Parents' Guide to

Human Heroes Einstein's Clock

By Mieke VanderBorght, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Clear explanations help kids try their hand at telling time.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Free Family Games
Human Heroes Einstein's Clock Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Human Heroes Einstein’s Clock App: Screenshot #1
  • Human Heroes Einstein’s Clock App: Screenshot #2
  • Human Heroes Einstein’s Clock App: Screenshot #3
  • Human Heroes Einstein’s Clock App: Screenshot #4

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What’s It About?

On the HUMAN HEROES EINSTEIN'S CLOCK home screen, tap the play button to start leveled games, or turn the hands around the clock for free play exploration. Level one starts with explaining the hour hand and the "o'clock" position. After a short audio and visual demonstration, kids practice moving the clock hand around to display a target time, with increasingly fewer clues to help them. If kids struggle, clues get added back in. Levels continue through half past, quarter past, quarter to, and minutes, and kids accumulate points for completing levels. In free play, kids can move the hands around the clock, see the time represented in a digital clock, watch the background change from day to night accordingly, and, at some points on the clock, hear jokes or interesting time-related facts.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Clear, patient explanations pair with supporting visuals and hands-on practice in this engaging tutorial on telling time. Step by step, kids learn about the hour hand and then the minute hand, first through the concepts of half past and quarter past and then with more precise minutes. In the practice trials, kids get plenty of opportunity to try their own hand, so to speak, at representing different times on the clock. Extra help gets kids started, and gradually drops away, ready to come back if kids struggle. The free play option is a fun way to play with the clock and discover all the interesting things Einstein can say. Though the day/night changing background nicely provides some context, it might be nice to see some more clues about what could be happening at different times of day to help kids orient themselves. Particularly when kids play on a smaller screen, it can be hard to manipulate the hands just right; kids may need some practice. Finally, the Albert Einstein character is a fun guide and a gentle tutor, even though in this particular setting, it's entirely irrelevant that one of the 20th century's greatest minds is teaching kids how to tell time. (Einstein's appearance makes more sense in the full paid app, of which Human Heroes Einstein's Clock is a separate and unique download.) Despite these shortcomings, for parents looking to help teach their kids how to read an analog clock, Human Heroes Einstein's Clock is a superb choice for some extra help.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how to read a clock as kids play with Human Heroes Einstein's Clock. Listen with your kids to Einstein's explanations and help fill in any gaps if kids don't understand something. At various times of the day, ask kids to look at a clock and tell you what time it is.

  • As kids represent different times on the clock, talk about what happens in their day at that time. What are you usually doing at 2:00 in the afternoon? What time do you go to sleep at night?

  • Talk to your kids about marketing techniques. Why is there an ad in this free app? Is it OK to tap on the ad? What is your family's policy about buying apps?

App Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended app lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate