Are your little ones always curious about the clock on the wall? Are they asking you for the time every other hour or minute? It might be a good time to introduce the analog clock to your little ones!
My 5yo son is taking a lot of interest in reading the clock this summer so I made this cute DIY sun clock for him. This sun clock is such a fun way to introduce the elements of the clock and teach children how to tell the time.
Scroll all the way down to watch the video to learn how to make this cute sun clock.
Be sure to subscribe to our channel for more DIYs!) and if you have fun with this, try making a weather wheel to go along with it.
DIY SUN CLOCK – MATERIALS:
- Card stock color papers in light yellow, dark yellow and orange
- One brad/paper fastener
- Basic stationery like scissors, glue and black marker
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cut an 8” diameter circle with the dark yellow cardstock paper. Cut 12 small triangles with the light yellow cardstock paper, and cut 12 big triangles with the orange card stock paper.
Using glue, stick the 12 small triangles around the circle, following the position of the 12 numbers on a clock. Next, paste the 12 big triangles on top of the small triangles.
Turn the sun over. Cut a short arrow with the light yellow cardstock paper and a long arrow with the orange cardstock paper.
Fasten the arrows on the center of the circle with the brad.
Write numbers 1 to 12 on the small light yellow triangles, following the position of the numbers on a clock.
Write numbers 00 to 55, counting in multiples of 5, on the big orange triangles. Write the word ‘hour’ on the yellow short arrow and ‘minutes’ on the orange long arrow.
Ways to learn with this clock:
- For young preschoolers, use this sun clock to show them the different elements on the clock (clock face, short hand, long hand, 12 numbers on the clock face).
- Introduce the name hour hand (short hand) and minutes hand (long hand). Show them how the hands of a clock will move throughout the day, short hand moves slower than long hand and in the clockwise direction.
- Play a number search game with your child. Shout out a number that appears on the clock and ask your child to find it. This will help kids get confident in reading the numbers on the clock.
- Note: Your child must be able to count confidently and recognize numbers from 0 to 60 before this activity. Write different times on small pieces of paper. I used the times of our daily activities (wake up time, breakfast, school, lunch, nap, screen time, bed time etc). First, demonstrate how to read the time and move the clock hands according to the time. Let your kid practice reading and moving the clock hands.
Looking for more fun and hands on ways to teach your child? Here’s another fun learning toy to make to learn more about the phases of the moon. Or this sewing board to introduce basic sewing to children. If your kids have gone cuckoo for clocks, be sure to check out these other DIY clock crafts. Have fun playing and learning!
Watch the video below to see this cute Sun Clock in action and how to make it!
Fynn is a Singaporean mum currently living in California with her husband and two children. Trained a Chemical Engineer, she became a Science teacher and one day decided to dabble in the Arts and became a makeup artist. Her children came along and she switched painting faces for painting cardboard boxes with her children. Driven by new experiences, big dreams and cookie dough ice cream, she is always working on something new – learning new skills, exploring new places, creating new toys from trash and making new learning shelves at home. Follow Fynn on her blog Happy Tot Shelf, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
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