Having a time change this weekend is a perfect time for helping your child learn about time, spending time, and playing What time is it Mr. Wolf. Plus, that extra hour of sleep is wonderful right after the fun of Halloween.
Figuring out time is beyond most young children–after all, some adults struggle with time–but kids will have some general ideas. Most kids have figured out that day is light and night is dark, and that there is a pattern of night and day, and night and day. Kids also have lots of words that we use for time like minute, hour, day, and year, as well as ones for some of the days of the week.
In order to understand time, kids need lots of experiences. Having holidays and events like Halloween and birthdays, help them learn what a year means. Even before they can say the days of the week, kids figure out that the routine on weekends is different from what happens on weekdays.
We frequently ask kids if they had a good time. When we’re in a rush, we tell them we don’t have time. We often tell kids to wait for a minute, which stretches to many more than one. No wonder it’s so complicated.
Special clocks for kids with faces that change color or have pictures of a sun and stars will help show when to go to bed and when to get up. Round analog clocks are much harder to read than digital ones but they do show time as something that goes round and round all the time. It’s easier to see time as a whole.
The game “What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf?” is a favorite of kids all over the world. In some places, it’s called What’s The Time, Mr. Wolf but it’s played the same. At our house, we also have a version called “What Time Is It, Momma Bear?” but instead of it being Dinnertime, it’s Hugtime! Time for a big, giant hug with everybody. If it’s Momma or Papa Bear that want the hug, they call out to Little Bear.
For some fun and learning about time with your child, do you have time to play?