Telling Time Games for Kids
Friendly telling time games with a big analog clock. Read the clock, drag the hands to set a time, match times in words like “quarter to 4” and figure out what time it will be later. Start with o’clock and half past and work up to the nearest minute.
How to play Telling Time Games for Kids
- Pick a level: K–1 uses o’clock and half past, Grade 2 uses quarter hours and every 5 minutes, and Grade 3 tells time to the minute.
- Read the clock: look at the short hour hand and the long minute hand, then tap the matching digital time.
- Set the clock: drag the long minute hand around the face (the hour hand moves along, just like a real clock) or drag the short hand to jump hours. The + and − buttons and arrow keys work too. Press Check when the clock shows the time.
- Time in words: choose words such as half past 7, quarter past 2 or 20 minutes to 5.
- How much later?: read the start time and add the minutes or hours to find the end time.
- Each right answer earns a star; 90% right earns three stars. Your best for every setup is saved.
Controls
- Tap or click an answer, or press 1–4.
- Set the clock by dragging a hand with a finger or the mouse. ← / → move the minutes, ↑ / ↓ move the hour, Enter checks.
- Press 🔊 to hear the question again; Read aloud in the toolbar mutes the voice.
Tips
- Read the hour hand first. If it is between two numbers, the hour is the smaller one (between 3 and 4 means 3-something).
- Count the minute hand by fives: each number on the clock is 5 more minutes. The 3 means 15, the 6 means 30, the 9 means 45.
- At half past, the hour hand sits halfway between two numbers. Watch it move as you drag the minute hand.
- For elapsed time, add the hours first and then the minutes: 2:40 plus 1 hour 30 minutes is 3:40 plus 30 minutes, which is 4:10.
FAQ
How do you teach a child to tell time?
Start with o’clock times, where the minute hand points straight up at 12, then half past. Next learn to count the minute hand by fives and add quarter past and quarter to. Finally, count single minutes. The three levels in this game follow those steps.
What age do kids learn to tell time?
Most children learn hours and half hours around ages 5 to 7 (kindergarten and first grade), five-minute times in second grade, and time to the minute plus elapsed time in third grade.
What does quarter past and quarter to mean?
A quarter of an hour is 15 minutes. Quarter past 3 is 3:15, and quarter to 4 is 15 minutes before 4, which is 3:45.
Why does the hour hand move between numbers?
Because the hour hand travels from one number to the next over a whole hour. At 3:30 it points halfway between 3 and 4. This clock moves the hour hand the same way.
Is this clock game free?
Yes. It works on phones, tablets and computers with no sign-up, and saves your stars in the browser.