Free Online Visual Timer for Kids, Classrooms, and ADHD

Why a visual timer helps with ADHD

Digits on a clock ask you to read, compare, and subtract. People with ADHD often find that step hard, a pattern sometimes called time blindness. A shrinking disc skips the arithmetic: more color means more time, less color means less. The countdown becomes something you see instead of something you have to remember to check.

For a deeper look at why this happens, read our guide to ADHD time blindness. If you prefer a physical device on your desk, see our visual timer picks.

For kids and classrooms

Young children can't read a clock, and "five more minutes" means little to them. A disc that shrinks makes the end of an activity something they can see. It suits toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary students, and it works for clean-up, turn-taking, reading time, and screen-time endings. Try 5 minutes for clean-up or 15 minutes for reading. It also fits dinner timers and 30 minute potty-training reminders. Our guide to a visual timer for kids has scripts by age.

How to use it

In the classroom: open the page on the projector, press Full screen, and pick a preset for the activity. Students can see the time left from across the room, which cuts down on "how much longer?" questions.
For homework: set 10 or 15 minutes for one small task and stop when the disc empties. Short, bounded blocks make starting easier.
As a pomodoro: use the 25 minute preset, then take a break. If standard pomodoros feel too rigid, try the options in pomodoro alternatives for ADHD.

Want background sound while you work? Pair it with our free brown noise generator. Keep the tab open while the timer runs. The remaining time also shows in the browser tab title, so you can check it while working in another tab. The chime plays once at the end and you can switch it off above.

Frequently asked questions

What is a visual timer?

A visual timer shows the time left as a colored shape that shrinks as the minutes pass, instead of only showing digits. You can see at a glance how much time remains without reading or calculating anything.

Why do visual timers help with ADHD?

Many people with ADHD find it hard to feel time passing. A shrinking disc turns time into something you can see, which makes it easier to start, pace a task, and stop when the time is up.

Can I use this visual timer in a classroom?

Yes. Press the full screen button to fill a projector or smart board, pick a preset, and press Space to start. You can also share a link such as focus.tools/timer/10m to open a 10 minute timer.

Is this visual timer good for toddlers and preschoolers?

It can be. Young children can't read a clock, but they can see a colored disc shrink. Start with one to five minutes, sit with your child, and say what happens when the color is gone. Sit close and keep the screen for short, shared moments.

Is this visual timer free, and does it need an account?

It is free, needs no account, and runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter into the timer is sent anywhere.

Link to this timer

Teachers, parents, and bloggers are welcome to link here. Add a duration to the address to open a specific timer: /timer/10m for 10 minutes, or /timer/5h12m13s for 5 hours, 12 minutes, and 13 seconds. Use hours, minutes, and seconds in that order, up to 24 hours. The link under the timer settings always matches the length you have set, so you can copy it any time.

Link to a timer

Bookmark or share a link and it opens the timer already set to that length. It does not start by itself: you still press Start.

/timer/10m: 10 minutes
/timer/90s: 90 seconds
/timer/2h: 2 hours
/timer/1h30m: 1 hour 30 minutes
/timer/5h12m13s: 5 hours, 12 minutes, 13 seconds

Write hours, then minutes, then seconds, with at least one part. The longest is 24 hours. A link that doesn't fit these rules opens the normal 25:00 timer.