Hold a clock contest. In advance have students decide on the awards they want to give to clocks such as the "most unique," "most ornate" and "most colorful." Students can bring a working digital or analog clock from home or teachers or parents can provide a variety of clocks for the contest. Students can vote on the clock superlatives. After the contest, discuss the differences between digital and analog clocks and identify the hour and minute hands and what they mean. Show the students what the same time looks like on a digital and analog clock.
Race against time with a stopwatch. Before class, make flashcards with activities that students can do at school, such as take a note to the office, bounce a basketball 20 times, sing the alphabet song or sharpen a pencil. Before performing each activity, have students predict whether it will take a minute, less than a minute or more than a minute to complete the task. Have students take turns drawing cards and performing the activities on the cards. Time the students with a stopwatch and an analog clock. This will help students understand how long a minute is.
Create paper-plate clocks with students to use during games. Give each student a paper plate, hour hand, minute hand and a brad. On the inside edge of the paper plate have students write the numbers one through 12 in the appropriate places. Students can decorate clocks with markers or crayons to show their individuality. Call out a time and have students show that time on their clocks. When everyone has attempted to put their clock hands in the right places, choose a student to show the answer, or let them come to the front of the room and use the teacher's clock. Give everyone a turn.
Read "Telling Time With Big Mama Cat" by Dan Harper. In the story, Big Mama Cat has many important things to do such as snacking, napping and sneaking into a "forbidden chair." She has to know what time to do all these things so she doesn't forget. As the story is read, students can move the hands on the the clocks they made to show what time Big Mama Cat does each activity.
Reinforce time skills by playing games on the Internet. The website Internet4Classrooms has links to more than 20 interactive games that teach about time. Students can practice telling time to the hour and half hour and to five- and 15-minute increments. There are also games for two players and quizzes for students to self-check their work.