Interactive clock
A free interactive clock for teaching time: drag the hands and see the digital time and the words change, then quiz yourself.
🧒 Kids: drag the long red hand around the clock. What happens to the short hand? Then tap Quiz me!
Interactive teaching clock
What the clock does
- Drag either hand. The minute hand moves the hour hand with it, like a real geared clock.
- Step the time with buttons for 1 hour, 5 minutes and 1 minute, forwards or back.
- Read it three ways: the digital time, the time in words (“quarter to 4”) and 24-hour time.
- Quiz mode hides the answer and shows a new time to read.
- Snap to 5 minutes keeps the minute hand on the 5-minute marks for younger children. Turn it off to set any minute.
Ready-made times to open
Each link opens the clock at that time.
- 3 o’clock: the hour hand points right at 3
- Half past 6: the hour hand is halfway between 6 and 7
- Quarter past 9: the minute hand points at 3
- Quarter to 3: the hour hand is nearly at 3
- 7:20: count by 5s to 4
- 11:55: the trickiest one: it is not 12 yet
- 4:38: count by 5s, then 1s
- 3:45 p.m.: a 24-hour time
How to teach telling time with the clock
- Hour hand only. Cover the minute hand with a finger and ask “about what time is it?” The short hand alone gives the hour.
- O’clock and half past. Move the minute hand to 12, then to 6, and watch the hour hand move halfway.
- Count by 5s. Point at each number in turn and count 5, 10, 15… The red minute labels outside the face help.
- Quarter past and quarter to. A quarter of the clock is 15 minutes, so quarter past 9 is 9:15 and quarter to 3 is 2:45.
- To the minute. Turn off snapping, count by 5s to the last number, then by 1s.
Why the hour hand matters
Most clock mistakes come from the hour hand, not the minute hand. At 4:50 the short hand is almost on 5, so children read it as 5:50. On this clock they can drag the minute hand slowly from 4:00 to 5:00 and watch the hour hand creep along.
The rule to teach is simple: the hour is the number the short hand has just passed. Until the minute hand reaches 12 again, it is still 4 o’clock time.
a.m., p.m. and 24-hour time
A day has 24 hours but a clock face only shows 12, so each time happens twice. a.m. is from midnight to noon, and p.m. is from noon to midnight. Tap a.m. or p.m. to label the time on the clock.
Many train timetables and phones use 24-hour time, especially in India and Europe. 3:45 p.m. is 15:45, because it is 12 + 3 hours after midnight. The clock shows both, so children see the link.
Clock games for home
- Set my time: say a time, like “twenty past seven”, and your child sets it on the clock.
- What time will it be? Set a time, then ask what time it will be in 15 minutes. Check with the + 5 min button.
- Daily clock: each morning, set the clock to the time school starts and the time it ends. How long is the school day?
- Speed quiz: how many quiz times can your child read correctly in two minutes?
Telling time by grade
| Grade | What children learn | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Time to the hour and half hour | 1.MD.B.3 |
| Grade 2 | Time to the nearest 5 minutes, a.m. and p.m. | 2.MD.C.7 |
| Grade 3 | Time to the nearest minute and elapsed time | 3.MD.A.1 |
For teachers
Project the clock and let children take turns dragging the hands. Share a link with a time already set, like ?t=8:25, for a quick warm-up. Nothing is stored and no login is needed.
For lessons, see how to tell time. For printed practice, use the telling time worksheet.
More measurement help
- Measurement practice: 10 questions on any of 18 skills, with clocks, coins and rulers.
- Interactive clock: move the hands, read the time in words and quiz yourself.
- Unit converter: length, weight, capacity and time, with the steps.
- Time and money: elapsed time · units of time · counting coins · making change
- Measurement quiz for grades 1 to 5, and measurement levels: 8 steps with a test each.
- Measurement games: Clock Race, Time Match and Measurement Bingo.
- Lessons: how to tell time · how to count money · measuring length · weight and mass · capacity · metric units · customary units · word problems
- By grade: 2nd grade · 3rd grade · 4th grade measurement
- Worksheets: telling time · money · metric units · customary units
- Charts: time chart · US coins chart · measurement conversion chart
Back to measurement for kids · 2nd grade math · 3rd grade math · 4th grade math
Last reviewed
Questions parents ask
How do I use this interactive clock?
Drag the red minute hand or the short hour hand, or use the + and − buttons. The digital time and the time in words change as you move the hands.
Does the hour hand move when the minute hand moves?
Yes, like a real clock. At 4:30 the hour hand sits halfway between 4 and 5, which is the key to reading times like 4:50 correctly.
Can my child quiz themselves?
Yes. Tap Quiz me. The digital time is hidden and the clock shows a new time. Your child types the hour and the minutes and taps Check.
Can I show a.m. and p.m. or 24-hour time?
Yes. Tap a.m. or p.m. to label the time. The 24-hour time appears too, so 3:45 p.m. also shows as 15:45, the way many timetables write it.
Can I set the clock from a link?
Yes. Add ?t= to the address with a time, like /measurement/interactive-clock/?t=7:20 or ?t=15:45 for 3:45 p.m. This is handy for setting homework.
Can I print a clock?
Yes. Set the time you want and tap Print a clock. Only the clock face prints, ready for a worksheet or a classroom display.