Making the PDF…
About the telling time worksheet maker
This tool makes clock worksheets for children who learn to tell the time on a clock with hands. There are two kinds of task:
- Read the clock — the hands are drawn. The child writes the time under the clock
- Draw the hands — the time is written under an empty clock. The child draws the short hour hand and the long minute hand
Choose the level — from whole hours to single minutes — and 4 to 12 clocks per page. Every page gets new times, and the answer key shows the times or the hands in red.
Everything is made in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no sign-up.
Features
- Read, draw or mixed — write the time, draw the hands, or both on one page
- 5 levels — hours, half hours, quarter hours, 5 minutes and 1 minute
- Real clock hands — the hour hand moves on between the numbers, as on a real clock
- Answer key — the same pages with the times written or the hands drawn in red
- Digits or words — "3:45" or "quarter to 4" under the clocks to draw
- Learning aids — minute marks, and minute numbers (5, 10, 15 …) outside the clock
- 5 styles — Classic, Minimal, Teaching colours, Playful flower clocks and Bold
- 4, 6, 9 or 12 clocks per page, up to 20 pages, US Letter or A4
Where the hands point
On a clock, the minute hand turns once an hour and the hour hand turns once in 12 hours. So the minute hand moves 6° each minute, and the hour hand moves 30° each hour plus half a degree each minute. The worksheets draw both hands this way. At 3:45 the hour hand is three quarters of the way from the 3 to the 4 — not on the 3.
| Time | Minute hand | Hour hand | The hour hand is … |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 0° (on the 12) | 90° | on the 3 |
| 3:15 | 90° (on the 3) | 97.5° | a quarter of the way to the 4 |
| 3:30 | 180° (on the 6) | 105° | half way between 3 and 4 |
| 3:45 | 270° (on the 9) | 112.5° | three quarters of the way to the 4 |
| 3:27 | 162° | 103.5° | almost half way to the 4 |
Angles are measured clockwise from the 12. This is why "half past 3" is easy to check: the hour hand must be between the 3 and the 4.
Which level?
| Level | Times used | Different times | Usual age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours | 1:00, 2:00 … 12:00 | 12 | 5 to 6 |
| Half hours | :00 and :30 | 24 | 6 |
| Quarter hours | :00, :15, :30 and :45 | 48 | 6 to 7 |
| 5 minutes | :00, :05 … :55 | 144 | 7 to 8 |
| 1 minute | any minute | 720 | 8 and up |
Each level mostly asks for the new skill — the :30 times at the half hour level, :15 and :45 at the quarter level, times that are not a multiple of 5 at the 1 minute level — with some easier times mixed in.
Tips for teaching time
- Hour hand first — cover the minute hand and ask: "Which number did the short hand just pass?"
- Then the minute hand — count by fives around the clock: 5, 10, 15 … Tick Minute numbers outside to print them
- Use the teaching colours — a red hour hand and a blue minute hand help children tell the two hands apart
- Say it two ways — 3:45 is also "quarter to 4". Choose Time shown as → Words on the draw-the-hands sheets
- One level a week — move on when a child gets 8 of 9 clocks right
Frequently asked questions
Does the hour hand point exactly at the number?
Only on the hour. At 7:30 the hour hand is half way between the 7 and the 8, as on a real clock. Many printed worksheets put the hour hand on the number all the time; these do not.
How do I check the answers?
Tick Answer key at the end. You get the same pages again: the times written in red under the clocks to read, and the hands drawn in red on the clocks to draw.
Can I make a page with both kinds of task?
Yes. Choose Mixed. The clocks take turns: read, draw, read, draw.
Are the times different on every page?
Yes. Each page gets its own times, and the times on one page are all different when the level has enough of them. Press New times for a new set.
Does it use a 24-hour clock?
No. An analog clock face shows 12 hours, so the times are from 1:00 to 12:59.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Your settings are saved only in this browser.
Related tools
- Online Clock — a big clock on your screen
- Visual Timer — a timer kids can see shrink
- Multiplication Chart — times tables on screen and on paper
- Math Worksheet Generator — practice sheets with an answer key
- Military Time Converter — 12-hour and 24-hour time
How to use it
- Choose the worksheet type: read the clock, draw the hands, or mixed
- Choose the level, from whole hours to 1 minute
- Choose how many clocks per page and how many pages
- Choose the space for the answer and how the time is shown
- Tick minute marks and minute numbers if you need them
- Pick a style, the colours and the paper
- Press New times for a new set, then Print or Download PDF
