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.