If your children are at an age where they're learning to tell the time, then you might already be familiar with GLTC's clever Tell The Time Wall Clock. It has clearly marked minutes and hours and gentle reminders of when it's 'to' and 'past'. It was even featured in The Independent's Top 50 Best Back to School Buys.
Today's craft combines learning more about time with being a fun addition to a child's bedroom. It's a dino-inspired around the wall clock wall.
I, Rachel, first thought of the idea when my two little boys became more curious about time changes and time zones. We're from the UK but they were both born in Switzerland; we have family in Italy and Australia; and they have Paris and New York on their 'must travel to' lists.
Combined with learning about how and why the earth turns at school, it has led to many questions about 'who is sleeping when we're awake?', 'where is it dark right now?', and 'what meal are they eating in America when I'm having breakfast?'
So, I thought the best way to explain it would be to make it visual. Hence our new world clock wall ... in colours chosen to match the GLTC dinosaur design.
It almost needs no explanation but here's a quick 'how to':
STEP 1
Take six paper plates (or however many countries and cities you want to include) and decide which colours to paint them. We chose colours to complement the green dinosaurs and navy blue edging on the dinosaur bedding.
STEP 2
After the paint has dried, write the numbers on the clock face using a paint pen.
STEP 3
Cut out cardboard clock hands (paper is too thin) and attach them to the centre of the clock faces using paper fasteners.
STEP 4
Choose your favourite locations across the world and create labels to sit below each clock. It's good handwriting practice for your children, too. Some countries, because they're so large, have multiple time zones, Australia, for example. The clock wall offers a great opportunity to explain this but when we're setting the time on the clocks, we tend to pick a specific place, such as Sydney.
STEP 5
Stick the plates and name labels to the wall with small poster strips. They peel off without damaging paint or wallpaper so when you decide to take the clocks down, they'll come off with a gentle pull.
STEP 6
And then it's time to play. I tend to ask the boys questions along the lines of, 'If it's 9.30 in the morning in Sydney, what time is it everywhere else?' Or, I might set the time on five clocks correctly and one a couple of hours out and ask them which one isn't right. At ages eight and six, they find it fun and don't realise that they're learning at the same time. And when it gets too easy, we can simply switch the countries or cities. It's almost a lesson in geography, too!
