Visual timer
Keyboard: Space = start/pause · R = reset · F = full screen
A red disc shrinks as time passes, so even children who can't read a clock see how much time is left.
Great for
- Young children and visual learners
- Routines and transitions at home or school
- Meetings and time-boxed tasks
Why visual timers help young children
Young children often can't read a clock yet, and “five more minutes” means little to them. A shrinking disc shows time as an amount you can see disappearing, which makes waiting and transitions easier to accept.
Tip: Use the same colour and the same place on the screen every day: the routine itself becomes the signal that a change is coming.
The visual timer in tests and quiet work
Why the disc helps in a test
For younger pupils, a test is mostly about pace. Set the disc to the working time and explain it once: when the red is gone, pencils down. Children who can't read digits yet still notice when half the disc has gone (half the time is used) and can plan the rest without asking “how long now?” every few minutes.
Projector tips
- Full screen leaves only the disc and the digits on the wall.
- Up to 60 minutes the disc works like a clock face; for longer work the whole disc stands for the whole time.
- Put the screen where the class can see it without turning round; a timer behind the pupils gets ignored.
- Do a ten-second test run before the lesson, so you know how loud the end sound is in that room.
A warning before the end
The visual timer gives one signal, at the end. If you want a warning before that, run a short extra timer in Multiple timers, or use the Traffic light timer, which turns yellow when time is running low and red at the end.
How to use it
Pick a time with the quick buttons or type hours, minutes and seconds. Press Start (or the Space key). The alarm rings when the time is up – press Stop to silence it. Use full screen to show the timer on a projector or TV.
Questions & answers
What times work best with a visual timer?
For children, short times of 1 to 15 minutes are easiest to follow. Up to 60 minutes the disc looks like a clock face.
Why use a visual timer?
Many people, especially young children, understand “how much is left” more easily from a shape than from numbers.
How long can it run?
Any time. For times up to 60 minutes the disc works like a classic clock face.
Can I hide the numbers?
Use full screen and the disc stays the main focus.