This telling time game helps first and second graders read an analog clock to the quarter hour by playing: race cars, pop balloons, flip memory cards or sprint through true and false sentences. Each question shows a clock face with an hour hand and a minute hand, and children pick the matching digital time such as 3:15 or 8:45 from four choices. It is free, needs no sign-up, works on phones and tablets, and comes with a printable sheet of 12 clocks to read.
Telling time game: see how it plays
The telling time game below has four modes, and every question shows a clock. The printable sheet has twelve clocks to the quarter hour with a line for each time, and the pictures show Answer Race, Memory Match and Balloon Pop on this page.
How the telling time game works
- Answer Race: every right answer moves your car forward, and you race three computer cars to the finish flag. The first to 15 wins, and wrong taps cost time, not places.
- Memory Match: twelve face-down cards hide six clocks and their six answers. Flip two at a time and match each one to its answer in as few moves as you can.
- Balloon Pop: answers float up on balloons, and you pop the right one before it drifts off the top. The clock sits above the sky, and the balloons show digital times, so children match the hands to the right numbers. The game speeds up as your score climbs, and three misses ends the round.
- True or False: sixty seconds on the clock. Decide whether each match, such as a clock showing 6:00 with the time 6:00, is right or wrong. A streak of five or more scores double.
Analog clock game: how many times are there?
The telling time game uses 12 hours and four minute positions (0, 15, 30 and 45), which makes 12 × 4 = 48 different times. The wrong choices use the same hour with different minutes, or a nearby hour, so children must check both hands and cannot answer by looking at the hour hand alone. Answers are written as digital times, such as 3:15, because reading a digital clock is also part of the lesson.
Clock game for kids: the four quarter-hour positions
| Minute hand points to | Minutes | Say it as | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | :00 | o’clock | 7:00 is seven o’clock |
| 3 | :15 | quarter past | 7:15 is quarter past seven |
| 6 | :30 | half past | 7:30 is half past seven |
| 9 | :45 | quarter to the next hour | 7:45 is quarter to eight |
The word “quarter” means one quarter of an hour, which is 15 minutes, and the minute hand has travelled a quarter, a half or three quarters of the way around the clock. Wikipedia’s clock face article describes the parts of a clock.
Quarter past quarter to half past: telling time to the quarter hour
Telling time to the quarter hour means learning four positions, and the words quarter past quarter to, half past and o’clock name them. Practice saying each time two ways: “three fifteen” and “quarter past three”. The telling time game shows the digital form, so saying the words aloud connects the clock, the number and the language.
Reading the hour hand at each quarter
The hour hand is the shorter one, and it creeps toward the next number as the minutes pass. This is the main thing that causes mistakes. At 3:45 the hour hand is almost on the 4, and the time is 3:45, not 4:45. A good habit is to read the hour hand first and ask which number it has just passed:
| Time | Say it as | Where the hour hand is |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 3 o’clock | The hour hand is on the 3 |
| 3:15 | quarter past 3 | The hour hand is just past the 3 |
| 3:30 | half past 3 | The hour hand is halfway between the 3 and the 4 |
| 3:45 | quarter to 4 | The hour hand is nearly at the 4 |
| 7:30 | half past 7 | The hour hand is halfway between the 7 and the 8 |
| 9:45 | quarter to 10 | The hour hand is nearly at the 10 |
| 12:15 | quarter past 12 | The hour hand is just past the 12 |
| 6:45 | quarter to 7 | The hour hand is nearly at the 7 |
| 10:00 | 10 o’clock | The hour hand is on the 10 |
| 11:30 | half past 11 | The hour hand is halfway between the 11 and the 12 |
| 1:45 | quarter to 2 | The hour hand is nearly at the 2 |
| 8:15 | quarter past 8 | The hour hand is just past the 8 |
How to read an analog clock in three steps
- Find the hour hand (short) and name the number it has just passed.
- Find the minute hand (long) and see which of 12, 3, 6 or 9 it points to.
- Write the time: the hour, a colon, then 00, 15, 30 or 45.
Ask the child to check: if the minute hand points to the 9, the hour hand should be almost at the next number. The printable sheet gives twelve clocks to try, and a row of words for each position. For more practice, play the telling time game each day and read the guide to teaching a child to tell time.
What time is it game: ask all day
A simple what time is it game turns the day into practice: ask “what time is it?” at breakfast, lunch and bedtime, and let the child read the real clock, then write the time. Keep a small paper clock to set the hands on when the real one is digital.
Telling time worksheet printable: 12 clocks to read
The telling time worksheet printable has twelve analog clocks, one for each hour at a different quarter position, with a line to write the time. Do it before the telling time game to find weak spots, and again a week later to see the improvement. The answers are printed in small type at the bottom for self-checking.
Telling time activities at home
- Paper plate clock: make one with moving hands, or print a printable clock, and set it to the time for lunch and bedtime.
- Daily schedule: write the time next to each part of the day and read the real clock together.
- Time of the day: ask what time it is at each meal and write it as a digital time.
- Match the time: draw clock hands on paper and ask your child to say the time in words.
Where telling time fits at school
| Level | What children are expected to do |
|---|---|
| Grade 1 (US) | Tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks (1.MD.B.3) |
| Grade 2 (US) | Tell and write time from analog and digital clocks to the nearest five minutes, using a.m. and p.m. (2.MD.C.7) |
| Year 2 (England) | Tell and write the time to five minutes, including quarter past and quarter to the hour |
The Common Core grade 1 measurement and data standards set the first goals. The game covers o’clock, half past and the two quarter times, which makes it a good bridge between first and second grade.
Telling time game: frequently asked questions
What grade is the telling time game for?
Hours and half-hours are first grade. Quarter hours and five-minute times are second grade.
How do I read an analog clock?
Read the short hour hand first, then the long minute hand. Write the hour, a colon and the minutes.
What is a quarter past and a quarter to?
Quarter past means 15 minutes after the hour. Quarter to means 15 minutes before the next hour, which is 45 minutes past.
Why does the telling time game show digital answers?
Children meet both kinds of clock, so matching an analog clock to a digital time makes both kinds easy.
Is the telling time game free, and do kids need an account?
Yes, it is free, and no account is needed. Best scores are saved only in the browser on this device.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Every game is built for touch first and also works with a mouse on a computer.