If your tot can already recognize numbers (at least 1 to 10), now is a good time to introduce him/her to the concept of time. Start with the simple hours - 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, etc. Don't worry about minutes yet. The important thing is that they can differentiate between the short and long hand and know that they base the hour on the short hand.
Give them a toy clock to practice telling time. It can be as simple as a cardboard clock with movable hands. My favorite find is Joytoy's version, which is readily available at toy stores and National Bookstore. One side of the inexpensive cardboard clock has movable hands while the other side features a clock with no hands - instead, your tot can draw the hands using a dry-erase marker. You can start teaching your child via the movable hands and use the flip side when he/she is a little bit older.
Once your child has a basic idea of how to tell time, you can reinforce the concept by referring to the real clock for times of the day that are important to him/her. For example, just before his/her favorite show comes on, you can say "Look, what time is it? The clock says it's 7 o'clock! That means it's time for Mickey Mouse!". You can also refer to the specific hour of the day that he/she will take a nap, sleep, take a bath, eat, etc. Pretty soon your tot will realize the importance of looking towards the clock in order to tell the time.
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