Monday Makery - Tick Tock

If you want to teach your children to tell the time this makery is a great way to get them started. With a basic wall clock and some coloured card your child will be able to read the time learning both the analogue and digital time.

Here's what you'll need: 

• A clock * if your clock is going to be placed in a bedroom I'd recommend not to get one with a second hand in case the ticking of the clock keeps them awake!
• coloured card
• gluestick
• sticky tape
• pencil
• scissors

Here's how:

1. Begin by drawing a circle. The circle needs to be a little smaller than the face of the clock so that once the centre is cut out the ring will sit on the edge of the clock.  Use a compass if you have one if not a plate or bowl will suffice.
2. Now, draw 12 petals around the edge of your circle. We made a template for these by measuring the distance between the numbers on the clock to give us the width of the base of the petals. So, if there's a 6cm distance between the 12 and the 1 then that's the measurement to the base of each petal. 
3. Once all the 12 petals are drawn on cut out your flower and then cut out the centre to create the window for the clock face.
4. Using another template create 12 more petals longer than the previous ones.
5. Cut out and stick each one behind the smaller petals on your flower.
6. Now for marking on the time. Leave the top petals blank. Then on the central petals write the time of the minute hands in words; five past,  ten past, quarter past, twenty past, twenty five past, half past, twenty five to, twenty to, quarter to, ten to, and finally five to. 
7. On the larger outer petals write the digital time. 5, 10 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 00.
8. Attach the flower to the clock, lining up the petals to the numbers on the face, we used a glue stick to do this and it seems to be holding so far. Of course you can use double sided sticky tape or a stronger glue if needs be.

To teach the children the different hands on the clock and their role you can add a long green stem for your flower with 2 leaves branching off. Draw one hand bigger than the other. The larger leaf can be used to remind them of the minute hand whilst the smaller leaf can be used as a reminder as to which the hour hand is. Write 'minute' and 'hour' on the leaves too so that they can have a reference.

You could also cut out little butterflies or ladybugs to stick onto the leaves to mark out important times of the day; 5.30 is dinner time, lunch time, and 7 o'clock bedtime! Of course if you wanted to teach the children the 24 hour clock you could add a further row of petals showing the time from 13.00 through to 24.00.  Perhaps on darker petals with silver pen like the night sky so children know those times are for the evening.

Here we've kept ours simple, as we already know the role of the hands on the clock we've not added a stalk or leaves to help us and I've not added the 24 hour numbers either but when my younger daughter begins to learn I'll add the leaves and perhaps at the same time add the 24 hour numbers too to make it more challenging for my older daughter.

Happy Making

We'd love to see pictures of your clocks too. You can send them to info@sistersguild.com

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This is part of our weekly Monday Makery where we bring you a recipe to bake or a craft to create. Visit our Monday Makery when you're in need of inspiration for something to do on a rainy day or to use as interception of the words 'I'm bored', or just because being creative with your children is something you all love to do. Our other popular blogposts include 'The story behind our collections', 'Tell us its Tuesday' , An A-Z of Sisters Guild, The Art of Living posts bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas, and our 'Once upon a week' gives you a glimpse into life behind the scenes at Sisters Guild. 

www.sistersguild.co.uk

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