7 Minute Timer
Seven minutes for partner reading, quick labs and fluency practice.
Activity
Time
Station rotations
4 × 7 minutes, 60s to switch · 7 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 7 minute timer is good for in class
- Partner reading, swapping readers every page.
- A short hands-on lab step, such as setting up materials before an experiment.
- Fluency practice: read the same passage three times and track your words.
Running one of these every day? See the reading timer and station rotation timer for set-up tips.
How the 7 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 7:00 down to 3:30 | More than half the time left |
| Yellow | From 3:30 down to 1:24 | Less than half left |
| Red | The last 1 minute 24 seconds | 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 7 minute stations
With Station rotations on, each station gets 7 minutes and the timer runs every rotation from one Start. Totals with a 1 minute switch between stations:
| Stations | Work | Switching | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 21 min | 2 min | 23:00 |
| 4 | 28 min | 3 min | 31:00 |
| 5 | 35 min | 4 min | 39:00 |
Questions teachers ask
Will the timer still finish on time if I switch to my slides?
Yes. The timer works from the clock, not by counting ticks, so it stays accurate when the tab is in the background. The end chime plays on time as long as the tab is open.
How do I start a 7 minute timer?
This page is already set to 7:00. 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.
When does the 7 minute timer turn yellow and red?
It turns yellow with 3:30 left and red with 1:24 left. You can turn colour changes off so the disc stays green.
What sounds does the 7 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.