Elapsed Time Game: How Long and What Time Will It Be?

What children learn: working out how long, and what time it will be

Elapsed time is the time that passes between a start and an end. Children work out what time something ends ("The film starts at 2 o'clock and lasts 45 minutes"), or how long it lasts.

The clock face is the best tool for this. Children move the minute hand forward, count on in fives and full hours, and watch the hour hand move when they pass 12.

Common mistakes

The usual slip is losing track of the hour when the minutes go past 12: 40 minutes after 2:30 becomes 2:10 instead of 3:10. Some children also count the start time as one of the minutes. Counting on in steps (to the next o'clock, then the rest) avoids both.

Tip for parents

Ask real questions: "Swimming starts at 4:15 and lasts half an hour. When do we leave?" Let your child turn the hands on a clock to find out, rather than working it out in their head.

Tip for teachers

Model counting on: jump to the next o'clock first, then add what is left. The game's hints use the same steps, so you can pause on a wrong answer and talk it through as a class.

A five-minute class activity

Lesson length: tell the class when today's next lesson starts and ends. Children show both times on a clock, then work out how long it lasts by counting on in fives.