Review of Time Timer

My latest product to review for the Crew is the niftiest little timer I've ever seen.  Its premise is so simple, but its effect on my son (all of my children, really) is so profound.  Time Timer (which I received free in exchange for my review) is a countdown timer, but it is unlike all other timers I've seen.  Designed by a mom to visually teach her child what "how much time is left" looks like, the Time Timer is wonderful for kids too young to tell time, special needs kids, and just about any other kids!

The Time Timer, like other timers, can be set for a certain amount of time, from which point it counts down to zero.  Unlike many other timers, though, the Time Timer is not digital and has quite a strong visual impact.  One can tell at a glance exactly both how much time has elapsed and how much time is left.

While this timer certainly has many potential uses, the obvious one for me is homeschooling.  One problem we seem to have is my kids spending too much time on one subject to the exclusion of others.  Some classes (like math) take as long as they take.  Others, though, like handwriting, really should have a set amount of time devoted to them and no more.  Enter the Time Timer! My kids actually fight over who gets to use it on a given day.  In fact, they quickly figured out that its use did not have to be confined to schooling only.  By the second day, my son was racing himself on various tasks (like cleaning his room), setting the Timer for what he thought was a reasonable time, and then trying to finish before time elapsed.  A timer that turns a chore into a game is a huge winner with me.

The beauty of the Time Timer is its  simplicity.  You manually turn the timer to the amount of time desired, and then watch the red disk disappear back into the white part of the timer, marking the movement of time. The audio signal that time has ended is quiet and unobtrusive, and it can be turned off altogether.

Time Timer is one of those products that really has to be tried to be understood, but once tried, you won't want to give it up! To see how Time Timer works, watch this neat video.  To read more about Time Timer, visit their website.  Finally, to purchase Time Timer, navigate to this page.  There are three sizes of Time Timer available, in addition to an iPad app.  The 3" timer, the one I received, is perfect for homeschool use, and retails for $30.00.  We loved the Time Timer! To read other opinions, check out the Crew blog.