If you’re trying to cut down on clutter this Christmas and give a few special gifts that will last, an EasyRead children’s watch should be at the top of your shopping list. This educational, stylish and long-lasting gift ticks all your boxes so don’t let it get overlooked as just another stocking filler!
Take a look at what makes our watches the best choice for your little one and think outside the box this year with our Christmas gifting guide.
A children’s watch for Christmas
Unlike expensive toys that might get played with a few times and then left to collect dust in the toy cabinet, our children’s watches are designed to keep children engaged and to support their learning across the new year.
Every element on our watches has been designed to appeal to young children, from the clear educational layout to the customisable colour of the clock face. Each watch also comes with the option to choose the 12/24 Hour or Past & To method and our specially designed watches include all the information a young child needs to practice telling the time on their own.
We recommend our watches for all children aged 4+, so all that’s left to do is choose a strap in their favourite colour and wrap it up. Rather than bundling it in with several other gifts or hiding it away as a stocking filler, let’s take a look at how you can make a new kids watch the most exciting gift they receive this year!
1. Switch up the packaging
Keep your little one guessing by changing the packaging of their new children’s watch. This can be as simple as putting the watch in a completely different box, or you can get creative and change the shape of the package with lots of different decorations.
One of our favourites is creating a cracker out of a cardboard tube and it’s much easier to do than you might think! Simply pop the package inside a tube or rectangular box and wrap it up in a large sheet of Christmas wrapping paper. Then all you need to do is tie the ends with ribbon and store this fun, unique gift underneath the tree until the special day arrives.
2. Layers of excitement
We all love gifts that offer more than meets the eye, so give your recipient an exciting surprise by including the watch with another gift. There are lots of ways to do this so don’t be afraid to get creative, but if you’re looking for a tried-and-tested idea we’ve found that adding the watch to the arm of a cuddly toy always gets a great reaction.
All you have to do is take the watch out of its packaging, add it to the toy and watch their reaction as they realise it’s a two in one gift. It’s always a nice touch to add a bow to the cuddly toy so why not tie a ribbon around its neck or add it to the other wrist – or, if you’re looking to go all-out, you could wrap the entire toy up and add the ribbon on top.
3. Add a strap
Our watches come with one strap in the colour of your choice, but we also stock a range of additional straps for you to choose from. So, if your little one has more than one favourite colour, why not gift them a few extra straps to mix and match in the new year?
Our range contains all the colours you could want, from black and blue to pink and yellow, and even includes Blue Camo, Green Camo, and Pink Camo options for something a little different! They offer the perfect opportunity to personalise this new accessory every day, so now all that’s left to do is arrange the straps in a circle around the watch and package them up in a large box ready for Christmas morning.
4. Tick, tick, tick!
Our EasyRead watches come with the batteries already installed, which offers lots of opportunities to have fun with the ticking sounds when wrapping your gifts!
Why not add a playful twist to the fun of unwrapping a toy by hiding the watch inside it and asking them ‘what’s that sound?’. This can be as obvious or as tricky as you like, and you could even hide the watch inside a pre-built Lego set or a zip-up cuddly toy to make it a real challenge.
So, have a play around with potential hiding places and watch their curiosity and excitement grow as they investigate the sound.
5. Create a treasure box
Our watches are the perfect gift to combine with a few other surprises from our range and create an educational Christmas bundle. With quick delivery across our range you can choose all the extra bits you need for a complete gift set, including our:
Or any other gifts that take your fancy. Once you have everything you need, all that is left to do is put them in a large box and cover it in wrapping paper for a big present that makes them wonder what’s inside!
Gifting an EasyRead children’s watch this Christmas
With a wide range of colours, designs, and clock faces, our watches are as customisable as you need them to be, so browse our collection today to give an educational gift that will last.
The chilly winter evenings and dark weekends mean less opportunities for outside play but the perfect reason to spend time together inside as a family! So, if you’re keen to make the most of this extra time, why not take this opportunity to make learning how to tell the time fun for your little ones?
From our free downloadable resources to our Countdown to Christmas games, we’ve put together a guide on how to make learning fun this winter, so, gather the rest of the family and take a look!
How to tell the time
Did you know that most clocks and watches only display about 20% of the information that we need to read the time? This means that 80% of the information is missing, making it hard for young children to understand what number each hand is pointing to. On top of this, children often struggle to decide which hand is which, as most clocks have hour and minute hands that are the same length.
In 1992, we decided that children were not receiving the support that they needed to read a clock as there was nothing on the market that specifically addressed these difficulties. This is why we started EasyRead Time Teacher, and also why we developed our simple time-teaching method that explains how to tell the time in 2, or 3, easy steps.
Our method is designed for children of all ages, and works on both 12/24 hour clocks and Past & To clocks, depending on which model your children prefer. So, explore our full method by clicking here, and then read on to discover how you can make this learning process fun and engaging with our favourite time-teaching activities.
How to make it fun!
Now we move on to the exciting part! Our simple process can be used on any EasyRead products from our range, so let’s take a look at what time teaching activities are available to support your child’s learning.
1. Tell the Time Card Games
If you’re wondering how to keep the kids entertained on a rainy winter afternoon, our Tell the Time cards offer hours of fun playing all the family favourite games.
Available in two levels – suitable for ages 5-7 and ages 8-11 – each pack contains 60 cards showing 15 different times that can be used to play all kinds of games. From snap and matching pairs, to buddy-up and bingo, the aim of every game is to match up the times and recognise the different minutes and hours of the day whilst having fun.
2. TwinTime Cards
Another time-teaching game that is popular with children (and adults!) of all ages are our TwinTime cards. Sold individually or in boxes of 10, our cards feature a printed EasyRead clock and moveable hands that let you display any time of the day for a simple learning exercise that also lets you count backwards and forwards, in 5s and 10s, and practice fractions.
3. EasyRead Watches
Don’t keep our EasyRead watches hidden away under the tree until Christmas Day – these brilliant time-teaching tools can get a lot of use in the run-up to Christmas.
If your child has one, or if you’re planning to gift them one, encourage them to use it by asking them how long a particular task will take. You can ask them to make a note of what time they start an activity like brushing their teeth or cleaning their room, and then again when they stop, before asking them to work out how much time they have spent on that task.
This is a great way to add some excitement to the dull daily tasks and to make the most of the exciting festive activities like putting up the tree or baking some Christmas treats.
4. Time Charts
Creating a time chart showing your childs’ daily schedule is a great way to help reinforce the importance of knowing how to tell time in our everyday lives.
Get your little one to create a chart showing what time of day they are expected to wake up, brush their teeth, go to school, and go to sleep, and keep it fun by encouraging them to add their favourite activities in as well such as an after-school club or time with family. This is also a good way to maintain a sense of structure in their daily lives during the holidays and particularly in the run up to Christmas when all sense of time seems to go out the window!
5. Downloadable Resources
Finally, if your budget is a little tight this winter, our free resources are available to print or download on our website. From our Make a Clock activities to our Home Education Day Planner, we have an entire webpage dedicated to keeping your little ones entertained for less, so click here to view our free resources today.
Learning how to tell time with EasyRead
If you’re hoping to make learning how to tell the time as fun and engaging as you can for your kids this winter, our time-teaching method is the first place you should start! Check it out now and get started on planning your engaging activities today.
Learning aids, a curriculum printout, a list of school rules – is there anything missing from your classroom walls this term? Whether your class has already learned how to tell the time or this is a topic you will be exploring this year, having a clock in a classroom should be a top priority for all teachers and learning support staff.
Having a classroom clock available for pupils to use helps them do more than just track the minutes left of a lesson, so let’s take a look at the 5 reasons why you should always have an EasyRead clock in your classroom.
Support the curriculum
Being able to tell the time is a fundamental skill that all UK primary school children must learn. As well as being a core topic included in the curriculum, this vital life skill is often a childs’ first introduction to the concept of time, which they must have a good understanding of before they can begin learning to read a clock themselves.
The large numbers and clear design of our clocks are intended to be seen from anywhere in the room, giving pupils a visual aid that they can familiarise themselves with before they start learning to tell the time, and then practise with as they learn. All our designs also include our simple teaching system that makes it easy for children to read the time in 3 easy steps, making it a great introduction to the time-teaching elements of the school curriculum.
Everyday practice
Once children understand the passage of time and how it is divided between hours, minutes and seconds, these new skills become useful in many other areas of life. From understanding the importance of being on time to taking responsibility for your own schedule, ongoing practice helps students to develop their understanding of time in a real-life context.
So, having a clock that all pupils have access to is a great way to encourage continued practice throughout the school day. Whether your pupils use the clock to work out how much longer is left in a lesson or to observe the passage of time across the school day, they will come to understand that time is not just a topic that they learn in school but also an important part of everyday life.
Structured learning
Without a clock in a classroom the only way that a pupil can know what time it is is to ask their teacher – and we all know how much young children love to ask questions.
So, rather than having to answer non-stop questions about what time it is or how long is left in a lesson, simply add one of our EasyRead classroom clocks to your classroom and see how well it minimises these interruptions. This will also make it easier to implement a structured routine that pupils are expected to follow, as well as setting them timed tasks and letting them track the time that they have left.
This will also help pupils stay focused on a particular task and stop them from continually wanting to know what time it is, and the ability to track their own progress and finish work within a set time frame becomes increasingly important as they grow. So, keep lessons on track and encourage their development with our range of classroom wall clocks.
Support with maths
Clocks are often one of the very first experiences that children have with numbers, making them a great introduction to maths. Our clocks contain the numbers 1 through to 30, or 1 to 60 if you opt for our 12/24 Hour clock, which familiarises children with these numbers and helps them to identify their connection to each other as time progresses.
Having a clock in a classroom helps children to apply this knowledge, as they can then go on to quickly understand the basics of addition and subtraction by counting how many minutes are left in a lesson, or how long they have already spent on a task. Our clocks are also an excellent introduction to fractions as each clock face is clearly divided into half hours and into the 60 minutes in every hour, and you can find out more about how our clocks support maths learning here.
So, whatever mathematical concepts are on your list for this term, start laying the foundations for them now with our clocks.
Pair with resources
Finally, having an EasyRead teaching clock in a classroom is most effective when it is paired with our range of classroom resources. Alongside our clocks we also supply TwinTime Cards to reinforce your pupils’ learning through fun activities, and playground clocks to encourage continued practice outside of the classroom.
Our TwinTime Cards are the perfect resource for practising the time with an entire class, as each pupil is responsible for reading the time displayed on the teaching clock and writing it down on their card. This hands-on approach means that every pupil is able to enjoy this practical activity with the whole class without being put on the spot to answer a question, and just like our clocks they can be used for addition, subtraction, and fractions, as well as learning multiples of 5s and 10s.
Our cards are available in packs of 10 or as part of our complete Classroom Sets, which also include a classroom clock and a Teacher Card for demonstration.
Our full range of classroom resources
So, don’t leave it any later in the new term to invest in a clock for your classroom by heading to our website and exploring our full range today.
Is your child struggling to read an analogue clock? Perhaps you yourself have had trouble reading the time? For over 20 years, we have been working to make learning how to tell the time on a clock more accessible and enjoyable for children and adults. So, let’s take a look at our two intuitive methods for all learners and how these time-telling processes can transform the way your child understands time.
How to tell the time on a clock
Many children find it difficult to read the time on an analogue clock. This may be something that you have already noticed in your child, or it may be a concern that you are keen to address ahead of the new school year.
We identified these difficulties in children several years ago, and we worked with a group of children to identify the two key causes of their confusion and hesitancy. Both issues come from design flaws on the clocks themselves, as the first is regarding the limited information contained on the face of a clock.
First, regular clocks and watches typically display only hour numbers and some small markings to indicate minutes without actually displaying the 60 minutes within each hour. Whilst this is usually enough information for an experienced time-telling adult to gauge the time, it actually represents just 20% of the information needed to accurately read the time. The remaining 80% – including crucial context like minute details and clear hand positioning – is missing.
The second issue regards the hands of a clock. On most clocks the two hands are often nearly the same length which makes it confusing for people to determine which number to read first. They are also often positioned between numbers, rather than landing on a specific minute marker, which makes it even more challenging to accurately read the time. This lack of clarity makes learning to tell time challenging and frustrating for many children, and for those who struggle with dyscalculia or similar challenges, these struggles can continue long into adulthood.
EasyRead Time Teacher
This is where EasyRead comes in. Our clock face designs carry all the information that is needed to tell the time and each minute of the day is carefully enclosed in separate sections so that the tips clearly point to specific numbers
We also separate the hour and minute sections of the clock into two clear circles, and each hand is enclosed in its own circle to avoid any confusion. So, now that you are familiar with our design, it’s time to take a look at the two simple ways to read an EasyRead clock.
3 step process
Our first method follows the usual process of reading a clock – the ‘past & to’ method. This popular time-telling technique is the one taught in UK primary schools, so if you’re looking to support your little ones’ learning, this is a straightforward method that reinforces their new skills.
Step 1: First, look at the long hand and read the number at the end of it. This number represents the minutes.
Step 2: Next, state whether the minute hand is on the “past” side or the “to” side of the clock. This helps children understand whether the minutes are counting past the current hour or towards the next one.
Step 3: Finally, look at the short hand and read the number at the end to state the hour.
And there you have it! Simple, straightforward, and requiring no guesswork, our structured approach uses all the information available on the clock and makes telling the time an easy game of ‘say what you see’.
2 step process
Perhaps you tell the time another way – as if you’re reading a digital clock? We aim to make learning how to tell the time on a clock accessible for all, which is why we also offer 12/24 hour clocks which only require 2 steps to read.
Step 1: First, look at the hour hand and read the number that it is pointing to.
Step 2: Next, look at the minute hand and read the number at the end.
Say these numbers out loud as you read them to state the current time. For example, if the time is “1:52,” simply say “One, fifty-two.”
How to tell the time on a clock with EasyRead
Which of these methods will work the best for you? Refer back to them as needed and enjoy practising the right method for you with our full range.
Is your little one about to start primary school in September? Whilst you help them choose their first pair of smart shoes, lunchbox and pencil case, there is one more thing that should be on your shopping list this summer – a watch. Watches for 4 year olds are the perfect introduction to the time telling skills that they will need in school, so let’s explore how these watches will support your little one and make all the difference for their learning.
Learning to tell the time
Learning to tell time is so important for young children who are starting primary school. Whilst this will be one of the topics that they learn during their first year in school, if they already have a basic understanding of how to read a clock and understand the passage of time, then this will help your little one to understand and adjust to their new schedule. For many children, school is the first time that they will be given a strict timetable so if you are keen to prepare your child for this new routine and give them the time-telling tools that they need, then let’s take a look at how watches for 4 year olds will help them this school year.
1. Managing their school day
A reliable watch provides children with a constant way to keep track of their schedule. By glancing at their watch, they will be able to tell for themselves what time it is and when it’s time for key activities such as break time, lunchtime, or hometime. For children who are particularly anxious about school or struggle when they do not know how long is left of a certain activity, this is an invaluable way to stay informed without having to constantly ask the teacher or rely on their reminders.
2. Developing life skills
School is about more than just passing exams and homework – it teaches our children essential skills that will benefit them throughout their entire lives. One of these life skills is punctuality and time management, and wearing a watch helps children to see the importance of being on time for classes, special activities, and registration. This in turn reinforces the concept of routine and the importance of time in daily activities and helps them to develop an organised and punctual approach to completing tasks and following schedules.
3. Encouraging confidence and responsibility
School can be a daunting new experience for even the most confident children, which is why giving them a watch can help them to feel in control of their routine. Knowing that they can track their day without relying on others helps them to develop confidence in their own abilities and teaches them the importance of being able to rely on yourself, and a watch also encourages them to take responsibility for their belongings, as it is up to them to remember to wear their watch for school and put it back on after P.E or other activities.
Our best watches for 4 year olds
Whilst most children’s watches are designed to be used only as accessories rather than useful tools, and often choose vibrant designs over an easy to read clock face, our watches are designed to support young children to independently tell the time.
Our EasyRead watches are designed with style, function, and accessibility in mind to make it as easy as possible for a developing mind to read the time and develop their skills. Many watch faces are often too small to contain all the information that a young child needs to practise their new skills, which means that children are often left to guess the time or ask for help. This is why we have designed our watches with all the information that a child needs to read the time, and by stripping away any unnecessary extras, our watches make it easy for a young child to identify the minutes, hours, and seconds on the clock face without becoming confused or having to guess the time based on the placement of the hands.
Each and every one of our watches contains not only the 60 minutes within an hour, but also the hours of each 12 hour cycle, meaning that all your child needs to do is memorise our 3-step method and they will be able to tell the exact time at any minute of the day. So, whether you opt for the 12/24-hour method or the Past & To method, an EasyRead watch is the best choice for any young child, so check out our options today.
EasyRead watches for 4 year olds
Whether you have already introduced your child to the concept of time or are keen to give them a head start before their first year of school, head over to our Watches page and begin building the best watch for your little one. Simply choose the preferred method, design face, and colour strap, and you’re all set for September with our installed batteries and 1 year warranty.
Is your child struggling to contextualise the passage of time on a clock? Understanding this concept can be tricky for young children – particularly if they are unable to see the process’ relevance in the wider world. So, if you are looking for ways to help them grasp this concept and enjoy a fun activity together this summer, learning how to tell the time without a clock is a great way to teach your child about time.
Using the sun’s position
First up: using the sun’s position to work out what time it is. As we all know, the movement of the sun across the sky is actually caused by the movement of the Earth as we orbit the sun, and this daily orbit gives us a good idea of the time at different points in the day.
To get started, take your little one outside in the morning, whilst the sun is still rising in the East. Once they have found the suns’ place in the sky, explain to them that the sun will always be visible in the East before midday, and that if they’re ever stuck without a clock, then they will be able to estimate the time of day by finding the sun’s place in the sky.
At midday, take them outside once again and explain to them that the sun will always be directly overhead at midday, and then finally take them outside again as the sun sets in the West. To conclude the day, explain how, thanks to the rotation and orbit of the Earth, the sun has followed a consistent journey across the sky, and that we are able to estimate what time it is by tracking its movement at different times of the day. This hands-on method helps children to better understand how time follows a consistent pattern and its connection to the Earth’s movements, giving them a tangible representation of time that they will always be able to refer back to.
Making a sundial
Once your child has developed a basic understanding of the sun’s relevance in time-telling activities, you can begin to build upon this understanding by making a sundial. Summertime is the best time to create a sundial as you will have more hours of sunlight to work with, so before your little one wakes up, head out to the garden and find a sunny spot to place a stick upright in the ground. This stick will function as a time telling device, as its shadow length and position will change as the sun’s position changes, making it a great demonstration for any curious child wondering how to tell the time without a clock.
When your child joins you in the garden to begin the activity, mark where the sticks’ first shadow falls with a stone or some colourful chalk. Then make sure that you return to mark the new shadows position at regular intervals throughout the day to create your child’s very own sundial, and make sure that you emphasise to your child that the passage of time is being clearly demonstrated by these markers.
Tracking the North Star
Tracking the North Star is a fascinating way for parents and children of all ages to explore the passage of time by working together to chart the celestial movements. Whilst this concept may seem too challenging for younger children, it follows a similar method to the sundial activity – only this time, we can clearly see that we are the moving object in the night sky.
Start by locating the North Star, also known as Polaris, in the night sky on a warm, clear evening. The North Star is a bright star that remains nearly fixed in the same spot in the night sky whilst the other stars appear to rotate around it due to Earth’s rotation. Point its position out to your child and take a few minutes every hour or so over the next few hours to relocate the star and observe how the surrounding stars appear to change position as the Earth continues to rotate.
Don’t forget to remind your little one that this apparent movement reflects the Earth’s rotation and the passing hours, rather than the movement of the stars, as younger children can become confused if this is not routinely explained to them. Through these observations, children will be able to clearly see the steady, predictable patterns of the night sky and develop their awareness of times’ broader context, as even the stars follow the rules of time every night.
Moon phases
There are two particular ways to use the moon to track the time, and one is best completed over the course of several weeks. However, the less time-consuming activity can be done by tracking the moon’s course over a single night, so if you are planning to do this, start off by noting the time at sunset. If the moon is already visible during this time, then make sure your child clearly notes the moon’s position in the sky as the sun sets.
Over the course of the night the moon will appear to move across the sky as both the Earth and the moon rotate, so regroup once an hour until bedtime to observe the moons’ new position at different times. By comparing the moon’s position to the time of sunset, you can calculate an approximate time based on its position earlier on in the evening.
If you are looking to track the position of the moon across a longer period of time, then engaging your little one in a charting activity is a great way to keep them engaged over the holidays. Begin by observing the moon every night and noting its shape and position, and keep a moon journal to record the moon’s shape each night by shading in the shape. Explain to your child how the moon’s appearance changes due to its orbit around Earth and the varying angles of sunlight hitting its surface to help them grasp longer time periods beyond the daily cycle. Over the course of approximately 29.5 days, the moon goes through its phases: new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter, and by tracking the moon’s phases children are able to see a clear, repetitive system that spans weeks and months.
How to tell the time without a clock
Whilst all of these activities are great opportunities to deepen your little ones’ understanding, it is also clear that the easiest way to tell the time is with an EasyRead clock or watch! As we enjoy watching the movement of the moon, stars, and our own planet through the skies, let’s take a minute to be grateful that our daily routines no longer require us to know how to tell the time without a clock – and that we instead have access to all the time-telling resources that we need.
Are you a parent looking for some extra help for your little one as they learn to tell the time? With our full range of educational clocks, including our children’s wall clocks, we are here to transform the learning process into a fun and engaging activity. With their vibrant colours and educational designs, these clocks are made with all the information and support that a child needs to read the time, so join us as we explore how our clocks will improve your child’s abilities.
EasyRead children’s wall clocks
Many young children find learning to read a clock challenging as they are often confused by the hands and numbers, but mastering this skill early on in life is crucial as it gives them the skills that they need to manage their daily routines and independence.
For many, the numbers on a clock are their first introduction to numbers, and telling the time is the first mathematical concept that they encounter, so if you are looking to give your child the support that they need with their learning, then make sure to opt for our clear, child-friendly clocks today.
Here at EasyRead, we understand the struggles that young children encounter when first learning these skills, and we aim to make time-telling quick and simple with our clocks. So, what exactly does our range offer your child?
1. Our teaching methods
As part of our innovative design, we offer two EasyRead formats which allow you to choose the approach that best suits your child’s learning style and preferences, or your own if they have not yet learned a method.
The 12/24-hour format helps children understand the difference between morning and afternoon times, reinforcing their understanding of the daily passage of time and their own schedules. Alternatively, our Past & To method splits the clock into two halves, making it easier for children to understand minutes past the hour and minutes to the next hour. This intuitive design breaks down the complex concept of time into manageable chunks, ensuring that children can learn at their own pace, and with our clear, colour-coded dials and straightforward labelling of numbers, learning the time becomes an engaging and rewarding experience for every child.
2. Colour-coded segments
The face of each one of our clocks is divided into clear sections and features colour-coded segments that clearly distinguish between the hours and minutes. With distinct colours for each hour and minute zone, we have divided up every minute of the day and made it much easier for children to see the difference between hours and minutes, and therefore the relationship between these two measurements. This supports their understanding of time and helps separate it into quantifiable units that can be tracked and measured by following our methods.
Our clear dials therefore carry all the necessary information that children need to learn to tell the time, eliminating any confusion and reducing the need for additional intuition. Children can simply read the time and practice saying it out loud, making the learning process an accessible and straightforward experience that all young learners are able to master and enjoy.
3. Large, easy-to-read numbers
Did you know that conventional clocks actually contain very little useful information for children who are learning this important skill? The average clock design contains only 12 numbers, and hands which aren’t labelled as minute or hours hands, making the majority of these designs confusing or unclear for young children, and causing them to rely on their instincts or assumptions when reading the time.
With large, prominent numbers, EasyRead clocks ensure that children are able to easily see and identify the time, reducing confusion and enhancing their confidence. The gradual gradient of our numbers follows the movement of time, providing a further visual representation of the passing time, and our bold and distinctive numbers mean that children can quickly and accurately read their kids wall clock from anywhere in the room. This design feature supports children in developing their time-telling skills without frustration by encouraging them to practise often and reinforce their learning throughout their days.
4. Engaging and fun design
The bright, engaging, and colour-coded designs offered by these clocks are intended to capture the attention and interest of children in order to engage them in reading the clock. This turns the process into a fun and engaging activity, rather than a chore that has been given to them by their parents or school, and makes them much more likely to interact with the clock and learn.
Additionally, the silent, no-ticking feature ensures that even the most easily distracted children can focus on reading the time without confusion or distraction, and creates a calm learning environment for all those who engage with our designs. So, if your child is often scared by the task of reading an analogue clock, or reacts with panic when you try to teach them, turn the process into a stress-free activity and help them to concentrate by investing in one of our designs today.
5. Support for parents
If you are unsure of which teaching method is right for your child, then don’t worry – we are here to take the pressure off you with our EasyRead 2 or 3-step teaching methods. These intuitive methods are game-changers for parents, as they break down time-telling into simple, manageable steps that are easy for children to understand and follow.
For example:
⦁ Identify the minute hand and say the number that it is pointing to.
⦁ Say which side of the clock the minute hand is pointing to (past or to).
⦁ Identify the hour hand and say the number that it is pointing to.
All of our EasyRead clocks are designed to be quickly and easily read by using these methods and parents can confidently rely on this method to support their child’s learning. As the ideal first clock to help children learn to tell the time at home, our clocks also function as a valuable resource that can be used by the entire family, so make this new activity a shared, enjoyable family experience with our silent, battery powered clocks today.
Tips for Parents
Once you’ve decided on the best kids wall clock for your home, incorporating its use into your family’s daily routine is quick and simple, but it will have an immediate impact on your childs’ skills.
Start by placing the clock in a prominent location where your child spends most of their time, such as in the kitchen, living room, or playroom, and encourage them to use the clock during their daily activities. This doesn’t mean just reminding them to check the time every so often – rather, it means asking them directly to tell you the time throughout the day, or setting small challenges, like timing tasks, or playing ‘what time is it?’ games. You can also ask them to check the time when it’s time for meals, homework, or bedtime and contextualising the use of the clock in this way during their daily activities will reinforce their practical time telling skills.
No matter what activities you opt for, celebrate your child’s successes and continuous improvement to boost their confidence and keep them motivated to learn. Additionally, our full EasyRead range includes a wide selection of resources to complement our children’s wall clocks, including watches, games, online resources, and bedside clocks, so if you are looking to make the learning process even more effective, check out our full range today.
Our Telling Time Clock Range
With their specialist educational design, engaging design features, and supportive teaching methods, our children’s wall clocks make learning fun and stress-free for all children and their families. So, if you’re looking for an educational clock to support your child and improve their abilities, head over to our online shop and find the best telling time clock to boost their confidence and understanding.
Are bedside clocks a necessity for your child’s room, or are they just another gadget to clutter up their space? Join us as we explore the impact of introducing a clock to your child’s bedside table, and check out our EasyRead alarm clock range that has been specially designed to foster time-telling and time management skills without disrupting sleep.
Children’s bedside clocks
Introducing a bedside clock into your child’s nighttime routine might seem like a simple decision, and it is a great idea to give your child the tools to tell the time themselves as soon as they wake up. However, it can also seem obsolete in a society that has mobile phones within arm’s reach at all times, so if you’re still on the fence about investing in a bedside or alarm clock, let’s weigh up the pros and cons of these time-telling tools.
1. Time-telling
These clocks are fundamentally educational resources, and their usefulness comes from their clear and engaging design that supports children’s learning. Being able to tell time is a fundamental skill for all primary school aged children in the UK, and having an analogue clock readily available as soon as they wake up helps to facilitate this learning process.
This hands-on practice every morning helps children to take responsibility for their own learning, as they can check the time on their own without relying on their parents to tell them the time or even wake them up. This eventually develops into a deeper understanding of the concept of time and its passing, as they will also be able to see the amount of time that they have slept for on the clock or how much time they have to get ready for school, as they become more independent and familiar with the clock.
2. Time management skills
Once a child is able to wake up and immediately recognise a certain time on the clock, they will also be able to understand that times’ placement within the day – whether that is before their alarm goes off, as their alarm goes off, or after. This subtly shifts the beginning of the child’s day from whenever an adult comes to wake them, to a more fixed, tangible time that can be read on a clock.
Owning a clock therefore encourages children to become active participants in keeping track of their daily routines, such as knowing when to wake up, start getting ready, or prepare for bed, and even managing these important tasks in some cases. These regular interactions with a clock, and this early introduction to scheduling and maintaining a routine, not only prepares them for school but also lays the foundation for successful time management in their future.
3. Improved sleep
Unlike smartphones or tablets, which emit disruptive blue light, our silent glow in the dark bedside clock provides a way of checking the time at any point throughout the night without needing to look at a screen. Opting for analogue, silent bedside clocks continues to reduce the amount of screen time our children have and helps encourage better sleep habits.
This in turn helps to establish and maintain a natural sleep-wake cycle that does not rely on digital screens, which not only aids their mental and emotional wellbeing, but also helps maintain their daily energy levels and performance at school.
Potential drawbacks
When exploring the impact of these time telling tools on a child’s development and daily schedule, it’s important to consider the potential drawbacks of opting for the wrong clock. From the potential disruption to sleep patterns, to the risk of creating an anxious association with time-keeping, let’s explore why parents need to carefully choose the type of clock they opt for.
1. Sleep disruption
On the cons side, some might argue that introducing a clock into a child’s room can inadvertently lead to sleep disruptions. Bedside clocks with light features, such as glowing numbers or backlit displays, can affect a child’s natural sleep cycle, whilst the ticking sounds may be distracting and keep your child awake at night.
To make sure that every child has access to a clock without disrupting their sleep, we have designed our clocks to address these negative effects. Our EasyRead clocks come with an LED night light and a built-in sensor to control the brightness of the clock face and minimise light interference; or if your child prefers, this light can be turned off completely. Our silent glow in the dark bedside clock is also designed to operate silently, with a silent sweeping movement that eliminates the distracting ticking noise that is common in most other designs.
2. Sleep anxiety
It’s important to consider your child’s personality and sleep habits when deciding whether or not to give them a clock, as some children can become fixated with its display. Constant exposure to the time can lead to anxiety in sensitive children, particularly if they obsess over time during the night or worry about waking up on time. This can affect their ability to relax and fall asleep if they are worried about waking up late for school, or cause them anxiety if they are scared of the loud alarm that has replaced their parents’ voices in the morning.
The child-friendly features of our clocks are designed to reduce these anxieties, and we have replaced the usual alarm sounds with a gentle crescendo alarm, a glowing clock face, and a snooze option for a natural and gentle awakening. With this knowledge, children can fall asleep confident that they will be gradually woken up by a system that aligns with the body’s internal clock and won’t alarm them.
Similarly, if you find your child obsessing over the time or have noticed that they are becoming anxious about oversleeping, you can turn off the clocks’ internal night light and minimise the temptation to constantly check the time. This, combined with a clear demonstration of the clocks’ alarm system to set their mind at rest, reduces their focus on the passing hours and encourages a more restful night’s sleep, safe in the knowledge that they will be woken up when the time is right.
Children’s alarm clocks
Our clocks are thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of children and parents, and to address the common concerns around sleep quality and anxiety with adjustable brightness, quiet operation, and gentle alarms. Whatever the specific needs of your family, our clocks nurture a good sleeping environment that aligns with your child’s wellbeing and daily routines, so if you’re ready to take the next step in your child’s time-telling journey, explore our alarm clock range today.
If your child is learning to read a clock for the first time, then they are likely going to have a lot of questions. Whilst the majority of them will probably centre around how clocks work or how they demonstrate the passing of time, your child might start to look outside of their own experience and wonder how different cultures tell time. Different countries and languages can all measure and interact with time in very different ways, so if you or your child are interested in exploring how other cultures learn to tell the time, here is our guide.
Time-telling across the world
Different parts of the world have different, and often unique, ways of interacting with time, shaped by historical, geographical, and social factors. Modern timekeeping is largely uniform due to globalisation and technological advancements which have reduced modern time telling skills to a quick glance at a screen, and so it is easy for us to overlook the importance that time still holds for many cultures across the globe.
Exploring how different people learn to tell the time can reveal a great deal about their societies and the structure of their days, as many local time practices still reflect cultural identities. Whilst in Britain, our timekeeping is primarily used as a way to schedule our daily lives and has little cultural impact, in other areas the way people interact with time can vary depending upon the seasons, the time of day, and any religious holidays or festivals.
These rules, whether clearly displayed across societies or simply implied through practices that have been passed down through generations, nurture the timekeeping traditions of different areas and keep them from fading. So, before we get into a deeper exploration of how cultures across the world learn to tell the time, let’s take a look at how interactions with time differ from country to country.
Interactions with time
Cultural attitudes towards time vary significantly around the world, reflecting deeper values and revealing much about the numerous different ways of life. These diverse attitudes towards time and its passing not only influence daily schedules and social norms but also reflect broader cultural values and priorities, shaping how people interact, conduct business, and manage social relationships.
For example, in countries such as America and the UK, time is viewed as a way to keep track of the different stages of the day and informs which actions we take next, which has resulted in a structured approach to time management and a strong emphasis on punctuality, scheduling, and efficiency. Time in the West exists to keep us on track and manage our tasks, and this strict approach to time is also one shared by several East Asian societies, particularly across Japan and South Korea. These areas often have a considered and measured approach to time, valuing punctuality and structure highly and viewing time as a resource that must be managed wisely. However, it is important to remember that many of these attitudes are unwritten, and can only be observed through daily interactions, rather than through the study of time.
In contrast to these more rigid contexts, where time is money and lateness is seen as an insult or indicative of one’s commitments, many other societies have a more relaxed attitude towards time. Primarily found across Middle Eastern and Latin American cultures, these attitudes are informed more by social factors than strict schedules, and measurements of time are often event related, meaning that the conclusion of an activity is generally more reliant on the judgement of the participants rather than the amount of time allotted on a clock.
By taking the time to observe these different ways of scheduling, planning, and utilising our time, we can explore the different societal and environmental factors that inform our engagement with the concept of time. What may seem unusual, or sometimes rude or wasteful, to one culture is often informed by many centuries of societal development and cultural norms, illustrating the multifaceted nature of time across global cultures. Despite being seen as a universal concept that touches every area of humanity, the ways that we interact with time have been adapted to suit the requirements of different societies across the world: so, no matter where you come from, there is always something to be learned through exploring the different attitudes to time.
Telling the Time
As our understanding of time differs so much depending upon where we come from, it goes without saying that how we learn to tell the time differs greatly as well.
For as long as humanity has been able to observe the sun rising and going down, and the turn of the seasons as temperatures dropped and crops stopped growing, we have been developing ways of tracking it. Ancient cultures such as the Maya and Egyptians developed advanced calendar systems that integrated astronomy and seasonal cycles, which informed our understanding of time and eventually led to the development of a worldwide 12-month calendar based on our planets’ movement around the sun. This shows that the natural progression of time is inherently circular and relies upon continuous natural loops, but over the centuries, we have moved away from astrological ways of tracking time – although there are still cultures who use natural indicators for tracking religious or cultural events.
Time-telling methods vary globally, influenced by cultural, historical, and environmental factors, and these variations remind us that time’s perception is as much a cultural construct as a scientific measure. However, there is one universally accepted and utilised tool that helps us all measure time: the clock.
Clocks
Across the world, clocks are used as a visual representation of the passage of time, and whether we use it to create our schedules or track our time, they are always there to show the hours, minutes, and seconds as they pass.
Throughout the US and Europe, people predominantly use the 12-hour and 24-hour formats on digital or analogue clocks, with many of the historical ways of telling the time long forgotten by the advancement of time-telling resources. The timekeeping practises of many East Asian cultures is also similar to these methods, as they utilise both digital and analogue clocks and the timekeeping system divides the day into 12 two-hour periods, whilst Latin American cultures use the 12-hour format – although often without strict adherence to exact times and with a more flexible, relaxed approach to time.
Both the 24-hour clock and the 12-hour clock represent the same units of time, but the passage of time is displayed in different ways. The 24-hour clock, often referred to as “military time,” is a widely adopted format that eliminates the ambiguity present in the 12-hour clock system by making it immediately clear which part of the day is being referred to. For instance, 18:00 immediately indicates late afternoon or early evening, whereas 6:00 on the 12-hour clock could be early morning or evening and requires the additional specifier of “a.m.” or “p.m.” to clarify. Despite this, the 12-hour format has a long historical identity and is deeply embedded in the daily life and culture of the regions that use it.
Cultural methods
In many other areas of the world, the erasure of traditional methods is not as widespread, and many cultures utilise a blend of traditional and modern methods that reflect their cultural nuances. This is particularly evident in global Islamic cultures, as prayer times are crucial and Muslims are expected to pray up to five times a day. This schedule is maintained year-round, and the yearly calendar also contains numerous religious holidays depending upon the movement of celestial bodies, as the month begins with the new crescent moon in the Islamic calendar, and astrology remains a key focus of their festivals and celebrations.
Similarly, whilst the majority of the Indian subcontinent follows the standard 12-hour and 24-hour clock formats, the landmass still contains rural areas and cultures that utilise traditional time units as cultural measurements. Although they rarely depend upon them for modern-day timekeeping, these traditional and cultural attitudes towards time continue to coexist with contemporary methods despite the rapid global modernisation.
How to tell the time with EasyRead Time Teacher
The enduring popularity of cultural timekeeping methods alongside modern practices highlights the complexity of how humans perceive and manage time, and understanding these varied timekeeping approaches offers valuable insights into the social fabric of different cultures, reflecting each community’s values and routines.
The range of clocks offered by Easy Read Time Teacher reflects this widespread diversity, accommodating the different time-telling styles that shape our daily experiences and interactions. So, whether you are searching for an English, French, Spanish, or Welsh clock to learn to tell the time with, explore our full range today and find the best resources for your needs.
Are your children having trouble telling the time? For many children, learning to tell time is one of the first academic concepts they are introduced to and it can be an overwhelming and complex challenge, which is why we offer a range of interactive games that take the pressure off learning. Whether your child prefers snap, bingo, or wants to try our TwinTime Cards, all of our games are teaching aids designed to walk you through the stages of reading the time and help children tell the time while providing hours of enjoyment. By incorporating elements of play and engagement, these time teaching games will ensure that your kids are excited to learn and practice telling the time, so whether your child is just starting out or needs a little extra practice, these games are here to lend a helping hand.
Learning through play
When it comes to teaching children new concepts, it is important to make the learning process interactive and engaging rather than stressing the importance of learning these core skills, as this can be overwhelming for young children. Time-telling is an abstract concept that can be difficult for children to grasp, but as an inherently visual activity, it is easy to incorporate games and activities into the learning process. By reframing this learning as a fun activity, particularly one that is shared with other children or loved ones, children are more likely to retain the information and develop a strong skill set whilst maintaining a positive attitude towards the subject.
At EasyRead, our core goal is to make learning as easy and accessible as possible for people of all ages and abilities. To this end, we have developed a range of time teaching games and teaching aids that are perfect for use at home, in school, or on the go to help children tell the time. Rather than confining learning to desks or the kitchen table, our games are intended to be used as a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy that reinforce our teaching system and make learning easy for all, so let’s explore our range of exciting games together.
1. Snap
Snap is a classic game that has long been one of the easiest games to play, and with our Tell the Time Cards, it is easily adapted to support children as they learn and engage with time. By blending the academic concepts with a fun, stimulating game, parents and children can enjoy a classic game with a twist that can be played by all.
Instead of matching numbers or images, the game revolves around matching cards that share the same time. Each pack of our cards contains 60 playing cards, which between them show 15 different times of the day, for a total number of 4 cards for each time, for a simple game of mix and match that is best played with 3 or more players.
Interested in learning how to play? Here are our instructions:
⦁ Shuffle the cards and deal them all out equally between players, face-down.
⦁ To begin the game, one player turns over the top card from their face-down pile and places it face-up in front of them, reading aloud the time on the card.
⦁ Players repeat this action, one after the other, going clockwise around the group.
⦁ If any two top cards on the players face-up piles read the same time this is a “snap”.
⦁ The first person to say “snap!” and put their hand on the table wins the round. The winner takes all the face-up cards on the table, shuffles them, puts them to the back of their pile and starts the next round.
⦁ The overall winner of the game is the player who is left with the most cards.
Finish up the game by counting up the cards and enjoy a simple yet educational game again and again with our Level 1, Level 2, and Level 1 & 2 sets.
2. Matching pairs
Matching Pairs is a popular memory game, and our Time Cards modify this classic game to teach children how to read the time. Instead of matching identical pictures, our games encourage children to match cards with the same time displayed on them.
This game can be played at home with one or more players, or at school with a classroom of players by following these instructions:
⦁ Shuffle all the cards and spread them across a table face-up.
⦁ Set a timer to three minutes. The player should find as many pairs of matching cards as they can within the time constraint. Two cards showing the same time makes a pair.
⦁ After the three minutes the players should read aloud the times on their matching pairs and count their pairs.
⦁ If there is more than one player, repeat this process for each player and create a league table. The overall winner is the player who finds the most pairs in three minutes.
As a straightforward visual game, this game and Snap are best played with our Level 1 cards, but if you are feeling more confident, then why not try playing with our Level 2 cards to match the time as either minutes past and to, or by how it would appear on the 12/24 hour clock.
3. Buddy-Up
Buddy-Up encourages collaborative learning and teamwork, and in this game, children are encouraged to develop their understanding of how time appears on a clock. The aim of this activity is for all players to find their “Time Buddy”, or whoever has a card that matches their own, and in order to play each participant must be able to clearly identify the time on their own card. This game is best played with a large group of players so try it today by following the instructions below:
⦁ Sort the cards so that each player has one card and a “Time Buddy” eg, with a class of 30 sort 15 pairs.
⦁ Hand a card to each player, players must not show each other their card.
⦁ To find their “Time Buddy”, players must ask each other, ‘what time are you?’
⦁ Players must reply with the time on their card.
⦁ Players who find their “Time Buddy” must form a pair. The game ends when all the players have paired up.
This game not only improves children’s time-reading skills, but it also helps them develop communication and social skills, so pick up a set of our cards today.
4. Bingo
For another time-teaching twist on a classic game, Bingo is easily adapted to help children read and understand time by playing with our cards. As a slightly more complicated game, this particular activity is best played with up to 6 players or groups, and instead of calling out numbers, the caller calls out a list of times and the players mark off the corresponding time on their bingo cards, like so:
⦁ Shuffle all the cards and deal out 9 to each player/ group, face-up on a table.
⦁ Choose who is going to be the ‘caller’. The caller must call out a time from the ‘times list’.
⦁ If any of the players/ groups have a card that matches the time the caller reads out, they should turn it face-down on the table.
⦁ The game is won by the player/ group who is the first to have all their cards face-down. When this happens, shout ‘bingo!’
⦁ The caller should check that the cards of the winning player/group match with the times that have been called out. If the cards do not match, the game should resume.
This game helps children practise reading and recognising different times in a fun and interactive way, and also encourages focus and attention to detail as the players must listen carefully to the caller and quickly locate the corresponding time on their bingo cards.
5. TwinTime Cards
Alongside our time-telling cards, we also offer our specialist TwinTime Student Cards for a hands-on approach to teaching time and introducing primary school numeracy. These innovative cards are double-sided and feature a Past & To dial on one side and a 24-hour time dial on the other, with independently movable hands. Made from high gloss write on wipe off PVC sheet, pupils are encouraged to write down the time displayed on the clock, fostering hands-on learning and putting pupils in control of all their learning.
Ideal for mastering time skills, these cards also facilitate learning to count forwards and backwards from 30, understanding fractions, and counting in 5s and 10s. Available in 15 x 20 cm for pupils and 32 x 39 cm for teachers or adults, they also facilitate classroom-wide demonstrations, as well as one-to-one sessions between parents and children, and are available individually or in boxes of 10 for group activities.
These cards not only help children tell the time and practise reading the time, but it also improves their ability to quickly calculate time intervals and understand the relationship between different times.
Games to help children tell the time
By incorporating these interactive and enjoyable time teaching games into their learning routine, you can make the learning process a fun and memorable experience for your child, so develop their social skills and reinforce their abilities by picking up a pack of our cards and start playing today!
