Free maths tool · no sign-up

Teaching Clock

Drag the hands and the time follows, in digital and in words. Switch on helpers like past and to, then practise reading the clock, setting it, and working out what time it will be later.

121234567891011
Digital

In words

Numbers

Helpers

Show

Clock

Hands jump

Drag either hand. The other one moves with it, as on a real clock. Arrow keys work too.

Ways to use it

Hide and reveal

Hide the digital time and the words, set a time, and let the class say it before you tap to show. Random time makes it quick-fire.

Past and to

Switch on Past and to with Minutes round the edge. The right half counts minutes past the hour, the left half counts down to the next one.

Time passing

Press Start timing, then move the hands. The faint hands stay where you started, and the clock works out how much time has passed.

Telling the time at primary school

In the National Curriculum for England, children tell the time to the hour and half past in Year 1, to five minutes (including quarter past and quarter to) in Year 2, and to the nearest minute in Year 3, where they also meet Roman numerals from I to XII and 12- and 24-hour clocks. The practice levels follow those steps.