The Mouse Ran Up The Clock
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What time is it?
It's time to learn how to tell time. Follow the mouse up the clock as we learn how to tell time. We will read and sing song about telling time. We will play telling time games, keep a math journal about telling time and fill in dot to dot clocks. We will make our own solar and water clocks.
Throughout the Mouse Ran Up the Clock Unit Study we will be exploring hands-on time measuring devices including timers, stop watches, clocks, watches and even cuckoo clocks.
In relation to learning to tell time we will be learning to count by 5's around the hands of the clock. We will be recognizing the short hand and long hand to tell the minutes and hours.
We will learn 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/6, and 1/2 fractions as depicted on the clock and relating those fractions to passage of time in hours, minutes and even seconds. In order to place the numbers properly on a clock we will learn how to use a compass and see how the degrees of a circle relate to those fractions.
Finally we will be looking at clock faces, including roman numerals that are often used to mark the hours on clock faces.
Wind up your watch it's time to find out about time...
Photo Credit: Hickory Dickory Dock, The Mouse ran up the clock
Available on Allposters
How Do you Teach a Child to Read the Clock?
Photo Credit: David tells time
on Flickr, Creative Commons
Teaching a child how to read the clock takes time. Starting when they are quite young I pointed out to my children whenever I was checking the time. You can point out how many more minutes until a favorite activity and show them on the clock where the minute hand will be at that time. You can post clocks that show the time of certain activities such as meals, story hour and bedtime.
Ask your child to be responsible for telling you when the hands get to the right time to leave for the playground. Giving them the responsibility makes them pay more attention to the clock.
Ask you child to help you cook. Setting the timer can be a very important part of cooking.
With time, your child will be telling you what time it is.
- Learning to Tell Time the Unschooling Way
- From reading a book about a clock maker to building a clock and playing a few games to learning to tell time in a couple of days. Take a glimpse into the lives of a family of unschoolers as the five year old learns to tell time.
- Portable Circle Time
Photo Credit: Portable Circle Time
From Wayzley Academy
One homeschooling family uses poster boards to make a portable Circle Time space. Here is one with a clock for teaching how to tell time.
Picture Books for Learning to Tell Time
Photo Credit: Hickory, Dickory, Dock
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
It's story time so how about taking some time to read about clocks and how to tell time. While learning about telling time, I read picture books to my children that either address the topic of telling time explicitly or books that just happen to show clocks and the passage of time from page to page such as Goodnight Moon. These books are some of our favorites picture books for reading when learning about telling time.
How do clocks help us to measure time?
I have been trying to remember some of the picture books that have a clock in the background that changes page by page as the story progresses. Goodnight Moon is one of those. If you know of any, please leave a comment at the bottom.
Clock Songs
Songs for learning to Tell Time
Singing and dancing to clocks songs utilizes multiple intelligences to optimize learning..
Singing songs always helps children to learn. Dancing helps the kinesthetic learners, the music helps those that learn through music, singing it aloud helps those who are auditory learners and having the words written down or pointing to the numbers on the clock helps the visual learners.
Singing songs always helps children to learn. Dancing helps the kinesthetic learners, the music helps those that learn through music, singing it aloud helps those who are auditory learners and having the words written down or pointing to the numbers on the clock helps the visual learners.
- Mrs. Jones - Sing Along: The Clock Song
Sing Along to this easy song with picture clues to help children learn about the minute hand and the hour hand on an analog clock.
The hands on the clock go round and round,
Round and round, round and round.
The hands on the clock go round and round,
To tell us the time.- Rock around the clock
- 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, rock
4 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 6 o'clock, rock
7 o'clock, 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, rock
10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock, rock
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
123, 456, 789, 10 11 12
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
Photo Credit: Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery
on DiscoverySchool.com
Telling Time through Music
Using Rhythm Instruments
A metronome clicks out a steady beat to help you tell time while playing a musical instrument. I was first introduced to a metronome when learning to play the piano. A metronome can also help children learn the to tell time. Notice how the arm of the metronome is similar to the pendulum on a clock. What kinds of things can you do to the beat of a metronome? Can you match the beat of the metronome to the seconds on a clock?
Hickory, dickory, dock! (hold left hand up, palm facing out, to be the clock)
The mouse ran up the clock, (jingle bells as you make them "run up the clock")
The clock struck one, (make a "1" with the pointer finger of your left hand)
The mouse ran down, (run down the "clock" with the bells in your right hand)
Hickory, dickory, dock. (jingle bells three times, on hickory dickory dock)
Hold up two fingers of your left hand (the "clock") and sing: Hickory, dickory, dock!
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck two,
The mouse sneezed "AH-CHOO!" ("sneeze" loudly and jingle your bells)
Hickory, dickory, dock!
Hold up three fingers of your left hand and sing:
Hickory, dickory, dock!
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck three,
The mouse said, "Wheee!" (sing "Wheee!" in a high squeaky voice while Hickory, dickory, dock! making the bells "slide" down the clock)
- From: 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children
Photo Credit: Wittner Wood Metronome Mahogany
Available on Amazon
Hickory, dickory, dock! (hold left hand up, palm facing out, to be the clock)
The mouse ran up the clock, (jingle bells as you make them "run up the clock")
The clock struck one, (make a "1" with the pointer finger of your left hand)
The mouse ran down, (run down the "clock" with the bells in your right hand)
Hickory, dickory, dock. (jingle bells three times, on hickory dickory dock)
Hold up two fingers of your left hand (the "clock") and sing: Hickory, dickory, dock!
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck two,
The mouse sneezed "AH-CHOO!" ("sneeze" loudly and jingle your bells)
Hickory, dickory, dock!
Hold up three fingers of your left hand and sing:
Hickory, dickory, dock!
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck three,
The mouse said, "Wheee!" (sing "Wheee!" in a high squeaky voice while Hickory, dickory, dock! making the bells "slide" down the clock)
- From: 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children
Poster and Pointers for Hickory Dickory Dock
Write the words to Hickory Dickory Dock on a large posterboard and laminate it.
We have a pointer with a hand on the end that we like to use for pointing to the words as we read the poem. It helps the children keep their place and focus on the words that they are reading.
Hickory Dickory Dock leads us into a study of clocks and learning to tell time.
Hickory Dickory Dock the Mouse Ran up the Clock
- Hickory Dickory Dock
- Alphabet Soup: Activities for young children including ideas for learning to tell time.
- Hickory Dickory Dock in Spanish
- When you know a poem very well in English it is fun to learn it in Spanish. Knowing a second language has been proven to help improve grades.
¡Jícara, dicara, doj!
Un ratón trepó al reloj.
El reloj marcó la una.
El ratón gritó: - ¡Aceituna!
Y del susto se cayó.
Tickedi tickedi tack,
Die Maus läuft die Uhr auf und ab.
Die Uhr schlät eins,
Die Maus rennt heim!
Tickedi tickedi tack.
Photo Credit: Hickory Dickory Dock
Available on Allposters
Mouse and Clock Salt and Pepper Shakers
Mouse and Clock Manipulatives
I added the mouse and clock to the doll house and soon found that the children were acting out the rhyme of Hickory Dickory Dock. Later on a couple of children were using the mouse and the clock to teach the dollhouse children how to tell time.
Clock for Teaching How to Tell Time
Photo Credit: Math Manipulatives for Teaching Time
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
There are many play clocks for teaching how to tell time but only one that is geared to moving the hands accurately will truly help children understand the concept of the minute and second hands. Be sure when you choose a clock for teaching how to tell time that the hands move accurately in relation to each other. Children need to see that the hour hand will actually move to half way between two number when the minute hand moves to the six. This will eliminate much confusion in learning to tell time.
Clock Stamps
Stamp the Time!
Set up an office in your classroom with a stamp and stamp pad for turning in papers. Teach the children to stamp each paper with a clock stamp and fill in the time that they turn the paper in. This provides constant practice in telling time as well as lots of fun.
Telling Time Bingo
Games to Practice Telling Time
Yesterday I played Telling Time Bingo with my students. We used small plush mice for markers. Make sure that you have at least 9 mice per player. We played the game in pairs so that children who knew how to tell time better were able to help those who were still working on mastery of telling time.
Jimmie's Math Notebooking Clock
Jimmie uses a Clock for more than just Telling Time
Photo Credit: math notebooking clock
on Flickr, Creative Commons
Jimmie had her daughter create the paper clock. It was a review of fractions -- dividing the circle into 12 parts. And of course, they did x5 facts. See the manipulatives there too.
Thank you, Jimmie, for sharing the creative ways you teach.
Telling Time and Clock Related Activities
Worksheets and Coloring Pages for Learning to Tell Time
- Clock Puzzles
- Color and cut out clock puzzles. Perfect for Lapbooks or Literacy Bags.
- Time Poems
- Telling Time with My New Dog
At seven o'clock I woke up late.
I put my clothes on inside out.
At eight o'clock I spilled my milk
and caused a mess that made me shout. - Telling Time Worksheet
- Fill in the hands and write the time.
- Hands all Around
- Write the numbers and count by fives to learn the minutes around the clock.
- The Clock 1-12 Dot-to-Dot
Hickory, dickory, dock!
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck one,
And the mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock!- Telling Time Worksheets | Have Fun Teaching
- Telling Time Worksheets
A Walk Through Time
- Earliest Clocks
- Not until somewhat recently (that is, in terms of human history) did people find a need for knowing the time of day. As best we know, 5000 to 6000 years ago great civilizations in the Middle East and North Africa began to make clocks to augment their calendars.
Elements of a Clock
1. A regular, constant or repetitive process or action to mark off equal increments of time.
2. A means of keeping track of the increments of time and displaying the result.
Clocks and Time Pieces
Make a Sundial
Sundials are for Telling Time
A very simple type of clock to make is a sundial. Described in the book Count On Math all you need is a stick, some stones and a sunny day. Although this activity is fun for very young children it is equally as challenging for older children.
As a homeschooling family with children of varying ages, making a sundial at on a day at the beach or on a family picnic would give you enough time to watch the shadow move as the day goes by.
Set up in the back yard or on the school playground would allow you to judge the accuracy of your sundial over time.
- Sundial
Make a sundial with the children. Find a sunny place outside. Push the stick in the dirt so that it stands up straight. Draw a circle around the stick. Use a big rock to mark the place on the circle where the shadow falls.
Go outside and mark the new location of the shadow every couple of hours. Lead the children to understand that the shadow moves with the passing of time.
Tell the children that people used sundials before watches and clocks were invented. Show the children a clock and call their attention to how the big hand moves around it just like the shadow moves around the circle.
Telling Time Activities
Hands-on Activities for Understanding the Concept of Time
Each of these books offers simple activities using everyday objects.
By doing rather than filling in the blanks, children come to truly understand the concepts being taught in this case the concept of telling time.
These are two of the very best books for your money. I keep these books handy for each new unit study and each time we need to look for a new way to explain a concept.
By doing rather than filling in the blanks, children come to truly understand the concepts being taught in this case the concept of telling time.
These are two of the very best books for your money. I keep these books handy for each new unit study and each time we need to look for a new way to explain a concept.
Make Your Own Time Pieces
Mouse and Clock Crafts
Craft Projects about Time
- Clock and Mouse Craft
- Free directions and printable template for a clock and mouse, hickory dickory dock craft
- HICKORY DICKORY DOCK | Little Nummies
- Another classic Nursery Rhyme HICKORY DICKORY DOCK ~ Peanut Butter Sandwich ~ Strawberry ~ Raisin ~ Grape ~ Pretzel ~ CLICK BELOW FOR MORE INFO Cut
Hickory Dickory Dock Consonant Clock
The Mouse Learns to Read on the Clock
This Hickory Dickory Dock Consonant Clock would be a fun project to add to a Mouse Ran up the Clock Literacy Bag or Mouse Rand Up the Clock Lapbook
- Hickory Dickory Dock Consonant Clock
- Invite children to recite the rhyme as they make the mouse run up the
clock by sliding it up the pipe cleaner. Then have children make the
mouse climb slowly and read aloud each new word that forms.
Telling Time Throughout the Day
When Do We Need to Tell Time?
- Education World ® Lesson Planning: It's About Time: Teaching Students to Tell Time
- It's About Time: Teaching Students to Tell Time
How many times during the day do you use the word time?
What time is it?
It's time to pack up.
You're wasting time.
It's time for music.
Be sure to hand in your work on time.
We're out of time for today.
It's lunchtime.
If I have to tell you one more time
The First Stitch
Day, Francis
Buy at AllPosters.com
Then there are all those famous quotes about time
A stitch in time saves nine. (Proverb)
Time heals all wounds. (Geoffrey Chaucer)
Better late than never. (Lu Hsun)
Take time for all things. Great haste makes waste. (Benjamin Franklin)
Time and tide wait for no man. (William Bradford)
Here today, gone tomorrow. (John Calvin)
Time flies. (Proverb)
To every thing there is a season; and a time to every purpose under heaven. (The Bible)
Telling Time PE Class
Learn to Tell Time on the Playground
Here's a kinesthetic approach to learning to tell time.
Everyone sings the song Hickory, Dickory Dock...
Then they run to the top of the jungle gym, or a staircase, or a hill etc.
They set their clocks to the time stated.
When everyone has the right time they sing the next part:
The mouse ran down...
At the bottom a new time is picked.
Hopping 'Round the Clock
Learning to Tell Time on the Playground
- MontessoriMom.com - Telling Time
- Hours/ Minutes clock game
This can be played outdoors with chalk and a large space.
Make a large circle on the playgroup or driveway-
Make markings on the clock 1 through 12.
Have someone call out either "minutes" or "hours"
The person who is "it" hops from number to number , clockwise, counting by ones- 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 for each hour if "hours" is called.
If "minutes" is called the person hops from number to number counting by 5's-Jumps from number 12 to 1and counts out "5," then from 2 to 1 counts out "10", (2 to 3) "15," (3 to 4) "20" and so on.
Advanced game: Do this game counterclockwise and count backwards.
When will we get there?
How long does it take....?
Photo Credit: Cute 60-Minute Mouse Timer
Photo Credit: Mouse and Cheese 60 Minute Egg Timer
Another aspect of learning to tell time is having a sense of how long it takes for things to happen. How long does it take to tie your shoes, brush your hair or drive to the library?
I have a can of tongue depressors that I write such questions on. Sometimes when we are waiting in line I pull out one of these and ask those kids that are already to time themselves to see how long it takes.
As homeschoolers there are even more opportunities to experiment with the game of How long does it take...?
Check the time on the clock or your watch. Start the stopwatch. How long does it take to....
Please add your suggestions of things to time:
Instruments for Measuring Time
Clocks, watches, stopwatches, egg timers etc.
There are many different instruments for telling time. You can measure the hours with a clock or watch. Egg timers can measure minutes. Stop watches measure seconds and calendars measure months and years. What do you use for measuring time?
Clock Face Geometry
Using a compass and protractor to make clock faces
Photo Credit: compass and protractor on WPClipart
Photo Credit: Mouse by natalia rubber stamp WM
Today the mouse went up the clock to learn geometry. We will make a clock face using a compass and protractor. Start by making a circle with the compass. Then place the protractor across the circle. Mark the circle every 30 degrees.
In order to stick to our Mouse Ran Up the Clock Theme we used a rubber mouse stamp to mark the hours and then placed a number from 1 to 12 inside each mouse around the clock.
Roman Numerals for Telling Time
Photo Credit: Telling Time with Roman Numerals
in the Public Domain
Roman Numerals are often seen on Clock Faces
Learn to tell the time with Roman Numerals
Cuckoo Clock
What can you accomplish within an hour?
Three Children Admire the Cuckoo Clock
Bennett, Harriet
Buy at AllPosters.com
One day I brought a Cuckoo Clock into class. Everyone was instantly paying attention. What does it do and how does it work?
Children are always excited about something new and the Cuckoo Clock was no exception. After carefully looking it over and discussing everything we knew about Cuckoo Clocks I posed the question: What could we learn from a Cuckoo Clock?
To my surprise one of the children suggested that we could find out how much we could accomplish before the cuckoo strikes again. As we had just 10 more minutes before the next hour and that was the time we usually used to clean up for lunch at 12 noon we decided to see if we could beat the cuckoo.
The goal was to pick up the room without running and come back to the rug and stand quietly while waiting for the cuckoo to strike the hour.
What I love about my Cuckoo Clock is that it makes a whirring noise, then strikes the hour before the cuckoo finally comes out. This gives the children a warning that their time is running out.
Cuckoo Clock Learning Center
Cuckoo Clock
1. Print, color and laminate the picture of the Cuckoo Clock and the bird.
2. Extend the tab on the bird so that there are 12 sections. Write a number, 1 to 12, on the squares below the bird.
3. Color, cutout and laminate the bird.
NOTE: If you cut the bottom of the tab double the width you can make it so that it is difficult to pull the tab all the way out.
4. cut a slot at the bottom of the window and insert the bird.
Children practice making the sound of the cuckoo striking the hour and setting the time on the clock. Sometimes we use dice to decide what time it is. Sometimes your partner picks the time and you trade off roles.
2. Extend the tab on the bird so that there are 12 sections. Write a number, 1 to 12, on the squares below the bird.
3. Color, cutout and laminate the bird.
NOTE: If you cut the bottom of the tab double the width you can make it so that it is difficult to pull the tab all the way out.
4. cut a slot at the bottom of the window and insert the bird.
Children practice making the sound of the cuckoo striking the hour and setting the time on the clock. Sometimes we use dice to decide what time it is. Sometimes your partner picks the time and you trade off roles.
- Cuckoo Clock to Color
- Make a Cuckoo Clock with a bird that pops out.
Tick Tock: Seconds, Minutes and Hours
Clocks Measure Time
Sometimes watching a short video with a snappy song and clear graphics is just what a child needs to understand the relationship between seconds, minutes and hours.
powered by Youtube
Skip Counting by 5's
Skip Counting Activities can help Children learn to tell time.
There are 5 minutes between each of the numbers on the clock. Use your skip counting skills to find out how many minutes have passed since the the last hour.
Mouse Clocks
Reward your child for learning how to tell time by giving them a mouse clock. Whimsical, unique and delightful!
Activities for Teaching How to Tell Time
Do you have a lens for helping children learn to tell time?
The best time related lenses will be featured.
Interactive Telling Time Games and Clocks
Throw out those clock worksheets! Learning to tell time with free interactive clock games is the way to go with these 7 interactive telling time games.2 points
It's Turkey Time!
Learn to tell time with a turkey theme...1 point
Telling Time
Collection of Hands-on activities for teaching children how to tell time. - Pinterest1 point
Learning to Tell Time
Here are more activities for helping your children learn how to tell time...
Time for Telling about Time
How did you learn to tell time?
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CircusRunaway
Jan 28, 2012 @ 5:48 am | delete
- Lovely lens! I am a kids entertainer and we try to make our shows educational - Maybe I need to put a clock in the next one :)
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RecipePublishing
Aug 19, 2011 @ 7:18 am | delete
- This was cute.
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akumar46
May 19, 2011 @ 8:00 am | delete
- Nice methods to tell time to children.Nice lens...Thanks.
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agenroy
May 16, 2011 @ 2:01 pm | delete
- Thanks 4share this lens, very nice..
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lollyj
Apr 14, 2011 @ 9:41 am | delete
- Thanks for the memories here. I remember so well when I learned how to tell time.
We made big clocks with moveable hands out of construction paper and practiced
on them in school and at home in first grade. My mom kept that paper clock for
years in her memory box.
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RetroMom
Apr 14, 2011 @ 8:50 am | delete
- Most kids these days can not tell time unless it is on a digital clock, it is so sad.
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Irenemaria
Dec 18, 2010 @ 12:47 pm | delete
- From my fathers vest clock. It was in a chain and I was allowed to listen and learn
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Bradshaw
Dec 15, 2010 @ 3:43 pm | delete
- Reading your lens all I could think about was an old joke my dad told me years ago:
"Hickery dickery dock. Three mice ran up the clock. The clock struck one...
and the other two escaped with minor injuries."
Thumbs up!
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jbraithwaite3
Nov 11, 2010 @ 2:37 am | delete
- I love your lens. I have bookmarked it and let my children read. They said to me " we are having fun on reading it ". Your lens is such a good way to help some of the children in reading time.
singing tips | vocal exercises
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lravidlearner
Oct 26, 2010 @ 9:36 am | delete
- You have some really wonderful ideas for helping kids learn to tell time... and beautifully illustrated. Thanks!
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SereneSea
Oct 12, 2010 @ 2:35 am | delete
- Very creative way of learning how to tell the time . At the same time, it makes the learning fun and easily understandable.
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drs2biz
Oct 4, 2010 @ 9:59 pm | delete
- A great lens, Evelyn. For the life of me, I can't remember how I learnt how to tell the time. It was so long ago! I seek your approval to publish an excerpt from this lens and link to it at Changsha International English Training Centre!
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tssfacts
Sep 8, 2010 @ 2:29 pm | delete
- Great article. I learned how to tell time by watching the big clock on the kitchen wall and guessing what time it was every five minutes or so. Finally my mom taught me just to keep me quiet I think.
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Pukeko
Feb 9, 2010 @ 4:15 am | delete
- Another brilliant lens Evelyn! I have added this as February lens of the month on Math Resources for homeschoolers. Well done1
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Evelyn_Saenz
Feb 9, 2010 @ 6:20 am | delete
- Thank you so much, I am honored!
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About the Author of this Lens
Find out what I'm up to when I'm not teaching how to tell time:
Clocks and Telling Time
Teaching how to tell time!
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Come write about your experiences learning and teaching to tell time on Wizzley, a fun and easy place to express your opinion:
by Evelyn_Saenz
Evelyn_Saenz
My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning... more »
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