Making a Clock: A Kindergarten Math Craft

Kindergarten students will have a better understanding of time and how clocks work if they make their own. This can be done in one class period.

Items you will need for this project:

1. Stack of paper plates
2. Markers/Crayons
3. Metal fasteners
4. Scissors
5. Construction paper to make minute and hour hands

Steps to follow to create your paper clock:

1. Hand out one paper plate to each child.
2. Have each child place a black dot in the center of the clock.
3. Draw a clock on the black board so the children can see where the numbers go. Instruct them to copy the numbers on to their clocks.
4. Have some arrow hands drawn on construction paper for the kids. One set for each child. Let the children cut them out by themselves.
5. Give each child a metal fastener and show them how to poke it through the big and little hands and then through the plate. Flatten the fasteners in the back, but make sure they are not too tight so that the hands will spin around freely. It will be helpful if you place a black dot on both of the hands where the fastener needs to be poked through.

You are now ready to begin giving your students their first instructions on their new clocks. It will be a fun lesson and the kids will enjoy following along with you by moving their own minute and hour hands on their clocks. They can continue using these clocks in Math until you move on to another area of learning.Suggested Reading with this lesson: Telling Time with Big Mama Cat by Dan Harper. This book can be found on Amazon.com if you don't have it available at your local library. It sells for $10.88 brand new or $4.40 used.