Clock With Movable Numbers
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
A freestanding clock with movable hands and removable numbers, one to twelve in red and thirteen to twenty four in blue, on a stand with a storage tray and lid. The face is 28 cm across. Two sets of numbers in two colours is the part that does the teaching: a child who has placed thirteen next to one and eighteen next to six has built the twenty four hour clock themselves rather than being told that afternoon hours have a second name. Plywood and plastic, for ages 3 to 12.
“Education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment.”
The Clock With Movable Numbers addresses the child's growing awareness of daily rhythms and their mathematical understanding of quantity.
- Recognition of numerals 1-24 and their sequential order
- Understanding of hour and minute hand functions and their relationship
- Comprehension of 12-hour and 24-hour time formats
- Development of vocabulary for time-telling (o'clock, half past, quarter to)
Read More
This plywood clock with its red hour tokens (1-12) and blue 24-hour tokens (13-24) bridges concrete number work with abstract time concepts. The removable number tokens allow children to physically construct the clock face, reinforcing number sequence while introducing temporal relationships. The dual color system creates a visual distinction between morning and afternoon hours, making the 24-hour cycle concrete rather than abstract. The movable hands on this wooden clock invite repeated practice, allowing children to represent any time of day through their own manipulation. By presenting both 12-hour and 24-hour formats simultaneously, this clock respects the child's capacity to understand multiple systems of measurement. The stable wooden stand ensures the clock remains accessible for independent exploration, honoring the principle that learning happens through repeated, self-chosen interaction with carefully designed materials.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the clock on a table at the child's eye level. Arrange the red tokens (1-12) and blue tokens (13-24) in separate containers. Ensure both clock hands move smoothly.
- 1
Invite the child to place the red tokens 1-12 around the clock face, starting at the top with 12
Let the child discover the spacing naturally - they may need to rearrange several times - 2
Once comfortable with 12-hour format, introduce the blue tokens, explaining these represent afternoon and evening hours
Relate 24-hour time to familiar activities: '13:00 is 1:00, when we have quiet time' - 3
Demonstrate moving the hour hand slowly while counting the hours it passes
Move the hand deliberately slowly so the child can observe its continuous movement - 4
Show how the minute hand moves faster, completing a full circle each hour
Use language like 'the long hand' and 'the short hand' initially if needed - 5
Set the clock to show current time and relate it to present activity
Make time concrete by connecting it to the child's immediate experience
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
AMI approved
To the association standard
Clock With Movable Numbers
