Visual Countdown Timer 4+

This is the best visual timer app I have found for iPhone! I work in special education and I use it to time worktime (e.g., 10 minutes left of math) and breaks for kids. I have it set so the picture is not revealed until the time runs out, so students don’t get distracted by the picture when they should be working. The sneaky pause & add/subtract time buttons are great for subtly adjusting time without having to stop the timer completely. I like this app so much that I paid for the premium pack instead of just removing ads because I wanted to support the devs. My two suggestions are 1) show time somewhere, just a little digital timer like the default phone timer countdown, and 2) keep the picture on the screen when the countdown ends until the screen is tapped or something. If the child isn’t looking at the timer right when it runs out, they miss out on seeing the picture. While I love the visual timer, I don’t want my students to only stare at the timer or get fixated on watching it at the end to see the picture. It would be nice for them to still have a chance to see the “reward”/celebration screen.

This is a great app. I love how it’s visual so a kiddo who doesn’t understand time super well can still see how much time until it goes off. It’s also great that you can change the pictures that’s revealed to whatever you want. It’s simple and easy to use. There are some downsides to the free version (ads, can only add one picture), but I think that’s understandable since it’s offered for free and since there is a paid option in which you can eliminate those problems.

Only two complaints (1) the ticking is really loud. I find myself turning my phone down to a one or two because it’s so loud I would like it if it was a little quieter. (2) you can only increase the time by 10 second intervals. It would be ideal to do it by seconds or at least 5 second intervals (but seconds would be even better.

Overall I would recommend this app.

I have a 2 year old (almost 3) and we had issues with transitions. We used to set Alexa timer but he would get upset when that was done. Now we use this and it’s a world of difference. We set the timer and show him how much time he has and every so often show him how much time he has left during activity. When it gets close to being done I ask if he wants to want it explode. He understands when timer is done he is done with activity (usually playing for a few extra minutes) and is actually happy to go on with his routine. We have not had as much whining after timer is done and when we have it’s been minimal. I think being able to SEE how much time he has left is great and he is able to understand that much more then being told he has 5 minutes.