Free Classroom Timer
A visual countdown timer for the classroom screen. A shrinking disc, a bar or big numbers you can read from the back row, up to four timers side by side for groups, and a stopwatch. Free, no sign-up, and it keeps time even when the tab is in the background.
Want routines on the wall too? Australian teachers sell visual timetables, transition cards and classroom management packs, most for under $5.
Classroom management resources by Aussie teachers
How I use a timer in the classroom
A timer on the board does a job I used to do with my voice. Students can see how long is left, so they stop asking, and the end of an activity is the timer's call, not mine. These are the times I reach for it most.
- Transitions. Two minutes to pack away and be on the mat is a race most classes are happy to win. Say what done looks like before you press Start.
- Silent reading. A 10 minute silent reading timer on the screen tells the room it is a set block of quiet, not an open-ended one. Build it up a few minutes at a time across the term.
- Tests and timed writing. Big digits you can read from the back row, and a clear signal at the end, so nobody is surprised. Use the bar or numbers view for older students.
- Brain breaks. A 3 minute brain break has a clear finish, which makes it much easier to start one in the first place. The wellbeing break cards guide has ideas to fill it.
- Rotations and stations. Run up to four timers side by side, one per group, each with its own name. The four group rotation timer is ready to go.
- Fast finishers and tidy-up. When the timer goes for the main task, the early finishers already know what comes next. The fast finisher activities guide has plenty.
Why a visual timer helps younger students
Five minutes means very little to a five year old. A coloured disc that gets smaller does. Foundation and Year 1 students can see time running out long before they can read the digits, which is why visual timers like the Time Timer are a fixture in early years rooms and with students who find waiting or changing activities hard. The disc here works the same way: the whole circle is the time you set, and the coloured part shrinks clockwise until it is gone.
A visual timer also helps students with ADHD, autism or anxiety, who often do better when the end of an activity is something they can see coming. The guide to supporting neurodivergent learners has more on this.
Countdown timer or stopwatch
- Countdown: pick 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes, or type your own time up to 3 hours. Press +1 min when the class needs a little longer.
- Stopwatch: counts up, with tenths of a second. Good for times tables races, beep tests and seeing how long a transition really took.
For keeping the volume down while the timer runs, open the classroom noise meter in another tab. For the rest of the routine, the behaviour management strategies guide and the relief teacher resources guide are worth a read.
Classroom timer questions
Is this classroom timer free?
Yes. It is free every day, with no sign-up, no account, no ads over the timer and no time limit. Open the page on the classroom screen, pick a time and press Start.
Will the timer keep going if I switch to my slides?
Yes. The timer works from the clock, not by counting ticks, so it stays right in a background tab, behind a PowerPoint or after the laptop screen dims. The end sound is booked the moment you press Start, so it still plays on time when the timer is not the tab you are looking at.
How do I run timers for groups or stations?
Choose 2, 3 or 4 timers under "Timers" and give each one a name, such as Group A or Reading corner. Each timer has its own length, its own Start and Pause, and they sit side by side on the screen. Start all and Pause all work on every timer at once.
Can I save a timer for a lesson I run every week?
Yes. The address bar always holds the timer you set up: its length, names, sound, colour and whether it is a countdown or a stopwatch. Bookmark it, or press "Copy link" and put it in your lesson plan or slides. A link like a 10 minute silent reading timer opens exactly as you left it.
Why is there no sound?
Browsers only let a page play sound after you have tapped or pressed a key on it, so the sound is ready once you press Start. Check the speaker button on the timer is not muted, and that the computer connected to the projector is not muted. On an iPhone or iPad, also check the silent switch. Choosing a sound plays it once, which is a quick test.
Does it work on a phone, an iPad or an interactive whiteboard?
Yes. It works in current versions of Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on laptops, Chromebooks, iPads, phones and the computer behind an interactive whiteboard. Full screen fills the board; on an iPhone the timer fills the browser window instead. On a laptop, press Space to start and pause, R to reset and F for full screen.
Does the timer collect anything about my class?
No. It runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is recorded, uploaded or sent anywhere, and there is nothing to log in to.