Image: iStock
Clocks and their sounds have found a permanent place in kids’ literature. Clock crafts for kids are excellent activities for children to understand these timepieces better. From ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’ to the sound of ‘Tick-Tock,’ kids are fascinated with clocks. And, they don’t usually pass up an opportunity to grab your watch or to peer at the long and short hands on the dial or, if you wear a digital watch, the flashing digits. An anonymous mother of two and a blogger shares how her son is fascinated with clocks. She says, “By now, you know my son adores clocks. You’ll remember the story about how we took him to the zoo, and he stopped to stare at a clock rather than see any more animals. You may even recall the rather amusing turns of phrase he’s come up with when talking about his clocks. The clock love just keeps growing, and finding new outlets (i).”
As a responsible parent, you need to teach your kid how to tell the time through fun and engaging activities. Encouraging your kids to create fun, DIY clock crafts can help them in learning how to read the time quickly. So here, we have listed ten interesting and engaging clock crafts for children to help you do just that. Read on to find out more.
Key Pointers
- Children can learn to tell time by creating clock crafts.
- Clock crafts that young kids can make include paper plate clocks, spoon and tablecloth clocks, wooden pieces clocks, clay clocks, and matchstick clocks.
- Engage children in clock crafts during meal time to make it productive. Examples include bread clock, cupcake clock, and cherry tomato and carrot clock.
- Clock crafts are simple and enjoyable activities that inspire children to learn about time while making something creative.
1. Paper Plate Clock Craft
Image: IStock
You Will Need:
- White paper plate
- Sketch pens
- Crayons
- Orange construction paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Nail
- Stickers and decorative items (optional)
How To:
- To create the clock’s face, lightly color the inner part of the white paper plate with crayons.
- Place the paper plate on the table and write one to twelve numbers on it in a circular manner using sketch pens as you see in the image.
- Cut out an hour hand and minute hand from orange construction paper and paste them in the center of the plate using a nail.
- Decorate the clock face with stickers or other decorative items, like glitter or sequins.
Your handmade clock is ready.
2. Cherry Tomato And Carrot Clock Craft
Image: Shutterstock
You Will Need:
- Six cherry tomatoes
- One carrot
- Knife
- A white glass plate
How To:
- Use the knife and cut six cherry tomatoes and one carrot into halves. Cut one-half of the carrot three to four centimeters from its bottom and make it short to use it as the minute hand.
- Arrange 12 half pieces of cherry tomatoes in a circular manner on the white glass plate such that it resembles the 12 numbers in the clock.
- Arrange long and short halves of the carrot on the plate as the hour and minute hand, respectively. This is the best clock craft for kids.
Quick tip3. Spoon And Tablecloth Clock
Image: Shutterstock
You Will Need:
- One spoon
- One fork
- A square shaped tablecloth or napkin
How To:
- Guide your child to spread the square shaped napkin on the table and arrange one spoon and a fork an hour hand and minute hand of the clock as you see in the image.
4. Wooden Pieces Clock
Image: IStock
You Will Need:
- 14 wooden pieces or wooden bars
- A white table surface
How To:
- Arrange 12 wooden pieces that are in the shape of bars vertically in a circular manner on the white table surface such that they represent the twelve numbers on the clock.
- Arrange the remaining two wooden blocks horizontally in the middle of the circular arrangement as the hour and minute hand of the clock. Now kids’ homemade clock craft is ready!
5. Clay Clock Craft
Image: Shutterstock
You Will Need:
- Clay of different colors, namely green, white, red, and black clay.
How To:
- Guide your child to take dough of green clay and create a round clock out of it shaping it into an oval shape.
- Create small legs of the clock using the green clay.
- Develop numbers three, six, nine, and twelve using the white clay and place them in the appropriate place on the green clock.
- Create an hour hand out of red clay and minute hand out of black clay, and stick them in the center of the clock as in the image.
- Make a half bell on the top of the clock using white clay.
Help your kid to make this as a gift for their best friend.
Quick tip6. Matchstick Clock Craft
Image: Shutterstock
You Will Need:
- White dining plate
- Some matchsticks
How To:
- Place the white dining plate on your table and consider it as the clock.
- Create roman numbers three, six, nine, and twelve using the matchsticks and arrange them in a circular manner on the plate.
- Make an hour hand and minute hand in the center of the clock using the matchsticks.
7. Bread Clock Craft
Image: Shutterstock
You Will Need:
- A slice of bread
- Cone of brown cream
How To:
- Place the slice of bread on the table.
- Make a big circle on the slice and twelve dots inside the circle designating twelve numbers of the clock using the brown cream cone as you see in the image.
8. Woolen Clock Craft
Image: IStock
You Will Need:
- Round ball of white wool
- Pink and black wool
- Needle
How To:
- Consider the round ball of white wool as the clock.
- Use a needle and black wool and sew 12 small lines in a circular manner on the white wool as the twelve numbers on the clock. Also, make an hour hand and minute hand using the black wool.
- Outline the clock sewing the pink wool around the white wool ball.
Do remember9. Cupcake Clock Craft
Image: Shutterstock
You Will Need:
- One big light brown plate
- Twelve multiple colored cupcakes
- Two candy canes
How To:
- Arrange twelve colored cupcakes on a plate in a circular pattern similar to the twelve numbers on the clock.
- Arrange two candy canes as the hour and minute hand in the middle of the plate.
You may use this as a decoration for your kid’s bedroom.
10. Sand And Pebbles Clock Craft
Image: Shutterstock
You Will Need:
- Twelve small and big pebbles
- Two wooden sticks
- Sand
How To:
- Guide your kid to arrange big and small stones alternately in a circular pattern on the sand creating a clock.
- Place two wooden sticks in the middle of the circular arrangement as the hour and minute hand of the clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are there any safety considerations when making clock crafts with children?
When undertaking such projects, it is important to take certain safety precautions, such as closely monitoring the use of sharp tools, being aware of the presence of sharp edges on certain items, such as the hands of the clock, and using age-appropriate material to avoid the risk of small parts being choking hazards.
2. Are there any online resources or tutorials for making clock crafts with children?
Examples of online resources that one may use for making clock crafts include Pinterest, YouTube, and Scholastic.
3. How can clock crafts help children learn about time management?
Participating in clock crafts can aid children in understanding time management. By crafting their own clocks, children cultivate a sense of ownership over their time and learn to set and adhere to schedules. They also develop skills in estimating and allocating time for various tasks.
4. What materials are commonly used in clock crafts for kids?
Cardboard or foam sheets for the clock face, printable clock templates, craft sticks, or paper straws for the clock hands are some materials commonly used in clock crafts for children. They can also use markers or paints for coloring, scissors for cutting, glue or tape for assembly, and stickers or glitter for extra decoration.
5. Can clock crafts be a fun way to teach children about numbers and counting?
Yes, through activities such as assembling the clock, adding numbers, and moving the hands, children can practice recognizing and identifying numbers, as well as understanding the concept of counting minutes and hours. It is a great learning school activity for kids that involves a hands-on approach to learning, enhancing engagement and retention for children.
6. How can clock crafts enhance a child’s fine motor skills?
Clock crafts allow children to practice and enhance their fine motor skills. Manipulating small objects, such as attaching clock hands or placing numbers on the clock face, requires precision and coordination of hand movements. Cutting, coloring, and assembling various clock parts promote fine motor control (1).
7. What are some common household items that can be used to make clock crafts?
Old paper plates, newspapers, markers, glitter, and miscellaneous items such as matchsticks, utensils, and wool can be repurposed to make creative clock crafts.
Integrating education and entertainment can be a great way to teach children time management skills. These clock art crafts ideas for kids provide an excellent opportunity to combine learning and fun. You can make these crafts with them using simple household items. While engaging in the activity, take them through the process of how to tell the time. Explain to them about the skill of time management and its benefits. Making clock crafts also helps kids become more creative. They improve their fine motor skills and develop problem-solving abilities. These hands-on activities help children of all ages feel a sense of accomplishment and give them an outlet for their artistic side. Doing these craft activities together will also let you and your child spend quality time together.
Infographic: Clock-Making Crafts For Young And Preschool Children
Learning how to read a clock is one of the challenging tasks for young children. However, you can teach them about the clock and time using some simple crafts given in the infographic below. These imaginative and fun crafts will engage your toddlers productively and pique their curiosity in clocks, making it easier for them to learn reading time.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Illustration: Fun Clock Crafts For Preschoolers And Young Kids
Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team
Watch this fun DIY craft video where we show you step-by-step how to create a learning clock for kids. Engage their creativity while teaching them about time!
An anonymous blogger shares how clock-making projects for children often involve the help of their parents and are a fun experience. She says, “My nephew had a school project at school and it’s about a clock. Since he’s still 6 years, he can’t fully manage on how to make his own projects. It’s very common that in that age, the parents will help their child to furnish the project. And so my sister helps her son to come up with a presentable clock project (ii).”
Personal Experience: Source
MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. For the love of clocks.https://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/for-the-love-of-clocks/
ii. Creative clock project.
https://craftnfashion.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/creative-clock-project/
References
- Creative activities for preschooler learning and development.
https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/development/creative-development/preschooler-creative-activities
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