Online clock for teaching

A free interactive teaching clock. Drag the hands and the digital time and the words ("quarter past three") change as you go. Use geared hands like a real clock or free-moving hands, hide the answer for a quiz, set a challenge, or print a worksheet. Works full screen on a classroom whiteboard.

How to teach telling time with this clock

1. Start with the hour hand only. Set o'clock times with the minute hand on 12 and talk about which number the short hand points to.
2. Show the hands working together. Keep Geared hands on and slowly drag the minute hand once around. The class sees the hour hand creep to the next number.
3. Half past, then quarter past and quarter to. Turn on Shade "past" and "to": the green side is "past" the hour and the orange side is "to" the next hour.
4. Count in fives. Turn on Minute numbers so children can see 5, 10, 15 around the edge, then turn them off again once they can count on their own.
5. Quiz the class. Tick Hide the answer, set a time, ask for it in words, then reveal it.
6. Let them practise. New challenge gives a time to set, and Check my answer keeps score. Print a worksheet makes six blank clocks to draw the hands on.

For reading practice, where children read a clock and choose the right time, try the telling time game. For a live classroom display, use the analog clock or the classroom timer.

Saying the time

Clock shows	We say
3:00	three o'clock
3:05	five past three
3:15	quarter past three
3:30	half past three
3:45	quarter to four
3:50	ten to four
3:07	seven minutes past three

Questions people ask

What is a geared teaching clock?

On a geared clock the hands are linked like a real clock: move the minute hand all the way around and the hour hand moves one number. It shows children why the hour hand sits between two numbers. Free-moving hands let you move each hand on its own, which is useful for spotting mistakes.

How do I use this clock on a classroom whiteboard?

Open the page on the classroom computer, press Full screen, and drag the hands with a mouse or on an interactive whiteboard by touch. Use Hide the answer while the class works out the time, then show it.

In what order should telling time be taught?

Most teachers start with o'clock, then half past, then quarter past and quarter to, then counting in fives, and finally any minute. The level menu on this page follows the same order.

Why is the hour hand between two numbers?

The hour hand moves slowly all the time. At half past three it is halfway between the 3 and the 4. The hour to read is the number it has most recently passed.

Can I share a time with my class?

Yes. The page address updates to the time on the clock, for example onlineclock.app/teaching-clock/#3:15pm. Copy it from the address bar and anyone who opens it sees the same time.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free, needs no account and has no sign-up, and it works on computers, tablets and interactive whiteboards.

Need paper practice? Print free telling time worksheets with answer keys.