Introducing “Time Match” – a hands-on, interactive game designed to help children master telling time on an analogue clock. By using everyday materials to create a clock face and playing through fun challenges, players learn to accurately place the minute hand, developing their time-telling skills while having fun.
National Curriculum Objective:
Year 3 Measurement – tell and write the time from an analogue clock.
Year 4 Measurement – read, write and convert time between analogue and digital 12- and 24-hour clocks.
Aim of the Game:
Players work together to identify the correct positions of the minute hand on a clock. The goal is to score points by getting the positions right, while trying to avoid losing lives.
What’s Do You Need:
Your own clock face using simple materials like a bottle top for tracing.
Score sheet to track points and lives.
How to Play:
Setup:
Using a milk bottle top or other small circular object, trace 12 circles to create a clock face.
Write the numbers 1-12 around the clock to represent the hours.
Draw a score sheet to keep track of points and lives.
Gameplay:
One player acts as the “time caller” and describes a time (e.g., “five past”, “half past”, “quarter to”).
The other players must identify where the minute hand would be positioned on the clock.
Players take turns moving the minute hand to the correct position on their clock face.
Scoring:
If a player places the minute hand correctly, they score a point.
If they get it wrong, they lose a life.
Continue playing until a player loses all three lives, then reset and play again to see if they can improve their score.
Winning the Game:
There’s no single winner—players work to improve their score and gain confidence in telling time.
The goal is to keep practicing and get more accurate over multiple rounds.
Educational Benefits:
Reinforces understanding of time-telling, including minutes past and to the hour.
Develops skills in using an analogue clock and recognising the positions of the minute hands.
Encourages teamwork, listening, and critical thinking.
“Time Match” is an exciting and educational way for children to practice telling time in a fun, interactive setting. Perfect for classroom activities or home learning, this game ensures that children not only learn how to read a clock but also gain confidence as they improve with each round. Ready to match the time and score big points? Let’s play!
