All of my children need to use a timer or they start to slack off with their brushing. The two-minute timer in the bathroom gets used at least six times a day.

We have 5, 15, and 30 minute sand timers (AU). At this age, we don't expect the child to have an understanding of how long five minutes is but we can begin to teach them about time. My three year old often tells me 'just five minutes more' if he wants to stay in bed in the morning or if he doesn't want to get dressed. Let's take a look at some of our visual timers! Our Coloured Countdown Timer has different colours on the disc to indicate how much time is left so the child can see in a quick glance if they have a lot or a little time left. These timers often have an alarm that rings when the time is up. The coloured disc disappears as time passes. Sand hourglass timers are also super easy for a young child to use by themselves, even a toddler can flip a two-minute timer for teeth-brushing.ĭial or disc timers can be set for specific amounts of time in one-minute increments. The child knows the time has passed when all the sand is on the bottom of the hourglass. We have hourglass timers for 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, and 30 minutes. Sand hourglass timers run for a set amount of time. We use two types of visual timers, sand hourglass timers and dial or disc timers. Visual timers allow children to independently see the time counting down or passing in an accurate measured way. timing the washing machine, dryer, dishwasher or other devices the child may be waiting to finish - especially if they are feeling exuberant about emptying it or frequently ask how much time is left.timing waiting time - for example explaining to the child we can't go to the park now but we can go in half an hour, we can set the timer so the child doesn't need to keep on asking how much time left, they can check the timer.timing clean up - for example, we are going to tidy for five minutes then relax.timing homework tasks (for older children) - when assigned timed tasks like fifteen minutes of maths, fifteen minutes of reading.timing baths or showers (for older children) - especially if long showers or baths are a concern in your home.timing screen time (for older children).boiling an egg, cooking rice and other timed kitchen activities.baking bread and other goods in the oven.

reminding us to check on bread that has been left to rise.transition from one activity to another.independently complete activities for a given amount of time.Have you thought about using visual timers with your children? Visual timers can help children:

Fun countdown timers for kids