How to play Draw the Clock
Draw the Clock is a free telling time game where you learn by doing. Instead of choosing from pictures, you draw the hands on the clock face yourself, just like on a worksheet, and the game checks your answer straight away. Each round has ten times to set, and four levels take you from the easiest times to any minute of the day.
- Choose Draw the hands and a level, then press Start.
- Read the time at the top, for example quarter past four or 7:40.
- From the centre dot, draw a short line for the hour hand and a long line for the minute hand.
- Press Check. Right answers turn the clock green; wrong answers show the correct hands as green dashes, with a tip.
- After ten questions you get stars and your best score is saved. Score 9 or more, then try the next level.
Tips for telling the time on an analogue clock
- The long hand shows the minutes. Each number on the clock is worth five minutes: the 1 means 5 minutes, the 3 means 15, the 6 means 30 and the 9 means 45. On the harder levels, small minute labels around the edge help you count.
- The short hand shows the hour. At an o'clock time it points exactly at the number.
- The hour hand keeps moving. At half past, it is halfway to the next number. At quarter to, it is almost there. This is the most common mistake, and the game will remind you about it.
- "Past" and "to". Up to half past we count minutes past the hour (twenty past five). After half past we count the minutes left until the next hour (twenty to six), and the hour in the name is the next hour.
- Quarter past, half past, quarter to. A quarter of an hour is 15 minutes, so quarter past is :15, half past is :30 and quarter to is :45.
The four levels
O'clock and half past is the place to start: the minute hand only points straight up or straight down. Quarter past and quarter to adds the 3 and the 9. 5-minute steps uses every number on the clock, with times written in words like "twenty-five to eight" or as digital times.Any minute is the expert level, where you need to place the minute hand between the numbers, for example at 2:37, and the hour hand has to be in exactly the right spot too.
For parents and teachers
Drawing the hands is an active recall exercise: children have to work out where each hand goes rather than spotting the right picture, which builds a stronger understanding of how a clock works. The Read the clockmode then practises the reverse skill, converting an analogue clock to a digital time. The wrong answers in that mode are built from typical mix-ups, so a child who keeps choosing them is showing you exactly what to practise. There is no chat and no account to create, and it works on classroom whiteboards, tablets and computers.
A quick routine that works well: one round of Draw the hands at the current level, then one round of Read the clock at the same level. When both scores reach 9 or 10, move up. Five minutes a day is plenty, and the saved best scores make progress easy to see.
More games to learn and draw
Practise fine motor control with Draw a Straight Line andDraw Perfect Shapes, or let an AI guess your doodles inQuick Draw.
Draw a Clock FAQ
How do I draw the clock hands?
Put your finger or mouse on the centre dot and draw a line outwards in the direction the hand should point. A short line becomes the hour hand and a long line becomes the minute hand. Draw both, then press Check. If you draw a hand again, it replaces the old one.
What age is this telling time game for?
It suits children who are learning to read an analogue clock, usually around ages 5 to 9, but the 'Any minute' level and the read-the-clock mode are good practice for older children and adults too. Start with o'clock and half past, then move up a level when you score 9 or 10.
Why was my answer marked wrong when the minute hand was right?
The hour hand moves too. At half past three it sits halfway between the 3 and the 4, and at quarter to four it is most of the way to the 4. The game shows the correct hands as green dashed lines after a wrong answer so you can see where they should be.
What is the Read the clock mode?
It is the reverse exercise: the clock shows a time and you choose the matching digital time from four answers. The wrong answers are based on common mistakes, such as mixing up the hands or reading the wrong hour near the end of the hour.
Does it work on tablets and phones?
Yes. It is designed for touch screens as well as a mouse, so children can draw the hands with a finger on a tablet or phone. No app or download is needed.
Is it free and are scores saved?
The game is completely free with no sign-up. The best score for each mode and level is saved in the browser on your device, so learners can see their progress next time.