Maths · Colouring and writing worksheet
Telling the Time: Free KS1 O'clock and Half Past Worksheet
This free, printable telling-the-time worksheet helps children aged 5 to 7 learn to read a clock face to the hour ("o'clock") and to the half hour ("half past"). Children colour the friendly owl clock in, then answer simple questions about what the hands are showing and how to read them.
It is completely free to print, use and share, at home or in the classroom. Just hit print, or save it as a PDF.
Telling the Time: O'clock and Half Past
Free Maths worksheet · Ages 5 to 7
Colour the clock
Colour the owl and the clock face in any way you like. Then use the colours below to help you spot the two hands.
- Colour the short hour hand red.
- Colour the long minute hand blue.
- Colour the friendly owl brown.
Read the clock
Look at the clock and answer the questions. Write your answers on the lines, using the word bank to help you.
Which hand tells us the hour?
Which hand tells us the minutes?
When the long hand points straight up to the top, what do we say?
When the long hand points straight down to the bottom, what do we say?
Telling the Time: O'clock and Half Pastowee.worldAnswer key
- Which hand tells us the hour? — The short hand
- Which hand tells us the minutes? — The long hand
- When the long hand points straight up to the top, what do we say? — o'clock
- When the long hand points straight down to the bottom, what do we say? — half past
What is on the worksheet
One clear, friendly line drawing of an analogue clock face, with a cheerful owl perched on top, ready to colour. Around the picture there are short writing tasks that ask your child to explain which hand is which, and how to read o'clock and half past times.
The drawing has bold, even outlines and plenty of white space, so it is comfortable for small hands to colour and a pleasure to display afterwards. The questions use a simple word bank to support early readers and writers.
How to use it at home or in the classroom
Print the worksheet, or open it on a tablet and print from there. First, let your child colour the clock and the owl however they like, which is a lovely, low-pressure way in.
Then talk about the two hands together: the short hand points to the hour, and the long hand points to the minutes. Show that when the long hand points straight up it is something o'clock, and when it points straight down it is half past. Read the questions aloud for younger children and let them write or say their answers, using the word bank to help. A real clock or a play clock alongside the sheet makes the learning stick.
What your child will learn
By the end of the activity, your child should begin to read the time to the hour and half past the hour, and to name the two hands on a clock. In child-friendly terms: the short hand tells us the hour, the long hand tells us the minutes, when the long hand is at the top it is o'clock, and when the long hand is at the bottom it is half past.
Reading o'clock and half past is one of the first measurement skills in primary school, and a firm foundation for later learning about quarter past, quarter to and minutes.
A note for teachers
This worksheet supports the Key Stage 1 maths programme of study for measurement, specifically telling the time to the hour and half past the hour. It works as a gentle introduction or a quick check of whether pupils can identify the hour and minute hands and read the two simplest times.
There is no log-in, no watermark and no catch. You are welcome to print copies for your class and to link to this page from your school website or newsletter.
Frequently asked questions
How do you teach telling the time to KS1 children?
Start with the two hands: the short hand shows the hour and the long hand shows the minutes. Teach o'clock first (the long hand points straight up), then half past (the long hand points straight down). Using a real or play clock alongside a worksheet, and reading times throughout the day, helps it stick.
What does half past mean on a clock?
Half past means thirty minutes after the hour, so the long minute hand points straight down to the bottom of the clock and the short hour hand sits halfway between two numbers. For example, half past three is thirty minutes after three o'clock.
What age or year group is this worksheet for?
It is designed for children aged 5 to 7, which is Years 1 and 2 (Key Stage 1) in England. Telling the time to the hour and half past the hour is a Year 1 objective, so it suits children who are just starting to read a clock face.
Is this telling-the-time worksheet free to print and share?
Yes. It is completely free to print, use at home or in class, and share. There is no sign-up and no watermark. You are welcome to link to this page from a school website or newsletter.
How do I print or save the worksheet?
Press the Print button on this page, or use your browser's print option. To keep a copy, choose 'Save as PDF' as the destination in the print dialog.
Curriculum links
- KS1 Year 1 Measurement (statutory): 'tell the time to the hour and half past the hour and draw the hands on a clock face to show these times'
- KS1 Year 1 Measurement (statutory): 'recognise and use language relating to dates, including days of the week, weeks, months and years'
- KS1 Year 2 Measurement (statutory): 'tell and write the time to five minutes, including quarter past/to the hour and draw the hands on a clock face to show these times'
Made by The Owee education team. Updated 02/06/2026. Free to print and share.
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