Classroom Timer
A free classroom timer for the projector or smartboard, with a big shrinking disk, one-tap activity presets, and a heads-up before time runs out.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Full screen
- Hide numbers
Classroom timer
Timer
1 minute left
Reset the timer? The class still has time left.
Activities (tap to start)
Custom time
Edit activities
Rename, retime, remove or add activities (up to 12, each 1 to 180 minutes). Changes are saved in this browser.
Display and sound
50%
Keyboard: Space to start or pause, R to reset, F for full screen, H to hide or show numbers, Esc to stop the alarm. Turn shortcuts off under Display and sound.
How to run it in class
- Tap an activity such as Clean up or Partner talk. It starts right away, with the activity's name above the disk.
- For a one-off time, type minutes and seconds under Custom time, add a name if you want one, and press Start.
- Press Full screen before you turn to the class. The name, the disk and the time left fill the display. Esc or Exit full screen brings the page back.
- At the warning point the disk turns amber and a tag such as 1 minute left appears. At zero the screen turns red and a soft chime plays once. Press Stop, then Start if you want the same time again.
For PE stations or circuits that switch between work and rest, the work and rest interval timer runs the rounds and rests for you. To show how long is left until the bell at a set clock time, use the countdown to a clock time.
What the class sees
The colored disk starts full and gets cleared like a clock hand sweeping around, so a disk that's half gone means half the time is used. The disk always stands for the time you set: a 2 minute cleanup and a 30 minute test both start as a full circle.
Hide numbers takes the digits off the screen and leaves the disk and the activity name, and the disk grows to use the space. It's handy when the class only needs a rough sense of how much is left, or for children who aren't reading clock digits yet. The countdown keeps running underneath, and screen readers still get the time.
Disk color has four choices so you can pick one that shows up well on your projector. The warning color is amber whichever you choose, so the change is easy to spot.
The time warning
Under Display and sound, Time warning sets when the heads-up comes: 30 seconds, 1, 2 or 5 minutes before the end, or Off. When it arrives, three things happen on screen: the disk turns amber, a tag with the time left appears under the activity name, and the browser tab title changes. Tick Play a soft cue at the warning for one quiet note as well.
The warning only appears when the timer is longer than the warning point. A 1 minute line-up with a 1 minute warning simply runs to the end.
Make the activity list your own
The starting list has eight activities: Line up, Partner talk, Clean up, Brain break, Group work, Independent work, Read to self and Test. Open Edit activities to rename any of them, change the minutes, remove the ones you don't use, or add your own, up to 12. The buttons update as you type.
The list is saved in this browser on this device. A classroom computer will have it the next morning, but your laptop at home won't, and a private window or clearing site data starts from the default list. Restore default list brings the original eight back. Nothing is sent to a server.
Projector and smartboard checklist
- Click once while you set up. Browsers hold back sound until someone has clicked or tapped the page, so start an activity or press Test sound before the lesson.
- Check where the sound goes. The chime plays through whatever speaker the computer is using, which may be the projector's HDMI audio rather than the laptop.
- Full screen needs a click. Browsers only let a page go full screen after a click or key press, so press Full screen (or F) yourself. If the browser can't do it, the timer fills the window instead.
- Keep screen awake is on by default so the display doesn't dim during a long test, in browsers that support it.
- Turn shortcuts off if students use that keyboard, so a stray Space bar press doesn't pause the countdown.
- A refresh won't lose the timer. A running timer is saved in the browser. After a refresh, tap Turn sound on so the chime can play again.
Classroom timer questions
Can students at the back of the room read it?
In full screen the disk fills most of the screen height, the digits and activity name grow with it, and the rest of the page is hidden. How far away it reads depends on your projector, screen and room, so try it from the back row before the first lesson. Hide numbers makes the disk even larger.
How do I hide the numbers?
Press Hide numbers under the timer, or the H key. The disk and the activity name stay on screen and the countdown keeps running. Press Show numbers to bring the digits back. The choice is remembered in this browser.
Can I change when the warning comes?
Yes. Open Display and sound and set Time warning to 30 seconds, 1, 2 or 5 minutes before the end, or Off. At that point the disk turns amber and a tag shows how much is left. Tick Play a soft cue at the warning if you also want one quiet note.
Why didn't the chime play?
Browsers hold back sound until someone has clicked or tapped the page, so the chime works once you've pressed an activity, Start or Test sound. If it still doesn't play, check that Alarm sound isn't set to Silent, that the volume is up, and which speaker the computer is sending sound to. On a projector that is often the HDMI audio, not the laptop speakers.
Will my activity list still be there tomorrow?
On the same computer and browser, yes. The list is saved in that browser only, so a different device starts with the default list, and so does a private window or a browser where site data has been cleared. Nothing is sent to a server.
Can I add time while it's running?
Yes. Press +1 min or +30 s, or −30 s to take time off. The disk redraws at once and the end time updates.
Is it free, and do students need an account?
It's free and nobody signs in. It runs in the browser on the computer connected to your display, and students only need to see the screen.
How is this different from the online timer?
The online timer is a plain countdown with no disk, with quick times from 1 to 60 minutes. The classroom timer adds a large disk you can show without numbers, named activity buttons you can edit, a warning before the end, and a soft chime that plays once by default.
Sources
- Chrome for Developers, "Autoplay policy in Chrome" (sound waits for a click or tap on the page), developer.chrome.com
- MDN Web Docs, "Element: requestFullscreen() method" (full screen needs a click or key press), developer.mozilla.org
- web.dev, "The Screen Wake Lock API is now supported in all browsers" (Keep screen awake), web.dev
Related tools
- Online timerA general countdown with quick times from 1 to 60 minutes.
- StopwatchCount up with laps, for races, readings and experiments.
- 5 minute timerOne tap for a short break, with a sign showing when you'll be back.
- Interval timerWork and rest rounds for PE stations and circuits.
- Timer calculatorFind what time a lesson block or test will end.
- Time duration calculatorHow long between two times, like the start and end of a period.
Cedrick Reese made this classroom timer for TimerCalculator.com. It counts toward a saved end time instead of adding up ticks, and the disk is drawn from that same number, so the picture and the digits never disagree. In an automated browser with a simulated clock, a 2 minute activity was run with the 1 minute warning to confirm the disk turns amber and the warning tag shows at 1:00, then run on to zero to confirm the Time's up screen and that the chime had been booked for that second. The activity list was also edited and the page reloaded to confirm the change was kept. Your activity list and settings stay in your own browser.