Classroom timer

Classroom timer — free countdown and stopwatch

A classroom timer is a big on-screen countdown that shows the whole class how much time is left, so you no longer have to be the clock. Pick 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 or 15 minutes or type your own time, press Start and project it in full screen. The ring and the digits turn red in the last seconds, and when time runs out the screen flashes and a sound plays: a chime, a school bell, a gong or no sound at all. Add rounds to repeat it automatically for stations, or switch to the stopwatch to time races and experiments with laps.

How to use it

1. 1Choose a quick time or type your own minutes and seconds.
2. 2Press Start (or the Space key) and click Full screen to project it.
3. 3Add or take away a minute while it runs, pause or reset — the sound tells everyone when time is up.

Ideas for your classroom

• Count down a two-minute tidy-up and let the class try to beat the clock.
• Run station rotations with repeating rounds that start again by themselves.
• Show the time left in a test so students pace themselves without asking.
• Time think-pair-share: one minute to think, two minutes to talk.
• Use the stopwatch with laps for relay races, reading drills or science experiments.

Questions teachers ask