unit.
78 Elapsed Time Worksheets:
Students practice solving elapsed time problems using all three levels — to the hour, to the ten minutes, and to the minute. Worksheets include:
Number line practice (forward and backward in time)
T-charts for organizing start, end, and elapsed time
Backwards N strategy pages
Word problems and real-world scenarios
Matching and fill-in-the-table practice
Each strategy includes 26 worksheets at three difficulty levels, for a total of 78 differentiated pages.
4 Error Analysis Pages:
Help students develop reasoning and error-checking skills with four pages of work samples. Students identify mistakes, explain what went wrong, and show the correct process. These are great for small-group lessons or math talk discussions.
72 Elapsed Time Puzzles:
Make review time exciting with these printable elapsed time puzzles. Students match times and intervals to complete each puzzle. Three differentiated versions are included:
Elapsed Time in Hours
Elapsed Time to the 10 Minutes
Elapsed Time to the Minute
2 Elapsed Time Schedules:
Students explore daily schedules to calculate elapsed time between activities. Two real-life schedule options are included — one for your classroom and one for students’ personal routines.
Game #1: The Longest School Day Ever!
Students help characters make it through a school day by putting time cards in the correct order based on how much time has passed. They solve each step to complete the full day in sequence!
Game #2: Build a Football Field!
Each correct answer earns a football-themed item to build the field. Chance cards add a fun surprise twist. The first player to complete all 10 pieces wins!
Game #3: Whole-Class “Bucket Filler!”
Students walk around solving task cards posted around the room. Each correct solution earns a bucket entry, and names are drawn at the end for small prizes.
Game #4: Racing Game – Line Them Up!
Teams compete to line up time cards in the correct order from START to FINISH. This fast-paced game reinforces elapsed time sequencing and problem-solving under pressure.
All worksheets and games include recording sheets, answer keys, and color + black-and-white versions for easy differentiation.
This 3rd grade elapsed time unit can be used in multiple ways throughout your math block:
Whole-group instruction introducing elapsed time strategies
Small-group reteach or enrichment
Math centers with independent games and practice
Partner challenges and competitive games
Homework or take-home review
Sub plans or early finisher activities
Each lesson, worksheet, and game reinforces elapsed time fluency using a variety of tools, ensuring every learner finds a strategy that works for them.
This 3rd grade elapsed time unit aligns with key math standards to ensure students master both time measurement and problem-solving skills.
Common Core:
3.MD.1 – Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, using number line diagrams.
Texas TEKS:
3.7C – Determine the solutions to problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes using pictorial models or tools.
Florida B.E.S.T.:
MA.3.M.2.1 – Tell and write time to the nearest minute using analog and digital clocks, and use a.m. and p.m. appropriately.
MA.3.M.2.2 – Solve one- and two-step real-world problems involving elapsed time.
Teachers love that this unit simplifies a complex skill with structured visuals and differentiated support. The combination of mini-lessons, puzzles, and interactive games gives students multiple ways to understand and apply elapsed time strategies.
Students enjoy creative games like The Longest School Day Ever and Build a Football Field, which make elapsed time feel like an adventure instead of a challenge. Teachers appreciate how easily the activities fit into their daily math rotations, making practice consistent and engaging.
By combining number lines, t-charts, clocks, and real-life schedules, this unit helps students understand not just what elapsed time is — but how it works in the world around them.
This 3rd Grade Math Unit is part of a complete, year-long series designed to make math instruction simple, organized, and engaging. Each unit includes printable worksheets, mini-lessons, and games that make learning hands-on and fun — while saving teachers valuable prep time.
• See All 3rd Grade Math Units
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• 3rd Grade Hands-On Math and Reading Activities
• 3rd Grade Math Mysteries
• 3rd Grade Math Task Cards
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