Teaching Telling Time to the 5 Minutes with Centers

Make teaching telling time more fun and hands-on with these telling time math centers. Eight ready to go centers that have minimal prep, but maximum fun. Students practice reading a clock through games, task cards, puzzles, matching activities, interactive notebooks, and more. These activities are designed for 2nd grade, but could be adapted for first grade or even 3rd grade.


It is no secret that I love using the math workshop format to teach math concepts. Math workshop lends itself to the idea of math centers or stations. Student can independently practice concepts taught in a small group setting, while the teacher is working with small groups at the same time.

The downside I found to using centers was constantly feeling like I needed to create so many different activities each week. Do you ever feel that way? A lot of games and activities we could use for multiple weeks, but there were still new concepts to add each week so I was constantly scrambling to make new games and hands-on activities for my second graders. 

To solve this problem for busy teachers like you, I created telling time centers. Now teaching telling time to the 5 minutes with centers will be a BREEZE because these centers are print, prep, and use (and the prep part is minimal.)

These are similar to my Money Centers that I blogged about last month.  

Telling time centers includes eight ready made centers that are Common Core aligned for second grade.  Many of these could also be used as a review with third graders or even a challenge for some first graders.  

Each center comes with student directions, along with suggestions for use if there are multiple ways the product can be used. In each center (when applicable), I've included student directions that you can fold up and set up like a little tent at the center. This can serve as a refresher so students remember what they should be doing at each station. All centers practice telling time to the nearest five minutes.  


Here is a little peek at what is included:

Telling Time Memory Game

This includes cards with different times to the five minutes.  For each time, there is a clock version and a digital/number version.  You can use these to play memory (as shown below) or Go Fish.  
Make teaching telling time more fun and hands-on with these telling time math centers. Eight ready to go centers that have minimal prep, but maximum fun. Students practice reading a clock through games, task cards, puzzles, matching activities, interactive notebooks, and more. These activities are designed for 2nd grade, but could be adapted for first grade or even 3rd grade.

Time Story Problems Task Cards

This set includes 32 task cards that each have a story problem that deals with elapsed time.  These are designed as a challenge for your average second grader.  It would be a perfect activity for your higher students that need a challenge and are comfortable telling time already.
Make teaching telling time more fun and hands-on with these telling time math centers. Eight ready to go centers that have minimal prep, but maximum fun. Students practice reading a clock through games, task cards, puzzles, matching activities, interactive notebooks, and more. These activities are designed for 2nd grade, but could be adapted for first grade or even 3rd grade.

Click Here to Download Telling Time Centers on TpT 

Time Sort

This activity includes 72 clocks that tell a variety of times.  It also comes with the category headings for all of the minutes on the clock by 5s (00, 05, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55.)  Students need to sort the clock pictures by the number the minute hand is showing.
Make teaching telling time more fun and hands-on with these telling time math centers. Eight ready to go centers that have minimal prep, but maximum fun. Students practice reading a clock through games, task cards, puzzles, matching activities, interactive notebooks, and more. These activities are designed for 2nd grade, but could be adapted for first grade or even 3rd grade.

Time Task Cards

This includes 32 task cards.  Half the problems involve reading and writing the time shown on a clock.  The other half give students a blank clock and they must make the time that is shown on the task card.
Make teaching telling time more fun and hands-on with these telling time math centers. Eight ready to go centers that have minimal prep, but maximum fun. Students practice reading a clock through games, task cards, puzzles, matching activities, interactive notebooks, and more. These activities are designed for 2nd grade, but could be adapted for first grade or even 3rd grade.

Time Board Game

What Time is it Mr. Fox allows students to practice telling time while trying to be the first person to make it to the finish.  Includes printable game pieces and dice, or you can supply your own. This is designed as a file folder game to make storing it a breeze. Directions for assembly and student use are included.
Make teaching telling time more fun and hands-on with these telling time math centers. Eight ready to go centers that have minimal prep, but maximum fun. Students practice reading a clock through games, task cards, puzzles, matching activities, interactive notebooks, and more. These activities are designed for 2nd grade, but could be adapted for first grade or even 3rd grade.

Telling Time Bump

This game includes the pieces needed to play bump.  It also includes directions on how to play.  Basically, you draw a card, find the clock that matches that time, cover it with your color chip.  If the other player gets the same time, they can BUMP your chip off that space.  If you get the same time twice, you put two chips on it and lock it down.  That means you can't be bumped on that clock.  The first player to use up their chips is the winner. There is now a full color version and a black and white version.
Make teaching telling time more fun and hands-on with these telling time math centers. Eight ready to go centers that have minimal prep, but maximum fun. Students practice reading a clock through games, task cards, puzzles, matching activities, interactive notebooks, and more. These activities are designed for 2nd grade, but could be adapted for first grade or even 3rd grade.

Telling Time Math Journal

I've also included six activities designed to be interactive notebook pages.  These can be assembled whole group or they can be something each student creates during that center.  These pages will be a good reference tool for your students throughout the year.

Make teaching telling time more fun and hands-on with these telling time math centers. Eight ready to go centers that have minimal prep, but maximum fun. Students practice reading a clock through games, task cards, puzzles, matching activities, interactive notebooks, and more. These activities are designed for 2nd grade, but could be adapted for first grade or even 3rd grade.


Time Puzzles

These puzzles include a time that is represented in four different ways.  Students need to find the matches to assemble the puzzles.
Make teaching telling time more fun and hands-on with these telling time math centers. Eight ready to go centers that have minimal prep, but maximum fun. Students practice reading a clock through games, task cards, puzzles, matching activities, interactive notebooks, and more. These activities are designed for 2nd grade, but could be adapted for first grade or even 3rd grade.

More Telling Time Resources

Telling time to the five minutes for kids. Eight fun and engaging centers that make practicing telling time more like a game and less like work. #secondgrade #mathcenters #tellingtime

Need some more time resources? Check out these ideas:



Do your students need more practice with telling time? Grab these eight telling time (to the five minutes) centers and your students will have fun while they practice! Activities like clock games, task cards, puzzles, interactive notebooks and more are all included.