How To Teach Kids to Tell Time: Ways and Tools to Teach Your Child
Understanding time is a key skill for kids to learn, and the good news is this is something you can start working on with your children at a young age. In this guide, we’ll discuss a step-by-step way to teach kids to tell time. From understanding the clock face to figuring out elapsed time, we have tips for the entire process.
Our article also includes recommendations on small children watches that can help children understand the concept of time. If you feel you are ready for this adventure with your child, let’s dive in!
Contents:
- Top Ways to Teach Kids to Tell Time
- How Toddler Watches Can Help Teach the Concept of Time
- The Toddler Watch for a Child’s Safety
- FAQ
Top Ways to Teach Kids to Tell Time
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The best way to help your kid learn to tell the current time is to do things gradually. You need to be patient during the process and make each lesson a fun playing session. With this approach, your child will understand the concept of time telling quickly.
Here are some tips that explain and discuss time telling games and activities!
Prerequisite Skills
For starters, it’s vital to teach kids numbers up to 60. That will be necessary if they want to learn to tell time.
Once you are sure they are familiar with the numbers, it’s time to use a paper clock. You’ll easily find printable ones online. We strongly suggest finding a version that shows every hour and minute with a separate number. At the very least, the minute marks should be placed every five seconds.
The next step is to tell your kid about different clock components. You should explain that the smaller hand is known as the hour hand and then proceed with the minute hand.
Now, talk to your kid about how clock hands are connected with the numbers at the outer side of the circle.
Teaching Time-Telling Steps
Dividing the process into sections is the best way to teach kids to tell time. Here are the steps to follow:
- Teach kids to tell time to the hour. Small steps are crucial to understanding how anything works, and it’s no different with the hands of the clock. First, set the time to 12 o’clock. Adjust both hands, but focus on the hour hand. Now, move the hour to practice your child to tell time. You can also ask them to show you where the hour hand is pointing to when it’s X o’clock.
- Reduce timeframe telling to half-hour. The next step is to teach your child to tell when it’s 12:30, 2:30, or any other half-hour mark. Here’s the trick—you want everything to resemble the analog clock. That’s why you shouldn’t place the hour hand to show directly the big number, but between the two intervals.
- Practice five-minute marks. The final step is to reduce everything to five-minute gaps. We suggest starting from the top, so go from 12:05. Then, change time intervals to minutes and ask them to move only the minute hand. Practice only several different positions until you see your child can tell time flawlessly. It will take patience, but your kid shouldn’t have problems telling exact minutes in an hour soon.
Use Analog Clock
In today’s world, you’ll find analog and digital clocks. Your focus should be on the analog version first, and you can teach telling time on a digital clock later. It’s best to make everything a part of fun activities and games, which is why a paper clock is the perfect place to start.
Here are some other tips to apply:
- Use colors. Telling time can be tricky for kids, especially when narrowing it to the minute. Ask kids to color different sections to understand intervals better.
Credit: https://society6.com/product/learn-to-tell-time-color-wheel_w
- Download a worksheet. Schools often use worksheets since they help students to tell the hour and minute intervals better. You can use these materials to practice at home. If you can’t print the sheet, record the time intervals and draw them on a piece of paper.
Credit: https://www.math-aids.com/Time/
- Avoid second hands. The third hand only brings problems, at least until you teach your kids to tell the hour and minute.
- Practice writing down times in a digital format. Once your kids are comfortable with an analog clock, it’s time to move to the digital version. Ask children to read the hour on an analog clock and write down the exact time in a digital format.
- Think about teaching kids the elapsed time. Knowing how to tell elapsed time is an important skill. You can use the clock and ask kids to mark starting and ending points for each lesson. Time activities like dinnertime, watching a TV show or going to the store.
How Toddler Watches Can Help Teach the Concept of Time
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Kid-friendly watches are an excellent way of explaining how time works to children at a vary young age. These watches are usually colorful and might have additions of their favorite cartoon characters. That way, kids can connect the character to a certain position on the clock face.
As the child observes time during different parts of the day, it’ll help them understand how their day looks. They’ll learn that it’s time for learning-related activities first, and eagerly wait for the time when their favorite cartoon starts on TV.
Once kids get a bit older, you can get them an actual child-friendly smartwatch. That gadget makes kids feel great, and it’s also important for parents. It’s because these watches aren’t only about knowing what time it is, but also staying in touch with your little one. You can use it to communicate with kids and know their whereabouts, which provides any parent the much necessary peace of mind.
Unlock a world of learning and fun for your toddler with the Findmykids app. Download it to your kid’s watch and ensure their safety while enjoying educational activities and exciting adventures!