Introduction

Time tells us when things happen. It helps us know when to eat, play, go to school, and sleep. We use a clock to see the time.

What a Clock Shows

A clock has a short hand (hour hand) and a long hand (minute hand).

When the short hand points to 3 and the long hand points straight up, we say it is 3 o’clock.

Parts of the Day

We split a day into four simple parts.

flowchart LR
    A[Morning] --> B[Noon]
    B --> C[Evening]
    C --> D[Night]
    D --> A[Morning]

How to Read the Hour Hand

1. Look at the short hand.
2. See which number it is pointing to – that is the hour.
3. If the short hand is between two numbers, we say the hour that is just passed (e.g., a little after 4 means “four o’clock”).

Fun Activity

Make a paper clock!

1. Cut out a big circle from a piece of cardboard.
2. Draw the numbers 1 to 12 around the edge.
3. Cut out two thin strips of paper for the hands and attach them with a push‑pin in the centre so they can move.
4. Ask a parent or sibling to call out times like “2 o’clock” or “5 o’clock”. Turn the short hand to the right number and the long hand straight up.

You can also play “What time is it, Mr. Wolf?” where one child calls out a time and the others move their paper clocks.

Remember

• The short hand shows the hour.
• The long hand shows the minutes (straight up = 0 minutes).
• A day has four parts: morning, noon, evening, night.
• A clock helps us know when to do things.
• Making a paper clock lets you practice reading time.