“Mama, when is finally Christmas Eve?” Three-year-old Lena can hardly wait. Almost daily, she pesters her parents about how many days she still has to wait. This is mainly because little ones can’t really grasp terms like “in 5 days” or “tomorrow.” Children’s understanding of time is different from adults’ since they still have trouble distinguishing past and present. With some patience, however, calendar dates and time can be learned. A learning clock helps little ones get to know and understand calendar dates and times. Helpful tips for parents can be found in this article.
The right age to learn the clock
But at what age should little ones start learning calendar dates and time? As with many other areas, every child is different. That means there is no fixed age recommendation. However, as soon as children show interest in time concepts, parents can try to introduce the topic playfully. It is advisable to start in preschool age. Once children are in school, they should have a basic sense of weekdays or times. After all, parents want to make arrangements with their child for pick-ups or similar.
Step-by-step learning success with a learning clock
A learning clock playfully introduces little ones to calendar dates and time. Bright colors and fun details increase the learning fun. Still, parents should proceed step by step and not overwhelm the children right away:
Learning unit 1: The small hand for the full hour
A learning clock is great for illustrating the time. Parents should start slowly and begin with the hour hand. Ask the child which number the small hand points to and what time it is accordingly. Next, children can try moving the hand themselves to the correct time.
Learning unit 2: The big hand – half and quarter hours
The minute hand is still tricky for children. Parents should also set a slow learning pace here. Set the big hand to 9 and keep the minute hand on a full hour. Then you can illustrate half and quarter hours. Parents need patience here. It may take some time for the child to understand this step.
Learning unit 3: Learning the minutes
Next, parents can teach how many minutes are in an hour. Let the children count one full hour first. Then practice in 5-minute increments.
Learning unit 4: A day has 24 hours
Finally, the advanced learning unit. Children must learn that a day has 24 hours. Explain that after noon (12 o’clock), counting continues with 13. The same applies to midnight (24 o’clock), after which counting starts again at 0.
Calendar dates and seasons: Rituals make learning easier
Learning calendar dates and time can also be fun. Dates like weekdays or seasons can be reinforced with nice rituals. For example: In autumn, parents can introduce the ritual of flying kites with the children. Spring always begins when a candle is lit on Candlemas (February 2nd) to welcome the daylight. Another tip: Bring the seasons into the home and decorate regularly. This also helps children understand the change between spring and summer. The same works with weekdays. For example, on Sundays there is always a dumpling for lunch. On Wednesdays, a ritual of taking a short evening walk can be introduced.
The howa learning clock: Making learning fun
Learning calendar dates and time can be so much fun. The new
howa learning clock proves this. A total of eight lovingly designed stations await discovery by the little ones. A classic analog clock allows children to set the time with the hour and minute hands. Below it is a clock with a 24-hour display for learning digital time. On the left side, children can explore the weekdays, while the months are shown on the right. Little weather frogs can set the current season, daily weather, and temperature. With the help of small green arrow pegs, weekday, month, date, and weather can be precisely indicated. The learning clock is made of solid wood, making it especially sturdy and durable.
