20 Second Timer
Twenty seconds: hand washing, quick tidy-ups and turn-taking.
Activity
Time
Station rotations
4 × 20 seconds, 60s to switch · 20 seconds 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 second timer is good for in class
- Hand washing before snack or lunch: twenty seconds of scrubbing is the length health agencies commonly recommend.
- Turn-taking at a shared material, so each child gets an equal go.
- Grab-and-go: twenty seconds to get a pencil, a book or a calculator and be back in your seat.
Running one of these every day? See the clean up timer and transition timer for set-up tips.
How the 20 second 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 0:20 down to 0:10 | More than half the time left |
| Yellow | From 0:10 down to 0:04 | Less than half left |
| Red | The last 4 seconds | Final 20 percent |
Sounds
- No 1-minute warning chime: it only plays on timers longer than 90 seconds.
- 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 second timer rounds back to back
Turn on Station rotations to repeat the 20 second timer as rounds, with a short rest between them. With a 15 second rest:
| Rounds | Work | Rest | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 min | 30 s | 1:30 |
| 5 | 1 min 40 s | 1 min | 2:40 |
| 8 | 2 min 40 s | 1 min 45 s | 4:25 |
Questions teachers ask
Why use a timer for hand washing?
Young children tend to rinse for a few seconds and stop. A visible disc gives them a target they can see, and the 3-2-1 blips tell them when they can turn the tap off.
How do I start a 20 second timer?
This page is already set to 0:20. 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.
When does the 20 second timer turn yellow and red?
It turns yellow with 0:10 left and red with 0:04 left. You can turn colour changes off so the disc stays green.
What sounds does the 20 second timer make?
No warning chime (the timer is too short for one), but 3-2-1 blips and an end chime. Sound only starts after you press a button, and the speaker button mutes everything.