At Minimo, we know that a playful approach with children can work wonders! Here are a few ideas to help your child become familiar with the concept of time and our new magnetic routine clock. Psst! If you’re a teacher or know one, feel free to share this blog post because we’ve prepared two ready-to-use documents for classroom activities! Enjoy these games to get acquainted with time!
For Parents and Caregivers
Getting your child to be on time can be quite a challenge, right? We understand! Sometimes, for certain children, the concept of time is not yet or easily grasped, making it difficult for them to navigate through time. When we tell them we are “in a hurry” and they have to put their toys aside for Mom or Dad’s needs, they don’t understand why. So, here are a few small games to gently introduce and familiarize them to the concept of time.
Who’s the Fastest?
You can have fun with your child by engaging in friendly competitions. For example, who can pick up the most toys or challenging them to put away their clothes before the white clock hand moves to the next minute! The Minimo timer is also perfect for this type of game.
Riddles
For a child, the concept of time can be quite abstract. Initially, they may rely on their own temporal references, such as the duration of an episode, for example. Ideally, since this world realm is abstract, we allow the child to observe and manipulate, when possible, objects that demonstrate time, such as an hourglass, a clock, a timer, etc. When it comes to manipulating the clock, nothing beats riddles. Here are a few examples :
- I am the time at which you brush your teeth in the morning.
- I am the activity you do at 6:00 PM.
- I am the time at which you come back from school.
- Etc.
By having the clock in sight, with the routine magnets as visual support, Mini Einstein will have fun solving your riddles AND remembering the steps of their routine. Two birds with one stone!
Acting out the Hours
To become familiar with the hours of the day, the parent names a specific time, and the participants must act out the daily activity associated with that time. For example, at 10:00 PM, we sleep! At 7:00 AM, we have breakfast. Keep your Minimo clock nearby so that your curious little ones can look at the routine magnets for assistance!
Hurry/On Time/Relaxed
The object of this game is simply to practice adjusting your speed according to the context. So, in the playing area, if the parent says that they’re in a hurry, everyone walks very quickly. If the family is on time, they walk at a normal pace, and if they’re relaxed, they can slow down and take their time. This way, the next time you’re in a hurry, you can remind your child of the game so they can pick up the pace!
Guess the Time
One player chooses a time in their head. To start, choose “on the hour” times. For more experienced players, you can add half-hours and eventually quarter-hours. The other participants must guess the time by asking questions that can be answered with a “yes” or a “no.” For example, “Is it in the morning?” “Do we have a snack before that?” etc. With younger children in the early grades, having a visual clock support can be helpful in guiding their thinking.
Little Gifts for Teachers
We know that teachers have a lot on their plate, so we’ve prepared two colorful ready-to-use colorful documents to that will complement the games to familiarize children with time. All you have left to do is have them printed, laminated, and then have fun with your students.
Memory Game
Present the model of a clock that includes several activities. The goal object of the game is to match three elements (the activity, the time, and the visual representation on the clock). With beginners, you can simply choose two elements. In the document, I also provide various ways to use this resource.
Time Rally (Task Cards)
Here are 20 numbered task cards, perfect for organizing a rally and having students move around to find the answers to different questions. You will need the visual reference of the clock with the various daily activities (all provided in the document). It’s a perfect activity to get students up and moving… while learning!
By the way, if you love learning more about time and what it represents for children, I have also prepared an educational guide to accompany our magnetic routine clock. It’s 10 pages of super interesting content just for you!
