Teaching Kids to Tell Time for Nannies and Au Pairs

Learning About the Hour Hand

Since an hour is the largest unit of time a clock measures (aside from an entire day), the hour hand is the best one for kids to learn first.

Explain to children that the hour hand keeps track of things that take a long time, then give a few examples -- like watching a movie, driving to Grandma's house, or sitting in classes at school. Ask them for other examples.

Another good way to show kids how hours pass during the day is to list a schedule of events for a typical day. Write down times (sticking with whole hours for now) when they might start each activity, such as waking up, eating breakfast, going to school, eating lunch, eating dinner, and going to sleep.

A fun variation on this exercise is to string a clothesline and pin up several pictures or small objects representing daily activities. Ask the kids help you organize them into a logical order.

Next, teach them to identify each hour on the clock's face. Draw 12 different clocks so you'll have a picture of each hour (with the minute hand on the 12 in each one). Click here for a printable clock face.

You can also use a stopped clock to point out what each hour looks like, as long as you can turn the hour hand easily. Have the kids try to read which number the hour hand points to in each case. After they make a few guesses, repeat which number the hour hand does point to.

Once the kids can read each hour on a clock, teach them to draw them for themselves. They should learn to draw in the hands on a numbered clock and also learn to fill in the missing numbers and hands on partially numbered or blank clocks.


Click here for reference.

Stop by tomorrow for Step 3 of Teaching Kids to Tell Time