Easy and cheap way for a child to make a clock?

[Reastie]

Am looking for a party activity for a group of five years olds to do, it's based around a theme and something that I think wouod work well is to make a clock.

I've sourced clock mechanisms cheaply but I'm not sure how to actually make the clock face in a very cheap way. I have an idea that the children can draw/colour the clock face in and then an adult will just attach it to the mechanism and then it's all done, but I'm not sure where to source this clock face from and what it would be made of. Wouod card work? Can I get mdf cheaply cut to size with a hole in it? Any other ideas? Have tried googling to no avail.

We bought a pottery faced clock that had been made by a group of children. you could roll/cut air dry clay beforehand for them to decorate and assemble.

We used a small cake board as a clock face. Any thick cardboard would work. I like the clay idea though.

Like the clay idea. So do you think five year olds would be able to make the clay themselves or would I make them and dry them and then they would decorate?

Cake board is genius, wonder where I can get them cheaply. How did you make the hole in the middle? And does the cake board stay in the right place when you put the clock mechanism in? I'M imagining some child's lovely piece of work and number 12 keeps falling to the bottom.

No, you would need to roll/cut the clay a couple of days before, it needs to dry. They could paint/decorate it. Once dry PVA painted over it will look like a glaze.

Mine is lovely, made by a local group for physically disabled children. I have seen them for sale by a home ed group too.

We use his at home

www.amazon.co.uk/DAS-1kg-Modelling-Clay-White/dp/B001GAP4YA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435476442&sr=8-1&keywords=air+drying+clay

The terracotta version is very realistic looking.

How many clocks do you think that one kg pack would make lavender?

My clock (s), just remembered that we bought two as it was such a good cause, are only 5" diameter. I reckon you would get at least 5, maybe 6 or 7 out of that pack.

my only concern is that cost of that plus pva and special paint etc for the activity will stack up but cake boards would be less time consuming for me and cheaper as they can just felt pen it.....

Yes, it would add up.

We have everything we would need bar the mechanism here - far too many acrylics, pva and clay, etc.

My house has had bits of glitter, glue, paint, clay, paper, card on the floor somewhere since I can remember.

Sorry to be a craft killer but to keep costs down how about these kits from Wilko? [http://www.wilko.com/search?q=clock+paint+your+own here]]

www.wilko.com/search?q=clock+paint+your+own

Total link fail, on phone sorry!

What a fab link, that would be perfect and such a good price. I actually spoke to a colleague who is handy and he has cut to size mdf for me and someone has also given me clock mechanisms they had lying around so fingers crossed somehow I've managed to do it practically for free :)