Numbers & math
Paper-plate clock
- Builds: Telling o’clock times
- 15 min
- Ages 5–6
- Calm
- No mess
From the house
- A paper plate or a circle of cardboard
- A marker
- Two paper strips, one long and one short
- A real clock to look at (optional)
How to play
- Write 12 at the top, 6 at the bottom, 3 on the right and 9 on the left, then fill in the other numbers together.
- Lay the long strip pointing straight up to 12, because on the hour the long hand always points there.
- Put the short strip on 7 and read it together: short hand on 7, long hand on 12, so it’s 7 o’clock.
- Set the clock to times in their day: when they wake up, eat lunch and go to bed.
Fit it to your child
- Easier: Stick to 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock: top, right, bottom and left.
- Harder: Try half past: the long hand points down to 6 and the short hand sits halfway between two numbers.
Words to use
- o’clock
- long hand
- short hand
- twelve
- what time
Why it helps
One clear rule, long hand on 12 and short hand on the hour, lets them read their first times on a real clock.