Draw the Hands on the Clock

Twelve clock faces a sheet with no hands on them, each printed above the time it should show. The student draws the hour and minute hands themselves, which is the opposite way round from reading a clock and a good deal harder - it is easy to recognise half past three and still put the hour hand exactly on the three rather than halfway to the four.

The answer key is the same twelve clocks with the hands drawn in, so it can be checked side by side against the sheet rather than by reading a list of times. Times land on the quarter hour here; the Telling Time pages cover the hour, half hour, five minutes and single minutes if you want to change the step.

Frequently asked questions

How do you draw the hands on a clock face?

Put the minute hand first, counting round in fives from the 12, then the hour hand - and move the hour hand part of the way towards the next number according to how far through the hour you are. At half past three the hour hand sits midway between the 3 and the 4.

Why is drawing harder than reading the clock?

Reading only asks which numbers the hands are near. Drawing asks you to place them, so the hour hand's position between two numbers has to be right rather than merely close.

Does the answer key show the clocks?

Yes - the key repeats the same clock faces with the hands drawn on, so the sheet can be checked picture against picture instead of against a list of times.

Can I make the times easier or harder?

Change the interval. This page uses quarter hours; o'clock and half past are easier, and five minutes or every minute are harder.