Making Clocks with Toddlers
Educational Resources for Learning to Tell Time with Your Child
Easy learning resources and math games for toddler learning and for playing math games with clocks. Toddler math really is about playing informally and having fun.
Studies by researchers (Oku F and E Spelke 2000) have suggested that young children are capable of mathematical thinking from the early months. This gives great opportunities for parents to make educational resources such as clocks and flashcards to introduce toddlers to the math topic of time.
Learning About the Clock Face
- Children's clocks are fun to make and paint. A large plain empty clock face is best for toddlers.
- Detachable number flashcards can be designed to stick in the correct order around the outside of the clock.
- Parents should start by placing the 12, 3, 6 and 9 and asking toddlers to guess which numbers are missing.
- Once pre-schoolers understand the correct sequence, parents can reinforce the concept with some competitive fun math games.
- Place number card for an hour in various places on the clock face. Kids can shout out when Mom finally gets it right.
- Gradually, an increasing amount of clock numbers can be mixed up on the clock. Toddlers help to order them correctly. Practice until they are able to do this even when all the numbers are jumbled around the clock.
Toddler Activities for Learning the Hour Hand
The short hour hand should be introduced first, without the long minute hand. Parents should ensure there is a clear distinction between the two hands, making the short hand a little wider.
The learning goal should be that the short hand tells which hour it is. Mom or Dad can move the hand in the right order at first, with the toddler saying out the o'clock times. Then, when understanding is secure, the placing of the short hour hand can be more random on the clock face. Parents can make a game out of seeing how quick toddlers can be to name the random hours shown.
Comparisons should be drawn with meaningful events in the toddler’s day and to toddler activities that have an hour’s duration, such as a favorite TV show.
Minute Hand Math Games
At first the long minute hand should be shown permanently in the static 12 o'clock position. The movement of the minute hand cannot be understood until the o'clock principle is secure.
The previous game can be repeated with the minute hand in position also.
Clock face flashcards can be designed - one for each of the twelve hours, all in the o‘clock position. Mom can shuffle the cards and have the toddler sort them back into the right order, making meaningful connections such as bedtime or supper time.
If the stack of 12 looks a little challenging at first, parents can divide it into sections, such as 12 o’clock through 4 o’clock and practise these first. Then the next group can be started as a separate group. When each group is understood, the groups of times can be mixed until toddlers can handle all of the times.
The time flashcards can then be used as learning resources for math games. When Mom holds up the ll o’clock card, toddlers can shout out “cookie time” or whatever event even happens at the given time.
If twelve o’clock is the toddler’s usual lunch-time, this is an opportunity for parents to spend a little longer explaining the math topic of 12 o’clock. For example, at this time, the hands overlay and seem as one. The hands could be different colors or thicknesses.
Time learning activities can be rounded off by by designing a bedroom frieze or wallchart on the computer together, portraying events in the child’s day with o’clock times arranged underneath. Toddlers should be developing the confidence to interchange symbols by themselves!
