Interactive Learning Clock
Grab the hands of the clock and drag them around! Watch how the digital time changes as you move the hands.
Digital Time
Quick Jumps
How to Read an Analog Clock
The Short Hand (Hours)
The short, thick hand tells us the Hour. It points to the large numbers on the clock (1 through 12).
Pro Tip: As the minutes pass, the hour hand slowly moves toward the next number. If it is pointing between the 3 and the 4, the hour is still 3!
The Long Hand (Minutes)
The long, thin hand tells us the Minutes. Instead of looking at the big numbers, we count the little tiny marks around the edge. There are 60 of them!
Pro Tip: To count minutes faster, skip-count by 5s for every big number. (1 = 5, 2 = 10, 3 = 15). Turn on the "Minute Helpers" button above to practice!
AM vs. PM
There are 24 hours in a day, but a clock only has 12 numbers. This means the hour hand must go all the way around the clock two times every single day!
AM (Morning)
From Midnight until Noon. This is when you wake up, eat breakfast, and go to school.
PM (Afternoon / Night)
From Noon until Midnight. This is when you eat dinner, do homework, and go to sleep.