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Maths Adventures

Space explorer maths quest: time

A story-led junior maths adventure using rockets, planets and alien signals to read clocks, plan routes and beat countdowns.

Quick answer

You can use time to plan your space journey, read alien signals, and keep track of rocket countdowns.

Learning outcome

By the end of this space adventure, you will be able to read and use digital and analogue clocks to plan your journey, measure how long you’ve been exploring, and understand when important space events happen. Success signs:
  • You can tell the time to the hour and half-hour on an analogue clock
  • You can read digital clocks showing hours and minutes
  • You can work out how long you’ve been doing something in minutes
  • You can plan a space mission using a timeline of events

Why this matters

Time is super important for space explorers! When you're flying through space, you need to know exactly when to start your rocket, when to send signals to Earth, and how long you’ve been exploring. Without time, you could miss your launch or forget to send a message. In your everyday life, time helps you know when school starts, when your birthday party is, and how long it takes to get ready for bed.

How it works

Time is measured in hours and minutes. On a clock, the big hand (minute hand) shows the minutes and the small hand (hour hand) shows the hour. When the big hand points to 12, it means zero minutes or o’clock. When it points to 6, it means 30 minutes or half past. When the small hand is between two numbers, it means the time is past the first number but not yet the second.

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you’re a space explorer and your rocket is launching at 9:45 a.m. This means:
  • The hour hand is just past the 9
  • The minute hand is pointing to 9 (which is 45 minutes)
  • It's 15 minutes before 10 o'clock
Real-world example: You're on a space mission and you've been exploring Mars for 2 hours and 15 minutes. When you return to your spaceship, you check your watch and see it's 3:30 p.m. To find out when you started exploring, you subtract 2 hours and 15 minutes from 3:30 p.m.:
  • 3:30 p.m. minus 2 hours = 1:30 p.m.
  • 1:30 p.m. minus 15 minutes = 1:15 p.m.
So you started exploring at 1:15 p.m.

Try it as a mini adventure

Space Mission Countdown Challenge You are on a mission to visit three planets. You need to plan your journey carefully. 1st time: You leave Earth at 8:00 a.m. It takes 3 hours to reach Mars. 2nd time: You arrive at Mars at 11:00 a.m. 3rd time: You stay on Mars for 4 hours and 30 minutes. 4th time: You leave Mars at 3:30 p.m. 5th time: It takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach Jupiter. 6th time: You arrive at Jupiter at ? Can you figure out when you arrive at Jupiter? Solution:
  • Start: 3:30 p.m.
  • Add 2 hours = 5:30 p.m.
  • Add 15 minutes = 5:45 p.m.
You arrive at Jupiter at 5:45 p.m.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking the minute hand shows the hour Why it happens: The minute hand moves faster than the hour hand and points to minutes Fix: Remember the big hand is the minute hand, and the small hand is the hour hand
  • Mistake: Confusing 15 minutes past the hour with 30 minutes past the hour Why it happens: The minute hand position can be confusing when it's halfway around the clock Fix: Practice counting by 5s around the clock face to see where the minute hand points
  • Mistake: Forgetting to add the extra hour when crossing 12 o'clock Why it happens: When time goes from 11:59 to 12:00, the hour changes Fix: Use a real clock or draw one to see how the hour hand moves

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help by:
  • Playing time games with your child using a real clock or a digital clock
  • Creating a daily schedule that includes times for meals, play, and bedtime
  • Using phrases like “We’ll be there in 10 minutes” to help them understand time passing
  • Setting a timer for activities to help them understand how long things take
  • Reading a story that involves time, like "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" or "Frog and Toad" books
What to watch for:
  • Does your child understand that the minute hand moves faster than the hour hand?
  • Can they tell the time to the hour and half-hour?
  • Do they understand that time continues past 12 o'clock?

Practice questions

  1. What time is it if the hour hand is on 4 and the minute hand is on 6?
  2. If your spaceship leaves at 10:15 a.m. and the journey takes 2 hours and 45 minutes, what time will you arrive?
  3. How many minutes are there in 1 hour and 30 minutes?
  4. If it's 3:45 p.m. now, what time was it 2 hours and 15 minutes ago?
  5. You spend 45 minutes exploring a planet. If you start at 9:20 a.m., what time do you finish?
Answers:
  1. 4:30
  2. 13:00 (or 1:00 p.m.)
  3. 90 minutes
  4. 1:30 p.m.
  5. 9:65 a.m. (or 10:05 a.m.)

FAQ

What does "o'clock" mean?

O'clock means exactly on the hour. When the minute hand points to 12, it's o'clock. For example, 3:00 is 3 o'clock.

How do I know if it's morning or afternoon?

Use a.m. for morning times and p.m. for afternoon and evening times. For example, 9:00 a.m. is in the morning, and 9:00 p.m. is in the evening.

Can I use a phone or tablet to practice telling time?

Yes! There are many fun apps and games that help you learn to tell time. Ask a parent or teacher to help you find safe, educational apps.

How can I practice telling time at home?

You can practice by setting a timer for different activities, like 10 minutes to eat lunch or 30 minutes to play. You can also look at clocks around your house and say what time they show.

Why do we have 24 hours in a day?

A day is the time it takes for Earth to spin once on its axis. This is about 24 hours long, which is why we have 24 hours in a day. This helps us organize our time for sleeping, working, eating, and playing.