20 Minute Timer
Twenty minutes: silent reading, rest time and longer work blocks.
Activity
Time
Station rotations
4 × 20 minutes, 60s to switch · 20 minutes total
Press Show to class for the board or projector. The disc shrinks and turns yellow, then red. Space starts and pauses. The screen stays awake while the timer runs.
Time's up!
Great work, everyone.
What a 20 minute timer is good for in class
- Silent or independent reading.
- Rest or quiet time in early grades.
- Three 20-minute stations in a one-hour block (62 minutes with 1 minute switches, or 60 with no switch time).
Running one of these every day? See the reading timer and quiet timer for set-up tips.
How the 20 minute timer looks on the board
The disc starts full and shrinks clockwise. Its colour tells the class how much time is left, even from the back of the room:
| Disc | Clock shows | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Green | From 20:00 down to 10:00 | More than half the time left |
| Yellow | From 10:00 down to 4:00 | Less than half left |
| Red | The last 4 minutes | Final 20 percent |
Sounds
- A soft two-note warning chime at 1:00 left (you can turn it off).
- Three short blips at 0:03, 0:02 and 0:01.
- A rising end chime, “Time's up!” on the board and a burst of confetti (skipped if your device is set to reduce motion).
Running 20 minute stations
With Station rotations on, each station gets 20 minutes and the timer runs every rotation from one Start. Totals with a 1 minute switch between stations:
| Stations | Work | Switching | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 h | 2 min | 1:02:00 |
| 4 | 1 h 20 min | 3 min | 1:23:00 |
| 5 | 1 h 40 min | 4 min | 1:44:00 |
Questions teachers ask
When does the 20 minute timer change colour?
It turns yellow with 10:00 left and red with 4:00 left. The warning chime plays at 1:00 and the disc shows how much is left at a glance.
How do I start a 20 minute timer?
This page is already set to 20:00. Press Start or the space bar. To put it on the board, press Show to class: the controls disappear and the timer fills the screen. Tap the screen to pause, press Esc to exit.
What sounds does the 20 minute timer make?
A warning chime at 1:00 left, then 3-2-1 blips and an end chime. Sound only starts after you press a button, and the speaker button mutes everything.