Telling time is one of those skills students need every day, yet it can be hard to make fun. Clock Quest is a free telling time game for your smartboard. An animated analog clock spins to a new time, and students race to tap the matching answer. Play it as a whole-class team game or let students practice solo.
Every answer comes with a short explanation of where the hour hand and minute hand are pointing, so students learn how to read the clock, not just guess.
Clock Quest
Read the clock, find the time, and race around your quest clock to win!
How to play
- Read the clock (or the time) and tap the matching answer.
- In team mode, teams take turns; the glowing card shows whose turn it is.
- Each correct answer earns a star and moves your quest clock forward. A wrong answer or running out of time passes the turn.
- The first team to fill its quest clock wins!
The game opens in fullscreen. Use the ✕ button to exit and the speaker button to mute.
How to Play Clock Quest
- Set up the quest. Choose Solo or 2–4 teams, type the names, and pick the question types, time level, stars to win, and turn timer.
- Launch and press START. The game opens in fullscreen with a 3-2-1 countdown.
- Watch the clock spin, then tap the answer. In team mode, teams take turns.
- Earn stars. Each correct answer fills a wedge of your team’s quest clock. The first team to fill its clock wins!
Three Ways to Practice Telling Time
- Read the clock: look at the analog clock and pick the digital time.
- Find the clock: read a digital time or time words, then pick the matching clock from four choices.
- Time in words: match the clock to phrases like “half past 3” or “quarter to 9.”
Five Time Levels for Grades 1–3
- O’clock and Half hour (Grade 1)
- Quarter hour and 5 minutes (Grade 2)
- 1 minute (Grade 3)
Turn on Minute numbers on the clock to show 00, 05, 10… around the edge for students who are still learning to count by fives.
Why Teachers Love This Telling Time Game
- Animated clock: the hands spin with ticking sounds before each question, and a cuckoo call celebrates every correct answer.
- Smart wrong answers based on real mistakes, like mixing up the hour and minute hands or reading 3:30 as 4:30.
- Clear explanations after every answer help the whole class learn.
- Built for the smartboard: big buttons, a color key for the hands, plus pause, mute, and exit buttons.
- Free and private: no login, no downloads, and no student data collected.
Teacher Tips
- Start with Read the clock only, then add Find the clock and Time in words as students grow.
- Have students show the time on a paper or toy clock before their team taps.
- Use the Group Maker for balanced teams and the Random Name Picker to choose who taps.
- Use solo mode at a math center. The end screen shows accuracy and stars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this telling time game free?
Yes. Clock Quest is completely free, with no login and nothing to download. It works on smartboards, Chromebooks, laptops, and iPads.
What grades is Clock Quest for?
It is designed for grades 1–3, from telling time to the hour all the way to the exact minute.
More Free Smartboard Math Games
- Fraction Pizza Party – name, compare, and find equivalent fractions (grades 3–5).
- Rocket Race to the Moon – math facts for K–5.
- Addition Challenge – a team addition game for K–2.
Find every game in our Smartboard Games collection. Leave a comment and tell me which team finished the quest first!
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