Pick and Tick

2 minute timer

Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Like 5m, 90s, or 1:30

How to use the 2 minute timer

  1. The timer opens at two minutes. Press Start, or the space bar.
  2. Watch the pie empty. Half the pie gone means one minute is left.
  3. At zero the alarm beeps and the board pulses. Press Stop alarm to quiet it.
  4. Press R to reset for the next turn.

What a 2 minute timer is good for

  • Brushing teeth

    Dentists suggest brushing for two minutes, twice a day. Children brush longer when they can see the pie shrink. Try 30 seconds for each part of the mouth, a quarter of the pie each.

  • Think-pair-share

    Give each partner two minutes to share, then switch. The pie tells pairs when to hand over without the teacher calling it out.

  • Transitions

    Two minutes to tidy desks, line up, or move to the carpet. A visible pie turns "hurry up" into a challenge the class can see.

Questions

Why a pie instead of numbers?

Young children can't always read a clock, but they can see a slice get smaller. The pie also works from the back of a room. The digits stay in the middle for adults, and you can switch to digits only or a bar.

How do I split two minutes into four parts for brushing?

Each quarter of the pie is 30 seconds. Top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right, one quarter each. When the pie reaches the next quarter, move on.

Can I use it for both partners in a pair task?

Yes. Run it once for the first partner, press Restart when it rings, and run it again for the second. Restart starts a fresh two minutes at once.

Will the alarm scare young children?

It's a short, bright beep. If you'd rather have silence, untick Sound (or press M) and the pie and the pulsing board show when time is up.