Clocks with bright colored blocks. Clocks with hands that twizzle and click-clack. Clocks for adults to teach their kids. But most of all — clocks for your child’s independent learning.
For parents who need an extra hour in the day — 13 just seemed like the perfect number!
Real-life clock mastery — from an early age?
Why stop with telling time? We’re covering the full spectrum of clock toy learning objectives — to get your kiddo talking about and planning the day.
Time keeps on slipping into the future! What better time than now?
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13 Best Learning Clocks For Toddlers & Kids
Crazy learning clocks
Here’s my bold statement — the best learning clock for toddlers is made of natural wood.
Not fast-fashion clocks toys — like Telly The Teaching Time Clock — a punctual plastic superhero with lights, sound, and a clock head. Nope.
We’re taking an eco-friendly approach to learning how to tell time.
Because it’s 2021 — and learning clock toys made from wood are just as fun and effective than their plastic cousins (or even better).
- (01) Melissa & Doug Shape Wooden Sorting Clock
- (02) Coogam “Colors & Shapes” Wooden Sorting Clock
- (03) Mirus Toys Maple Wood Montessori Clock
- (04) Pidoko Kids “All About Today” Kids Day Planner Board
- (05) Dazzle Your Puzzle Personalized Wooden Name Clock
- (06) Learning Resources Big Time Classroom Clock
- (07) Busy People Personalized Wooden Clock Puzzle
- (08) Woody Treasures Wooden Clock Activity Board
- (09) From Jennifer Maple Wooden Toy Clock
- (10) Cigera Educational Wall Clock For Kids
- (11) Small Foot Toys Pretend Play Wooden Wall Clock
- (12) Woodinout Telling Time Montessori Clock
- (13) Melissa & Doug “Turn & Tell” Clock Study Game
For a complimentary learning toy get your little one situated in time and space — check out our review of the best Montessori calendars too!
(01) Melissa & Doug Shape Wooden Sorting Clock
Tried-and-trusted Melissa & Doug brand’s best-value educational wooden clock toy for children ages 3 to 6.
Melissa & Doug is a brand name you’ve probably heard before. They set the standard when it comes to “Red Color Hour Hand” and “Blue Color Minute Hand”. You’re going to see this same standard on lots of toddler clocks moving forward!
Parents who’ve purchased 365 other toys for their tot will be glad to see this “Wooden Clock Learning Block Set” has a cool low price (at the time of writing).
Ideal for toddlers and kids 3 to 6 years — learn shapes and colors hands-on by stacking, sorting, matching, and organizing the blocks back onto the clock in the correct order. That’s crazy cool playability for a kid’s clock — and that’s why it’s got over 1,500 5-star ratings (at the time of writing).
Last-minute — and you need a Prime package ASAP? Melissa & Doug is a non-controversial option — works in a jiffy for any kid 3 to 6 years.
(02) Coogam “Colors & Shapes” Wooden Sorting Clock
The world’s most popular wooden learning clock for ages 1 to 4 years old.
You can hardly miss the bold colors and shapes on Coogam brand’s ultra-popular, ultra-playful way of learning time.
A round 8.5” wooden clock face with 12 “Hour Blocks” — each block with a number 1 to 12, each block with a unique color.
There’s more to the blocks than meets the eye. Chunky-sized for tiny hands? Check!
Stack the blocks like you would any other building blocks set. With numbers on just a single side, you can hide the number to make it a memory game. As a calming rainbow gradient, learn which primary colors are used to mix secondary colors.
To make it easy-breezy — you can make it a bundle and buy together with another Coogam brand learning companion toy — like a wooden alphabet puzzle complete with 26 letters in bright rainbow colors to match the clock.
The N2 brand offers a near-identical alternative for your comparison — and I think you’ll see Coogam is the better pick.
(03) Mirus Toys Maple Wood Montessori Clock
A simple & small 6” inch Montessori learning clock made from quality hardwood.
Eco-wonderful and buttery-to-touch — the white maple it’s available with each minute 0 to 60 etched onto the clock face — or with notches for each minute but numbers for each 5-minute segment. Which better suits your Montessori learning objectives?
Low-environmental cost using natural materials passes down savings to you.
The perforation on the back fits several common household hooks — so it’s easy to hang on the wall.
To be a little forward about it — you could get a China-manufactured clock outsourced from who knows where — or you could pick up a quaint simple wooden toy clock like Mirus Toys with the “Made in USA” label you can feel proud of.
Your preferences are valid — buying local is just a nice little thing I prefer to do myself.
This Montessori clock is 6” in diameter, which may be a bit small for your tastes. Try Mirus Toys and other toymakers’ awesome collection of classroom clocks, calendars, science kits, and other nature-inspired educational toys on Etsy.
(04) Pidoko Kids “All About Today” Day Planner Kids Learning Board
A wooden day calendar with a large learning clock for kids to master scheduling the day.
The 24 hours represent 1 day at just 1 moment in time — let’s calibrate that out for a moment.
Recommended for kids 3 to 6 years old — Pidoko Kids “All About Today” Wooden Kids Day Calendar’s main feature is a large center clock — with all the visual numbers and learning aids you’d expect from a standard kid’s learning clock.
What’s special about this 11.5” wooden learning clock and day calendar is how it ties in this very moment with the bigger picture — numeric date, day of the week, month give littler learners an excellent anchor to reflect on the past and anticipate the future.
One downside — some people say it’s not the most durable toy.
(05) Dazzle Your Puzzle Personalized Wooden Name Clock
Custom-engraved wooden clock sorter toy — with a name on the front and a message on the back.
With both personalization sections located both on the front and back of the clock face — you can add your kid’s name on the front (2 to 3 words) and a longer message for memory on the back (3 to 4 sentences).
Choose from your favorite color palette from bright rainbow, pastel rainbow, pink, blue, and other calming nursery-inspired tones.
The (optional & costs extra) baby name clock display transforms the play clock into a nursery display — and a nifty baby shower gift idea.
Made using child-safe, eco-friendly Baltic birch wood — made by a family-owned Canadian business up north.
P.S. Parents with a knack for personalization should check out our wooden name puzzles review too.
(06) Learning Resources Big Time Teaching Clock (Student & Teacher)
Teachers look no further — this is the ultimate time teaching tool for preschool to elementary-aged kids.
It’s a bright-yellow ecosystem of bright minds with the gears turning!
Someone — please whisper sweet nothings about smooth-running classroom clock demonstrations. Here’s a large teaching clock for the teacher and a small learning clock for students.
I rarely promote plastic toys — especially not when battery-powered (this one requires 1 AA battery to make the clock hands turn) — but Learning Resources is the best-of-the-best educational clock for the classroom.
The 5” inch “Student Clock” is recommended for kids ages 5 years and up — not the best for young toddlers. Same for the 13” inch “Teacher Clock” popular when you need to demonstrate how to read a clock to a group of children.
The same brand offers all kinds of accessories to make it into an independent study activity — flashcards, activities, and time-telling challenges to cover all your required curriculum.
Looking for other clock learning resources from the aptly named Learning Resources brand? Try their 41-piece time activity set or their “Write on, Wipe off” dry-erase writing clock for starters.
With this classic yellow kids’ learning clock by your side — the class is back in session!
(07) Busy People Personalized Wooden Clock Puzzle
A wooden clock jigsaw puzzle in fresh contemporary colors — personalized perfectly for a memorable children’s gift.
This is the only wooden clock with “Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces” — pieces with tabs and blanks. Other “Toddler Clock Puzzles” just offer block sorter type puzzles. That’s already one interesting feature that puts the Busy People brand in the spotlight.
Like the Dazzle Your Puzzle brand clock we looked at a moment ago — this one’s personalizable in the very same way. Spell your kiddo’s name on the front, and leave a heartfelt message on the back.
Like we’ve seen with other clocks — the 12 “Hour Puzzle Pieces” come in 6 matching color pairs to boost color recognition.
The clock puzzle is painted before the numbers and letters are engraved into the surface — to create a unique textured woodcraft effect — expert woodworker’s design choice!
For you color-centric shoppers in the room — Busy People offers 9 amazing contemporary color palettes to match your home’s interior decor. (Not more “Same Ol’ Rainbow”.)
(08) Woody Treasures Wooden Clock Activity Board
A wooden toddler activity board with days of the week and a clock to keep playtime punctual.
It’s not as popular as Pidoko Kids “All About Today” board — but with cute seasonal critters like owls, squirrels, and tweety birds — it’s a little closer to nature.
The clock is smaller than the Pidoko brand’s — and the other features are apples-to-apples.
One unique aspect — the clock includes military time (which is something I prefer to use in my own family).
(09) From Jennifer Maple Hardwood Toy Clock
When you want a wooden toy clock — and nothing more — From Jennifer offers an all-natural maple wood Montessori clock.
At 6.5” to 7.5” inches in diameter — it’s slightly larger than the Mirus Toys brand handmade wooden clock we looked at earlier.
Get it with individual minutes etched in for a visual learning aid — or without for a cleaner look for a greater challenge.
It’s a simple-as-could-be — made of premium-quality maple wood through and through. The clock dial, the analog hands, the revolving center — all maple wood coated with non-toxic flaxseed oil.
Every single clock ordered from this Missouri, USA family-run wooden toy shop is made to order. That means you get a truly one-of-a-kind keepsake clock toy. It also means you’ll have to wait about 2 or 3 weeks before it’s delivered to your doorstep.
(10) Cigera Educational Wall Clock For Kids
As a toy clock alternative, it’s a children’s wall clock specially designed to be engaging and easy to read for kids.
Oh me, oh my! This is the second time I’ve strayed away from wooden material learning clocks — but it’s for good reason!
All day, we’ve been shopping for clock toys — perhaps without ever thinking about the wall in the very room you’re in right now! Even if you didn’t make a purchase today — you can still transform a wall clock into a learning opportunity.
If the clock in your living room is art deco, roman numerals, or omitted the numbers altogether — maybe you could get one that’s easier for children to read.
What kind of wall clock helps children learn to read time best? Educational wall clocks designed for early learners of course!
Cigera brand’s 12” inch wall clock is white with bold rainbow 3D hour markers — it looks kind of like a weather meter.
Lark & Wolf brand offers a kid’s wall clock styled like color pencils on paper.
Foxtop brand’s wall clock is made to look like wood — with big hour markers that’ll brighten up any play area.
Remember, you’ll need to install them on your wall by yourself. The clocks require batteries to operate too.
(11) Small Foot Toys Pretend Play Wooden Wall Clock
Need a play clock to play house with? Small Foot Toys brand’s wall-hanging toy clock has you covered!
Here’s one more type of educational clock for kids to know before you buy.
We just looked at a real-working wall clock. This one is a pretend play clock that hangs on the wall just like the real thing.
We’ve seen other kids’ and toddler clocks with a nook or hook that can be used for hanging — but this one’s the first primarily intended for playing with the clock on the wall.
The hands of the clock have “Magnifying Glass” openings — that much more gratifying when your kiddo gets both hands in the right position. That’s something I haven’t seen from any other clock toy.
With contemporary color blobs for each of the hours and 5-minute durations — it’s a fresh and out-of-the-box clock toy idea from the peculiar Small Toys brand.
Indeed, I’ve come to expect wooden toys with oddly-specific purposes from the Small Foot Toys brand — and that’s something here at Oddblocks we love!
(12) Woodinout Telling Time Montessori Clock
A different-from-the-rest “Radial Clock Blocks Set” — with 5, 15, and 30-minute time blocks for planning ahead Montessori-style.
This is the first time I’ve come across the Woodinout brand — and I’m pleasantly surprised!
Each of the “Hour Blocks” is the same shape, and each is the same natural wood color. Since pieces can fit even when the sequence of the numbers is incorrect — it focused on a true understanding of the numbers.
(In contrast to other sets which give kids a hint with color and shape.)
Montessori educators focus on “Getting Kids To Work” on practical life skills — and this offers kids a unique time-blocking experience.
(How fun! I’m actually doing a productivity Pomodoro right now! A traditional “Pomodoro” is when you block off 25-minute chunks of time with 5-minute breaks in between.)
(13) Melissa & Doug “Turn & Tell” Wooden Clock & Flashcards Game
A wooden clock and flashcards educational play set for independent learning ages 4 to 7.
This one’s an older model from the Melissa & Doug brand — like a wooden version of the Learning Resources brand time activity set.
One side of the flashcard has a numeric digital time display (HH:MM), and you need to set the clock to the corresponding time. The other side includes the opposite — you see the analog hands of the clock, and you need to speak the time it represents.
The hands of the clock even make a nice little clock sound when you fast-forward or rewind time.
