The new Time Timer ®  20 MIN has generated a lot of buzz since its release—it even won a Mom’s Choice Award ®! Parents, teachers, and business professionals are loving this easy-to-read visual timer that keeps everyone on track and on time. Here are 20 ways to use your Time Timer 20 MIN:

At Home:

1. Reading aloud. Make time in your busy day to read aloud to your child—it really adds up. If you read aloud for just 20 minutes a day, you’ll expose them to 1.8 million words per year!
2. Silent reading. It can be difficult to get active kids to settle down to practice their silent reading, but with the Time Timer set to 20 minutes, it’s an attainable goal.
3. Instrument practice. For some kids, instrument practice can feel like a chore—but with the Time Timer set to 20 minutes, the time will fly by.
4. Break up homework time. A large chunk of time devoted to homework can be daunting. Break up the time into 20 minute chunks, with breaks and/or treats in between.
5. Turn chores into a game. Can they beat the clock by cleaning their entire room before the Time Timer 20 MIN runs out? Can they clean up their toys from the living room in 15 minutes?
6. Get out the door on time. Set the Time Timer 20 minutes before you have to leave, put it in a prominent place, and everyone will see exactly how much time they have left to get ready to go.
7. Encourage taking turns and sharing. Let each person have 20 minutes to use the computer, iPad, etc. Using the Time Timer 20 MIN will let kids see how much time they have left before it’s the next person’s turn, making it a much easier transition.

In the Classroom:

8. Time group activities. The 20-minute iteration is the perfect amount of time for centers and small group work in the classroom, letting kids see the time they have left and giving them enough time to complete their activities before moving on to the next center.
9. Keep students on task with smaller increments of time. Give the class 5 minutes to finish a page in their workbook, then go over the questions together.
10. Do a free-write. Are students listless? Set the Time Timer 20 MIN for 15 minutes and let them write about anything they want. The process is good practice for testing, but also allows them to use their creativity.
11. Keep the schedule on track. Are your students consistently late for lunch or for physical education? Set the Time Timer with an audible alert 20 minutes before they need to leave, so that they can see exactly how much time is left.
12. Get active in the classroom. Set the Time Timer for 5 minutes, then have students get up and do some sort of physical activity—stretches, easy calisthenics— to get them moving.
13. Tidy up. Are student work areas getting out of control? Set the Time Timer for 10 minutes and let them clean up the mess.
14. Give students a topic, set the Time Timer (longer times for older students), and see what they come up with.
15. Timed group presentations. Give older students a visual cue to show them how much time they have left to present.
16. Time quizzes. For short, daily or weekly quizzes, 20 minutes (or less!) is just the right amount of time. Students can easily see how much time remains to finish their quiz.
17. Give students time to review. Before giving a test, if time permits, let students review their notes for 5 or 10 minutes. The Time Timer will let them see how much time they have to review before the test.

In the Office:

18. Keep a short meeting on track. In business environments, it can be difficult to keep meetings from running over time. Use the Time Timer 20 MIN to keep brief meetings brief.
19. Break a long meeting into smaller time units. If a long meeting is to consist of several presentations, set the Time Timer 20 MIN for each presentation to keep everyone on schedule.
20. Time employee team building or group work. Keeping these sessions 20 minutes or less can help increase productivity.