An analog watch or clock with hands (a phone won't work)Have
A magnetic compass or a phone compass to check your answerHave
Paper and pencil to record your guessesHave
Where: Open ground with direct sun, in the daytime.
Before you start
Never look straight at the sun. Look at the shadow of your finger or a pencil to line up the hour hand.
Stay in the yard or park, and use sunscreen and water if it's a hot day.
02Steps
Check the clock type
DadYou need a watch or clock with an hour hand. Find out whether daylight saving time is on right now. If it is, the 12 on the watch is really the 1.
Point the hour hand at the sun
KidLay the watch flat in your palm and turn it until the hour hand points toward the sun. A pencil held upright on the dial casts a shadow along the hour hand when it's lined up.
Find the halfway line
TogetherIn the morning, south is halfway between the hour hand and 12. At 8 a.m. the hand points to 8, and south is at the 10. In the afternoon, count halfway back: at 4 p.m. south is at the 2.
Mark it
KidLook along the line and pick a landmark, like a tree, that is due south. Put a stick in the ground pointing there.
Check with a real compass
TogetherHold the compass flat and see how close the stick is to south. Talk about why the answer may be a little off.
Try another time of day
TogetherCome back an hour later and find south again. Does it line up with your stick?
03If it stalls
If the answer is far off, check that you used the right hour hand position for daylight saving time.
Clouds thin enough for a faint pencil shadow still work.
04Variations
Ages 5–6
Skip the watch. Stand with the morning sun on your face and name which way is behind you.
Ages 7–9
The full plan at one time of day.
Ages 10+
Find south at three times of day and record how much the error changes.
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1911 scouting handbook, p. 57. The 1911 book says to point the hour hand at the sun. In the morning, south is halfway between the hour hand and noon; in the afternoon, reckon halfway backward. At 8 a.m. south is at 10, and at 4 p.m. it is at 2. Project Gutenberg (public domain in the USA) Checked Oct 15, 2026
Daylight saving time dates. NASA lists the current US rule: daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November, and Hawaii and most of Arizona don't observe it. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Checked Oct 15, 2026
Dad Field Manual · Field card 72 · Classic Field Skills
Find south with an analog watch
Twenty minutes on a sunny day. Use an old-fashioned watch and the sun to find south, then see how close you came with a real compass.
Time
20 min
Cost
$0
Ages
7 and up
Where
Backyard or park
Since 1911: The 1911 book assumes the watch shows true sun time. During daylight saving time (second Sunday of March to first Sunday of November in most of the US) clocks run an hour ahead, so use the 1 o'clock mark where the book says 12. It gives only a rough south, so check it with a compass.
What you need
An analog watch or clock with hands (a phone won't work)
A magnetic compass or a phone compass to check your answer
Paper and pencil to record your guesses
Before you start
Never look straight at the sun. Look at the shadow of your finger or a pencil to line up the hour hand.
Stay in the yard or park, and use sunscreen and water if it's a hot day.
Steps
Check the clock type. Use a watch with an hour hand; if daylight saving time is on, use the 1 instead of the 12.
Point the hour hand at the sun. Turn the watch so the hour hand points at the sun, using a pencil shadow to line it up.
Find the halfway line. South is halfway between the hour hand and 12; count back in the afternoon.
Mark it. Pick a landmark in the south direction and mark it with a stick.
Check with a real compass. Hold a compass flat and see how close your stick is.
Try another time of day. Find south again an hour later and compare.
If it stalls
If the answer is far off, check that you used the right hour hand position for daylight saving time.
Clouds thin enough for a faint pencil shadow still work.
