Telling the Time: Games and Activities for Kids

Telling the Time is tricky.
So, how can we teach telling the time?
Ultimately, I believe that surrounding your children with opportunities to tell the time is the best way to teach them. Refer to your clocks at home and in the classroom – both analogue and digital. Use visual timetables in the classroom that present both the analogue and digital formats. Talk about time with your students by telling them how long till the next activity, how long until someone’s birthday etc.
Immersing kids is often the best way, as it subconsciously sinks in. This means that when they do come to direct learning of telling the time, all the puzzles pieces start coming together and making sense. It’s never too late to teach time, and more importantly time management, to kids. School-ages kids who have no ability to follow a schedule or to be self-organised will have a rougher time in the older years when responsibilities that come with age, such as rigorous study and work, mount.
Telling Time Games and Activities:
My editable classroom timetable is a great tool that combines both analogue and digital time, side-by-side. It also incorporates a daily schedule. This allows teachers to work on elapsed time. You can direct students to work out how much longer is left in a lesson by using the visual images and relating them to the classroom clock.
These 12 hour time clip-cards are another great hands-on learning activity that help younger student’s grasp the concept of 12-hour time in 5 minute intervals, and recognise time in both digital and analogue formats.
Below you will find some more resources that will help your kiddos learn to read time. Check out these fun and engaging hands-on activities created by teachers, for teachers: