Have you been searching for the perfect tool to help your child grasp the concept of time, only to be met with a sea of options, making the choice more confusing? If so, you’re not alone. Many parents and educators find themselves in a similar predicament, wanting only the best for their learners.
Fortunately, there are teaching clocks available that stand out for their design, durability, and educational value, making the process of learning time engaging and intuitive.
As an expert in educational tools and child development, I’ve meticulously researched and gathered a list of the best teaching clocks currently available in the market.
Let’s sift through these options, guiding you toward the ideal teaching clock that fits both your child’s learning style and your aesthetic preferences.
Best Learning Clock for Kids
1. Wooden Calendar and Learning Clock – Editors Choice
Empower your child’s learning journey with an interactive wooden calendar that not only teaches about time but also days, dates, months, weather, and seasons!
Pros
- Potent Learning Tool: The product is designed to inspire children to learn and understand the importance of time from an early age.
- Hands-On Intelligence: Suitable for children aged 3 and up, it develops learning skills, promotes communication, reasoning, and logical thinking.
- Teacher-Inspired: Helps children grasp time concepts, days, dates, months, weather, and seasons in a playful manner.
- Interactive Toy: The wooden board includes a clock, days, dates, months, weather, and seasons, making it a comprehensive learning tool.
- Durable and Safe: Made with handcrafted durable wood and child-safe paints.
Cons
- Sliding Tabs Issue: Some users mentioned that the sliding tabs are too loose and don’t stay in position.
- Mounting Confusion: A user thought it was hangable, but it’s designed for tabletop use.
- Features: 4.8/5 – Comprehensive learning features covering various aspects. However, the sliding tab issue slightly affects its functionality.
- Durability: 4.7/5 – Made of sturdy wood, but there were minor concerns about the need to tighten some parts.
- Educational Value: 4.9/5 – Excellent educational value, covering a wide range of topics in a playful manner.
The Pidoko Kids All About Today Calendar is a Montessori-inspired wooden board designed to provide children with a comprehensive understanding of time, days, dates, months, weather, and seasons. Not only does it serve as an educational tool, but it also offers a playful interaction, ensuring that learning is fun.
With its durable wooden construction and child-safe paints, it promises longevity and safety. While it has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, some users pointed out minor issues with the sliding tabs.
Nevertheless, its multifunctional features make it an ideal gift for young learners, ensuring they grasp essential concepts from an early age. Whether you’re a parent looking to enhance your child’s learning or searching for a meaningful gift, this product stands out as a top choice in the realm of educational toys.
2. Learning Resources Time Activity Set – Runner Up
The Learning Resources Time Activity Set is a comprehensive kit designed to make learning about time both fun and educational. With its hands-on approach, children can grasp the concept of time in a more tangible manner.
Pros
- Versatility: The set offers multiple ways to teach time, from matching activities to writing/drawing the time on the clock.
- Comprehensive Kit: It includes a plastic clock with movable hands, a write-and-wipe clock, 24 double-sided analog and digital puzzle cards, 12 double-sided daily activity cards, and 3 time dice.
- Engaging Activities: The set promotes problem-solving, fine motor skills, and self-help through its various activities.
- Real-life Application: The activity cards depict familiar daily routines, making the learning process relatable for children.
Cons
- Not the most visually appealing.
- Features: 4.8/5 – The set offers a plethora of features that cater to different learning styles.
- Durability: 4.7/5 – While the set is generally durable, there have been minor issues with some cards.
- Educational Value: 4.9/5 – The hands-on approach and real-life application make it a valuable educational tool.
The Learning Resources Time Activity Set is a must-have for parents and educators looking to teach children about time in an engaging and comprehensive manner. With its hands-on approach, children can easily grasp the concept of time, making the learning process both fun and effective.
The set includes a variety of tools, from movable clocks to activity cards, ensuring that children remain engaged and interested. While there have been minor issues with the durability of some cards, the overall quality and educational value of the set make it a worthwhile investment.
Whether you’re homeschooling or looking for supplemental educational tools, this set is sure to be a hit with kids.
3. Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Clock – Best Budget
A colorful wooden clock toy that not only teaches kids about time but also doubles as a shape sorter, making it a versatile educational tool.
Pros
- Educational Value: The clock is designed to teach children about time, numbers, and shapes. The hour and minute hands are movable, allowing kids to practice setting the time.
- Versatility: Apart from being a teaching clock, it also functions as a shape sorter, enhancing kids’ shape recognition skills.
- Durability: Made of sturdy wooden materials, ensuring it can withstand the test of time and rough play.
- Safety: The product is made with non-toxic materials and is free from harmful chemicals.
Cons
- Size: Some users might find the clock to be smaller than expected.
- Complexity: Younger children might initially find it challenging to use both the clock and shape sorter functions simultaneously.
- Features: 4.5/5 – The clock offers multiple features, including teaching time and shape sorting. However, its size might be a minor drawback for some.
- Durability: 4.8/5 – Made of durable wood, but like all wooden toys, it’s susceptible to wear and tear over time.
- Educational Value: 4.9/5 – It serves as an excellent tool for teaching time and shapes, though it might be a bit complex for very young kids.
The Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Clock is a multifunctional educational toy that promises to offer both fun and learning. Crafted with vibrant colors and sturdy wooden materials, it stands out as a reliable tool for teaching children about time and shapes.
The movable hour and minute hands allow kids to set the time, enhancing their understanding of the concept. The shape sorter feature ensures that children can also improve their shape recognition skills. While its size might be a point of contention for some, its durability and safety standards make it a worthy addition to any child’s toy collection.
Bernhard Products Colorful Kids Wall Clock
The Bernhard Products Colorful Kids Wall Clock is not just a time-telling device but an educational tool designed to make learning time fun and engaging for children.
With its unique design and color-coded quadrants, it simplifies the process of understanding time intervals, making it a must-have for parents, teachers, and caregivers.
Pros
- Educational Value: The clock features four color-coded quadrants representing 15-minute intervals, helping children associate numbers with specific time intervals. All 60 minutes are colored, allowing for precise time-telling.
- Design: Large, vibrant numbers are easily visible from any angle, making it suitable for classrooms, playrooms, and bedrooms.
- Silent Movement: The clock operates silently, ensuring no disturbances in quiet environments.
- Durability: It comes with a sturdy round plastic frame, making it lightweight and easy to hang. The premium glass cover protects the dial from dust.
Cons
- Battery Not Included: The clock requires 1 “AA” battery, which is not included in the package.
- Plastic Frame: While the plastic frame is lightweight, it might not be as durable as metal or wooden frames.
- Features: 4.8/5 – The clock’s educational features and silent movement are commendable, but the absence of a battery is a slight drawback.
- Durability: 4.6/5 – The plastic frame might raise concerns about longevity, but the premium glass cover adds to its durability.
- Educational Value: 4.9/5 – The clock excels in its primary purpose of teaching time, with its color-coded design and clear markings.
The Bernhard Products Colorful Kids Wall Clock is an innovative educational tool that makes learning time a delightful experience for children. Its unique design, featuring color-coded quadrants and large vibrant numbers, ensures that children can easily understand and associate numbers with specific time intervals.
Not just limited to children, its youthful design can add a pop of color to various rooms, making it a versatile addition to any home or classroom. While it operates silently, ensuring no disturbances, potential buyers should note that it requires a battery, which is not included.
Melissa & Doug Turn & Tell Wooden Clock
Introduce your child to the world of time-telling with the Melissa & Doug Turn & Tell Wooden Clock, a beautifully crafted educational toy that combines fun with learning.
Pros
- Educational Details: The clock face features large red numbers to match the hour hand, small blue numbers to match the minute hand, and a segmented color disk to help kids visualize “quarter past” and “half past”.
- Skill Development: This clock promotes hand-eye coordination and the understanding of time concepts. It fosters abstract thinking, explorative play, and independent learning.
- Reputation: Melissa & Doug have been recognized for creating products that spark imagination and creativity for over 30 years.
Cons
- The card slot at the top of the clock is not very deep, which might cause the cards to fall out.
- The clock displays “60” at the top instead of “00”, which might be confusing for some children
- Features: 4.6/5 – The clock is feature-rich with its educational details and skill development potential. However, the design flaw with the “60” might be a point of confusion.
- Durability: 4.8/5 – Made of wood and known for Melissa & Doug’s quality, it’s expected to be durable. However, the card slot design might be a minor issue.
- Educational Value: 4.9/5 – With its multiple educational features and the brand’s reputation, it holds high educational value.
The Melissa & Doug Turn & Tell Wooden Clock is a masterfully crafted educational tool designed to introduce children to the concept of time. With its vibrant colors and intuitive design, children can easily correlate the hour and minute hands with the respective numbers.
The added segmented color disk is a thoughtful touch, helping kids understand time intervals like “quarter past” and “half past”. While it’s a fantastic learning tool, a minor design flaw might cause some confusion.
However, given the brand’s reputation for creating imagination-sparking products for over three decades, this clock is more than just a toy; it’s an investment in your child’s education. Whether as a gift or a teaching aid, this clock promises hours of educational fun.
Oyster&Pop Kids Wall Clock
The Oyster&Pop Learning Clock is a vibrant and interactive wall clock designed specifically for children. It’s not just a clock; it’s a teaching tool that helps kids learn to tell time in a fun and engaging manner.
Pros
- Educational Design: The clock is designed by teachers and parents, ensuring that it has all the essential features to teach time effectively. The hands and quarter minutes are labeled, making it easy for kids to understand.
- Interactive Learning: The colorful design inspires children to learn time-telling, and it comes with a free e-book to enhance the learning experience.
- Silent Operation: The clock operates silently, ensuring no distractions, especially during study or sleep time.
Cons
- Battery Not Included: The clock requires one AA battery, which is not included in the package.
- Price: Some might find the price a bit higher compared to other teaching clocks available in the market.
- Features: 4.6/5 – The clock is feature-rich, but the absence of a battery might be a minor inconvenience.
- Durability: 4.7/5 – With its child-safe design and quality construction, it promises durability, but long-term usage will determine its true resilience.
- Educational Value: 4.8/5 – Its design, combined with the free e-book, provides high educational value.
The Oyster&Pop Learning Clock for Kids stands out as a valuable educational tool designed to make time-telling an engaging experience for children. Crafted by educators and parents, it ensures that the learning process is intuitive and fun.
The vibrant colors and labeled hands make it easy for kids to grasp the concept of time. Moreover, its silent operation ensures that children can focus on their studies or sleep without any ticking distractions.
The clock also doubles as a decorative piece, perfect for any child’s room, play area, or classroom. While it might be priced slightly higher than some alternatives, the added educational value and quality construction make it a worthy investment for parents and educators alike.
Coogam Wooden Shape Color Sorting Clock
A versatile Montessori-style wooden clock that not only teaches kids about time but also aids in recognizing shapes, colors, and numbers.
Pros
- Multi-functional Learning Tool: The clock comes with 12 removable blocks in different shapes and colors, allowing children to learn about time, shapes, and numbers simultaneously.
- Safe and Durable: Made from natural wood with smooth edges and non-toxic paints, ensuring safety for kids.
- Educational: The clock hands move, teaching kids the concept of time. The color-coded numbers and shapes further enhance learning.
- Storage: The product comes with a gift box that can be used for storage.
Cons
- No Independent Clock Hands Movement: The minute hand moves as the hour hand is adjusted, which might not give a complete understanding of time movement.
- Size Concern: Some users found the pieces smaller than expected, which might be a concern for very young kids.
- Features: 4.6/5 – The clock offers multiple features, from teaching time to recognizing shapes and colors. However, the interconnected movement of the clock hands might be a slight drawback.
- Durability: 4.8/5 – Made from natural wood and adhering to multiple safety standards, the product promises durability.
- Educational Value: 4.7/5 – With its multi-functional design, it offers great educational value, though the clock hands’ movement might be a slight limitation.
The Coogam Wooden Shape Color Sorting Clock is a multi-functional educational toy designed to teach children about time, shapes, colors, and numbers. Crafted from natural wood with smooth edges and safe paints, it ensures the utmost safety for kids.
The clock comes with 12 removable blocks, each representing a different shape and number, making it a versatile learning tool. While it offers a hands-on approach to learning, the interconnected movement of the clock hands might not provide a complete understanding of time.
Nevertheless, its durability, adherence to safety standards, and overall educational value make it a worthy addition to any child’s learning journey. Whether you’re looking for a gift or a comprehensive learning tool for your child, this wooden clock promises hours of educational fun.
Homotte Kids Wall Clock for Bedroom
Introducing the Homotte Kids Wall Clock – a vibrant, multi-colored learning tool designed specifically for children. With its modern style and silent operation, it’s not just a clock, but an educational instrument that blends seamlessly into any room.
Pros
- Dimensions and Design: The clock measures 10 inches by 10 inches, offering a clear view of the time. Its modern style is both light and elegant, making it a stylish addition to any wall.
- Material: The clock is child-friendly with a wood-colored plastic outer ring and a shatterproof acrylic face. This ensures durability and safety.
- Practicality: It’s easy to hang with a T-shaped slot at the back. The vibrant numbers and labeled minute hands make it simple for kids to understand.
- Silent Operation: The clock operates silently, ensuring no disturbances, especially in bedrooms.
- Educational Value: Designed by teachers and parents, it’s an excellent tool for teaching time and foundational math skills.
Cons
- The outer ring is made of plastic and not solid wood, which might not appeal to those looking for a more authentic wood finish.
- Requires a separate AA battery for operation, which is not included.
- Features: 4.6/5 – The clock offers multiple features beneficial for children, but the plastic finish might be a drawback for some.
- Durability: 4.7/5 – With its shatterproof acrylic face and plastic build, it promises durability, but the long-term robustness of the plastic is yet to be seen.
- Educational Value: 4.8/5 – Designed with children in mind, it’s an excellent tool for teaching time, with labeled minute hands and vibrant numbers.
The Homotte Kids Wall Clock is a blend of style, functionality, and educational value. Measuring 10 inches by 10 inches, it’s perfectly sized for children to learn and understand time. Made with a plastic outer ring and a shatterproof acrylic face, it promises durability while ensuring safety. Its silent operation is a bonus, especially for bedrooms.
The vibrant numbers, combined with labeled minute hands, make it an invaluable teaching tool. Whether it’s for a school classroom, reading corner, or a child’s bedroom, this clock is not just a time-telling device but a learning instrument.
Designed by educators and parents, it’s a thoughtful gift for families, ensuring children grasp the concept of time in a fun and colorful way.
Carson Dellosa 13″ x 12″ Judy Clock
The Judy Clock is a multi-purpose learning tool designed to make learning to tell time simple and enjoyable for kids. It’s a popular choice in both classroom and homeschool settings.
Pros
- Size & Design: The clock measures approximately 13 inches x 12 inches, making it suitable for hands-on student learning.
- Features: The clock has standard numerals, color-coded minute and hour hands connected to visible, synchronized gears that move accurately. This design helps children understand the relationship between the hour and minute hands.
- Included Accessories: The package comes with an activity guide and a durable metal stand.
- Educational Value: The clock’s easy-to-read numerals and corresponding color-coded hands make teaching time to the hour and minute more straightforward.
- Reputation: The Judy Clock has been a favorite teaching tool for over 45 years, emphasizing its longevity and effectiveness in the educational sector.
Cons
- Durability Concerns: Some users mentioned that the clock’s edges are not smooth and appear susceptible to damage. The stand’s design might also contribute to wear and tear if the clock is frequently placed and removed.
- Features: 4.8/5 – The clock offers a range of features that make learning time engaging and effective. The color-coded hands and synchronized gears are particularly beneficial.
- Durability: 3.8/5 – While the clock is generally durable, concerns about the edges and stand reduce its score in this category.
- Educational Value: 4.9/5 – The Judy Clock has a proven track record in education, and its design is tailored to facilitate learning.
The Carson Dellosa Judy Clock is a time-telling teaching tool designed to simplify and enhance the process of learning to read an analog clock for kids. Measuring at 13 inches by 12 inches, it’s the perfect size for hands-on learning.
The clock boasts standard numerals and color-coded minute and hour hands that are connected to visible, synchronized gears, ensuring accurate movement. This design is particularly beneficial for teaching kids the relationship between hours and minutes. The package also includes an activity guide and a sturdy metal stand, adding value to the purchase.
With a legacy of over 45 years in educational settings, the Judy Clock has proven its worth as an effective learning tool. However, potential buyers should be aware of some durability concerns, particularly regarding the clock’s edges and stand.
Morgan’s Direct Early Learning Education Clock
Introduce your child to the world of time-telling with Morgan’s Direct colorful and engaging learning clock. With movable hands and a magnetic smiley face, it’s not just a clock—it’s an interactive learning experience!
Pros
- Interactive Learning: The movable hands allow children to actively engage and practice setting the time.
- Magnetic Feature: The clock comes with magnetic strips on the back, making it versatile for various placements.
- Educational: Annotated with numbers and phrases like “quarter to,” it’s designed to make learning time-telling easier.
- Durable: Made of strong board, it won’t bend or wrinkle easily.
- Engaging Design: The fun design and smiley face are sure to capture your child’s attention and interest.
Cons
- Material Quality: Some users mentioned that the material feels like it could have been of better quality.
- Hand Stability: There were concerns about the clock hands not staying in place, especially when the clock is vertical.
- Features: 4.2/5 – The clock offers multiple features beneficial for learning, but the movable hands could be more stable.
- Durability: 3.8/5 – While made of a strong board, the overall material quality was a concern for some users.
- Educational Value: 4.6/5 – With annotations and an engaging design, it’s a valuable tool for teaching time.
The Morgan’s Direct Early Learning Education Clock is a vibrant and interactive tool designed to make learning time-telling an enjoyable experience for children. With its movable hands and annotations like “quarter to,” it provides a hands-on approach to education.
The magnetic strips on the back add versatility to where it can be placed, be it a classroom or a child’s bedroom. While its design is engaging and fun, there were some concerns about the durability of the material and the stability of the clock hands.
However, for its price point and the educational value it offers, it’s a worthy addition to any child’s learning journey. Whether in a classroom setting or at home, this clock promises to make the process of learning time both fun and effective.
Buying Guide to Best Teaching Clock
- Functionality and Features:
- Interactive Elements: Does the clock have movable hands, buttons, or other interactive features that engage the child?
- Digital vs. Analog: Some clocks offer both digital and analog displays, helping children understand the correlation between the two.
- Additional Learning Tools: Some clocks come with features like time-related puzzles, flashcards, or games that reinforce the learning process.
- Alarm and Timer Functions: These can be useful for teaching children about setting specific times or understanding durations.
- Design and Durability:
- Age Appropriateness: The design should be suitable for the intended age group. For younger children, the clock should have larger numbers and hands, while older children might benefit from more detailed features.
- Material Quality: The clock should be made of durable materials that can withstand rough handling, especially if intended for younger children.
- Safety: Ensure there are no small detachable parts that could be a choking hazard, and the materials used should be non-toxic.
- Visual Appeal: Bright colors, fun designs, and characters can make the clock more attractive to children, increasing their interest in learning.
- Educational Value:
- Teaching Methodology: Does the clock use a specific teaching method or philosophy? Some clocks might use color-coding, while others might use visual cues or auditory signals.
- Progressive Learning: Some clocks are designed to grow with the child, offering more advanced time-telling challenges as the child’s skills improve.
- Incorporation of Other Skills: Apart from telling time, does the clock help in enhancing other skills like counting, understanding day and night, or even basic math?
- Instructional Guides: Does the clock come with a guide or manual that offers parents and educators tips on how to use the clock effectively for teaching?
Learning Benefits of Playing Teaching Clocks
A teaching clock is the most effective toy to teach children how to tell time. Knowing how to tell time is an important skill that everyone of us must learn at an early age and children should master. They are surrounded by clocks – at home and at school.
Depending on the kind of toy clock your children have, these toys could help them improve other skills like fine motor skills, cognitive skills, social and emotional growth and many more.
Time Telling
Time is a concept that all of us must learn. Most aspects of our lives revolve around time and knowing how to tell time is an important skill that children need to learn at an early age. Children need to know how to manage time and there will be a time that they will be in a situation where there are a lot of things that they need to do but not a lot of time to do them.
Time telling also includes plenty of mathematical concepts which could help children boost their math skills.
Fine Motor Skills & Hand Eye Coordination
Fine motor skills are a set of skills that involve using a small group of muscles in the hands, fingers and wrist to make precise movements. Hand eye coordination is the ability to make coordinated movements with the hands and eyes.
Playing the piano, buttoning, zipping and using a pair of scissors or a pencil are only a few examples of actions that require refined fine motor skills and hand eye coordination.
Most toy clocks feature movable hands that children can move. This is good exercise for fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. Some teaching clocks even come with removable pieces like blocks.
Children love to play with these toy pieces because of their bright colours and they are good for tactile stimulation especially if they are made from wood.
Shape & Colour Recognition
Everything around is made of shapes and colours. This is the reason why it is important for children to learn about shapes and colours at an early age. Teaching clocks come in a wide selection of designs and styles but most of them come in bright colours and feature fun shapes that are guaranteed to attract the attention of your children.
Having the ability to recognise shapes also makes learning other things easier for children. For instance, if a child knows what a circle looks like she will have an easy time remembering learning the letter O and number 0.
Colour recognition also helps children develop their ability to recognize the details in visual images or visual discrimination. It will also help them expand their vocabulary and improve their communications skills by using descriptive words and phrases. So instead of saying banana, they could say yellow banana.
Social & Emotional Growth
Teaching clocks, especially the ones with mini toys built right in, offer many opportunities for little children to play and interact with others. Interacting with others through play helps children develop their social skills and emotional growth.
When playing with others, children will experience different emotions, even strong ones like fear, anger and disappointment. They will also learn how to be patient and take turns when playing.
Are Teaching Clocks Worth It
Time is a concept that everyone should learn at a young age. Many aspects of our lives involve time which is why teaching your children the concept of time is important. Unfortunately, introducing new concepts like time to children can be a bit challenging.
Guiding young children through the laborious process of learning to tell time on an analog clock can be a tortuous experience for both parent and child. Learning which times are higher or lower than an hour, how to track numbers through four quadrants, and teaching kids how to convert from analog to digital time can all take much more time than you imagine.
Fortunately, there are some fun and engaging options for teaching children to master the skill of telling time by using educational tools like a teaching clock.
One of the first more advanced topics kids tackle as they learn to read and write is telling time. When you are explaining how to do this, you’ll be using analog clocks or something more fun like a teaching clock. Children will also have an easy time learning advanced time telling techniques like adding and subtracting time if they already know basic arithmetic.
For example, if a child knows they have to get to school in 20 minutes, he or she might better understand that they have to leave now. Also, being able to tell time helps kids develop good listening habits because it takes patience not to cut someone off when they start telling you their schedule.
Most people struggle to really grasp how to tell time even through their adult years. Learning how to tell time is more than just memorizing where the hour, quarter and minute hands are on a clock’s face. There are other factors that go into telling time including elapsed time, elapsed minutes, elapsed seconds, word problems and more.
Teaching clocks is important because it teaches kids not only the hands of a clock but also the numbers, how to apply those numbers to real life situations and apply them in a practical way. Teaching kids how to tell time is important for two reasons:
First, since learning how to tell time involves reading numbers and telling time verbally, it helps with several other math skills including addition and subtraction and being able to convert time into hours, minutes and seconds.
Teaching clocks are more than just toys for learning how to tell time. Some teaching clocks also have other mini toys built right in. For instance, some teaching clocks have colourful removable pieces that come in a form of blocks.
Some of these toy clocks can be used as a sorting toy. Additionally, if you buy wooden toy locks from top brands you can use these toys as decoratives for your children’s nursery or playroom. Some toy clocks can be hung on the wall.
So if you are wondering if teaching clocks are worth it, our answer is yes these toys are totally worth it. They have incredible educational and developmental value and the best looking teaching clocks can be used as decoratives.
Our No. 1 Recommended Product
Wooden Calendar and Learning Clock
Empower your child’s learning journey with an interactive wooden calendar that not only teaches about time but also days, dates, months, weather, and seasons!
