When do we say “past” and when “to”?

For the first half hour we count minutes past the hour: 3:10 is “ten past three”, 3:15 is “quarter past three” and 3:30 is “half past three”. After the half hour we count the minutes left until the next hour: 3:40 is “twenty to four” and 3:45 is “quarter to four”. You can also just read the digits: “three forty-five”.

My child mixes up the hour and minute hands — any tips?

The short, thick hand shows the hour and the long, thin one the minutes. Read the hour first — the last number the short hand has passed — then count the minute hand in fives. Dragging the minute hand once round and watching the hour hand creep forward by one number really helps, and the quiz deliberately includes swapped-hands options to practise spotting it.

What’s the easiest way to work out elapsed time?

Break it into three jumps: from the start time up to the next o’clock, then the whole hours, then the extra minutes. For 8:40 to 11:05 that’s 20 minutes to 9:00, 2 hours to 11:00 and 5 more minutes — 2 hours 25 minutes in total. The tool shows each jump.

Can I print the same worksheet again?

Yes. Each sheet comes from its seed and settings, so the same seed gives the same clocks. “New sheet” picks a new seed. Use Print (choose “Save as PDF” if you like) or Download PDF; the answer key is added as a second page.

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🕒Telling Time for Kids - Interactive Clock & Worksheets

An online teaching clock for children learning to read an analog clock. Drag the hands on the big clock face and they move together like a real clock: one full turn of the minute hand moves the hour hand on by one number, and dragging the hour hand sweeps the minute hand round. Next to it you see the digital time, whether it’s AM or PM, and how to say it — “quarter past three”, “twenty-five to four”, “half past three” — plus the Chinese reading, with a 24-hour option. Minute numbers (0, 5, 10…) can be shown around the edge for children still learning the five-minute marks. Elapsed time takes a start and end time and explains the answer step by step: up to the next hour, then whole hours, then the leftover minutes, even across midnight. Quiz mode has “read the clock” multiple choice and “set the clock” questions at five levels — o’clock, half past, quarter hours, 5 minutes and 1 minute — with wrong answers based on typical mistakes such as mixing up the hands. The worksheet generator makes A4 sheets of 6–20 clocks to read or draw hands on, with an answer key, ready to print or download as a PDF.

Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browserLast updated: 2026-10-26

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How to use Learn to Tell Time

1Drag the hands or use the buttons, and watch the time and words change
2Try the quiz at the right level: read the clock or set the clock
3Make a worksheet, choose the question type and count, then print or download the PDF

FAQ

When do we say “past” and when “to”?: For the first half hour we count minutes past the hour: 3:10 is “ten past three”, 3:15 is “quarter past three” and 3:30 is “half past three”. After the half hour we count the minutes left until the next hour: 3:40 is “twenty to four” and 3:45 is “quarter to four”. You can also just read the digits: “three forty-five”.
My child mixes up the hour and minute hands — any tips?: The short, thick hand shows the hour and the long, thin one the minutes. Read the hour first — the last number the short hand has passed — then count the minute hand in fives. Dragging the minute hand once round and watching the hour hand creep forward by one number really helps, and the quiz deliberately includes swapped-hands options to practise spotting it.
What’s the easiest way to work out elapsed time?: Break it into three jumps: from the start time up to the next o’clock, then the whole hours, then the extra minutes. For 8:40 to 11:05 that’s 20 minutes to 9:00, 2 hours to 11:00 and 5 more minutes — 2 hours 25 minutes in total. The tool shows each jump.
Can I print the same worksheet again?: Yes. Each sheet comes from its seed and settings, so the same seed gives the same clocks. “New sheet” picks a new seed. Use Print (choose “Save as PDF” if you like) or Download PDF; the answer key is added as a second page.