How to Make Free Clock Worksheets: With Answer Keys, Plus a Plan for Practice at Home

Three types of clock worksheet and the skills they build

Clock worksheets fall into three broad types. They're all "clock practice", but each uses a different skill, so choose according to your goal.

The recommended order is to get used to reading with "Read the clock", then practise thinking in reverse with "Draw the hands", and move on to "Elapsed time" in Grades 2 and 3. Even when a child seems able to read the clock, asking them to draw the hands often reveals they're vague about where the hour hand goes.

Choosing a level, from preschool to Grade 3

Children stay motivated more easily when the worksheet is at a level where they can solve about 7 or 8 out of 10 questions on their own. If it's too hard they may end up disliking clocks altogether, so if in doubt, start one level easier. (The grades below follow the Japanese school system, which starts Grade 1 at age 6.)

How to make free clock worksheets with answer keys

With "Make a worksheet" in the Clock Reading Practice tool, you can create A4 clock worksheets with answer pages, no sign-up needed. You can generate different questions every time, so there's no worry about running out the way you do with a workbook.

1. 1

   Choose the worksheet type

   Choose from "Read the clock", "Draw the hands" and "Elapsed time".

2. 2

   Choose the level and number of questions

   Read the clock and Draw the hands have 4 levels: on the hour, half past, 5-minute steps and 1-minute steps, with 6, 9 or 12 questions per sheet. Elapsed time has 4 levels with 4, 6 or 8 questions per sheet. You can make 1 to 5 sheets.

3. 3

   Set the title and set code

   You can change the title freely. Changing the set code gives different questions, and the same set code always produces the same questions and answers however many times you make it.

4. 4

   Choose answer pages and minute numbers

   Turn on "Include an answer page" and red answer pages are added after the questions. You can also turn "Show minute numbers around the dial (5, 10, 15…)" on or off.

5. 5

   Check the preview and print

   Check the result in the on-screen preview (A4 portrait) and press "Print". To make a PDF, save it from "Open in another tab (save as PDF)".

On elapsed-time worksheets, the answer pages also show the working in red, such as "3:40 → 20 min → 4:00 → 10 min → 4:10", so you can use it directly as an explanation when marking.

Tips for printing cleanly

• Scale 100%: choose "Scale 100%" in the print dialog so the page prints on A4 without being cut off. If "Fit to page" shrinks it, check the settings.
• Turn on background graphics: to print coloured parts such as the minute numbers and the red answers, turn on "Background graphics".
• From a phone, saving a PDF is handy: once it's a PDF via "Open in another tab (save as PDF)", you can use it with convenience store print services or print it later.
• Keep the answer pages separate: if the answer pages come straight after the questions, children may peek. Separate them once printed.

Why a printout comes out smaller than expected and how to fix it is explained in detail in Why prints come out small and how to fix it. If you'd also like to make handwriting worksheets for home study, see How to make four-line English and kanji practice sheets.

What to check when marking "Draw the hands" questions

"Draw the hands" questions don't have a single number as the answer, so deciding in advance how much has to be right to count as correct makes marking easier. Check these four points.

The easiest point to miss is the third one, the hour hand's position. The hour hand moves one number in an hour, half of that in 30 minutes and three-quarters in 45 minutes. For preschoolers and children starting Grade 1, count it as correct if the hour hand is roughly in the right place, then, as they get used to it, have them pay attention to the exact position.

A two-week plan for reading time to the minute

Clock reading sticks better with a little every day than with a lot in one day. Aim for one sheet, 5 to 10 minutes a day, and try the pace below. Watch how your child is doing, and repeat a stage if they haven't got it yet.

• For questions they got wrong, move a clock's hands together and check on the same day
• Solving a worksheet with the same set code again a few days later shows whether they've improved
• When they get a whole sheet right, make it visible with a sticker or a big tick
• After the worksheet, ask "what time is it now?" using a real clock to connect paper and everyday life

When a child gets stuck on a worksheet, the first step is to pin down where. The order for teaching and how to fix common mistakes are covered in How to teach clock reading (5 steps).

Using them alongside store-bought workbooks and school worksheets

Store-bought workbooks and worksheets handed out at school are also available for clock practice. Each has its strengths, so combining them makes practice more efficient.

For example, an effective approach is to repeat 2 or 3 sheets at the same level with worksheets you make yourself after learning something new (half past, 5-minute steps and so on) in a workbook or at school. You can print just the levels with the most mistakes, so you can focus on weak spots in a short time.

Combining worksheets with on-screen practice

The "Practice quiz" in the same tool offers 10 questions at a time, at the same levels as the worksheets: 4-choice clock reading, setting the hands to a given time, and elapsed-time problems. Children find out right away whether they're correct, and the working is shown when they get one wrong, so they can practise on their own.

For example, combining 5 minutes of on-screen practice on a phone or tablet on weekdays with written practice on worksheets at the weekend makes it easier to keep going without getting bored. Before moving on to "how many minutes later / earlier" worksheets, it helps to check the reasoning in How to work out clock times and elapsed time.

Maze worksheets are also good for a break between clock practice sessions. Mazes where children move a pencil between the lines are good pencil-control practice too. Sizes suitable for each age and tips for making your own are in How to make mazes, with size guidelines by age.

FAQ

Can I print clock worksheets for free?

With "Make a worksheet" in the Clock Reading Practice tool, you can make them free and without signing up. Choose from three types (read the clock, draw the hands, elapsed time) and print 4 to 12 questions per sheet, up to 5 sheets, on A4. You can add answer pages too.

Can I make worksheets with different questions each time?

Yes. Changing the set code gives different questions. Conversely, the same set code always produces the same questions and answers, so you can have your child redo the same worksheet a few days later to see whether they've improved.

Which worksheet suits a preschooler?

Starting with the "On the hour" level of "Read the clock", 6 questions per sheet, is recommended. Once they read the hours fluently, move on to "Half past". Practising with clocks that show the minute numbers (5, 10, 15…) makes the later move to 5-minute steps smoother.

How accurate does a "draw the hands" answer need to be?

At first, it's fine to count it as correct if the minute hand points at the right minute and the hour hand is around the right number (between 3 and 4 for 3:30). As they get used to it, check how far between the numbers the hour hand sits to match the minutes.

Can I save the worksheets as PDFs?

Yes. Press "Open in another tab (save as PDF)" and, on the page that opens, choose "Save as PDF" in the browser's print function. It's also handy when you make worksheets on a phone and want to print them on a computer or at a convenience store.