We were honored when our friends at Google Ventures profiled Time Timer in their new book, Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days. They use the patented timer in Google Ventures innovation sessions to mark small chunks of time, giving an added sense of focus and urgency.

“It’s visible to everyone in the room in a way that no phone or iPad app could ever be,” author Jake Knapp explains. “And unlike with a traditional clock, no math is required to figure out how much time is remaining. When time is visible, it becomes very easy to understand and discuss.” 

We agree that the Time Timer is a great tool for businesses and innovation, which is why we encourage you to participate in Google Venture’s Sprint Week. Just plan a sprint, as described in the book, for the week of April 18-22. By signing up at this link, you’ll receive exclusive daily videos from the Sprint team in your inbox, along with access to an online Q&A with Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. 

And don’t forget the Time Timer! To help celebrate the first Sprint Week, we are offering 25% off the Time Timer MOD Sprint Edition with the code SPRINTWEEK*. For instant Time Timer access before Sprint Week, download the Time Timer app. 

Watch this to learn more about the Time Timer MOD Sprint Edition. 

*Coupon good through 4/30. Valid only on website sales from TimeTimer.com to the U.S. and select territories.

Five Ways A Timer Can Hack your Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is a ritual for many, a way to welcome the warmer weather by purging our households of dirt and clutter. But while the end result—a sparkling, clean home—is enjoyable, the process of cleaning may be anything but fun. Here are five ways using a timer can help you with your spring cleaning tasks.

1. Get The Kids to Help by Making It A Game

Spring cleaning is a great time to teach your children responsibility for their own spaces by having them clean their rooms. You can make it a game by setting a timer (like the Time Timer ® ) for an appropriate amount of time and encouraging them to have their entire room cleaned up before time runs out. Reward them with a treat, such as 30 minutes of screen time, when they complete the task.

 2. Keep track of your cleaning process.

Have a cleaner, such as a soap scum remover, that needs to set for 10-15 minutes before you can start scrubbing? Use a timer to help you keep track of the time, and get the best results from all of your cleaning products.

 3. Break up the day by timing each activity.

Set the timer for the amount of time it should take you to complete each activity—30 minutes for dusting, 20 for vacuuming, etc. Are you the competitive type? See if you can even beat the clock if you need a challenge.

4. Give yourself a break!

After you’ve spent an hour working, take a short break. Set the timer, grab a drink and a snack, check Facebook, relax. Or, just make sure your kids are still alive.

5. Maintain your newly clean house with weekly cleaning.

Each week after spring cleaning, set the timer for one hour, and have the whole family pitch in to clean the house. Even young kids can sort socks, or empty trash cans. Divide up the tasks, and make it a true team effort.

Need the timer to get through your spring cleaning? The Time Timer MOD is the perfect fit—available in new colors at here.

It's that time of year – the Internet is ablaze with back-to-school tips!  Here's a set for Time Timer fans.

5 time-related questions to ask your child's teacher:

1. How much time should my child spend doing homework at night? On the weekends?

2. Does my child respond well to time limits, or is that a stressor?

3. Does my child handle time well academically? Is she rushed during tests? Does he complete tasks on time?

4. Does my child handle time well socially? Does he share? Does she struggle with transitions?

5. What can we be doing at home to help our child manage time?

Bonus Question: What is the classroom bullying policy? If my child is targeted or sees another child being bullied, what should we do?

More excellent questions to ask your child's teacher >>

Does your child's teacher have a Time Timer? Email him or her the Time Timer animated video. Teachers can buy in bulk at the Time Timer Store.

Autism Spectrum Quarterly is one of the best resources for families who love someone with Autism. By

 interviewing real people and sharing stories from all walks of life, editor Diane Twatchman-Cullen rallies the Autism community to nurture children on the Spectrum into confident adults. 

This quarter, AS Quarterly's TIPS section featured "Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Time Timer" by Jennifer Twatchtman-Bassett, M.S., CCC-SLP!

Jennifer writes: 

"While I have found Time Timers in many of the facilities where I practice, I also find missed opportunities for using them. So, this issue's TIPS column not only presents strategies for teaching kids how to use the Time Timer, but also some specific examples of situations where they are very helpful."

You can subscribe to ASQuarterly.com to see Jennifer's full list. Here are our favorites!

1. Accentuate the positives! Always begin with small amounts of time on the Time Timer that lead to preferred events or activities (e.g. 5 more minutes and we'll be finished in the store; 5 minutes to break time).

2. Set the child up - for success! When you do begin to use the Time Timer for non-preferred activities, start with only small amounts of time. For example, if your child doesn't like to clean her room, set the Time Timer for 5 minutes and gradually lengthen to 15 or 20 minutes over time. 

3. Use the Time Timer as a substitute for indefinite words like in a little while. 

4. Use the Time Timer to reduce conflicts at home or in school by showing how much time each child has before he needs to relinquish the TV, computer, iPad, etc. 

5. Use it for so many other situations in which knowledge of the time involved can ease anxiety and help with transitions!

Thanks for a wonderful article, Jennifer! Visit ASQuarterly.com and Facebook.

A Time Timer Classroom is an amazingly productive place.

It's a classroom where students can visualize time, understand it as a concept, and learn to manage it effectively. If you've taken advantage of Time Timer's Back-to-School Special, then you've heard how thousands of teachers worldwide prefer this visual approach to time. 

• Young children can watch the Timer and anticipate when class will switch from math to recess to silent reading and test time, reducing behavior problems. 
• College, high school and junior high students can complete standardized tests, group projects and creative assignments with more independence. 
• Students with special needs can engage with a quiet visual timer – no noisy ticking or distracting numerical countdown.

So how can schools really maximize their Time Timers? What does a true Time Timer Classroom look like?

Why is the Time Timer an ideal timer for math teachers? We traveled to St. Louis to find out! As the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers battled for World Series glory last week, the Time Timer team celebrated at the St. Louis Americas Center with hundreds of very excited, very loud, very cool math teachers!

We were all in St. Louis for NCTM's (The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) conference. Educators traveled through the Americas Center learning about new math/science curriculua and teaching tools.

Many teachers stopped by the Time Timer booth ~ and offered their tips for using Time Timers in the classroom. 

Tips from First-Timers ~

Some of the math teachers we met were trying a Time Timer for time. They envisioned it as a problem-solver and a time-saver: 

"I'm a Quiz Bowl Coach. My team could use this to improve their response time." 

"My 3rd graders take forever to calm down after recess. We do a five-minute countdown breathing exercise. This Timer would be good for helping them focus."

"A speaker was demonstrating your iPad App in his presentation this morning. Does your App let me time multiple students at once?" Yes, it does!

"I need your software that counts down the seconds. We do one-minute quizzes every day."

"You know who would REALLY use this. My daughter. For practicing the piano."  

"I just bought this other timer, but I wish I had seen yours first. Yours is actually using fractions of a pie chart to explain time. That's cool. Do you have any Apps?"

Tips from Life-Timers ~

These math teachers have used Time Timers for years. Here are their insights into this classroom teaching tool: 

"My inclusion students loved this Timer so much that the mainstream children started wanting to use it too. We all use it together for Trigonometry drills." 

"Set the Timer for the last five minutes of every class period. Help the students pack up their bags, write down their homework, and clean up the classroom. You'll instill good organizational habits, which help their grades just as much as homework and tests do."

"Children with Autism often have gifted abilities in math – but they struggle to interact with the other students. This Timer helps them feel calm, knowing that the class period won't go on forever. They're able to feel more comfortable spending time with the other students."

"My gifted kids need to be challenged – and I need time to work with the ones who are struggling. So I set the Timer and let the accelerated students do timed tests on their own. They love it!"

"My students use this Timer every day. By the end of the school year, they've developed a reliable internal clock. The change in their behavior is AMAZING!"

As the end of the school year approaches, many schools have end-of-the-year testing and standardized exams. The Time Timer is a GREAT resource for learning time management skills in a testing situation. 

If you just bought a Time Timer for your classroom: 

+ Start by using the Time Timer for non-stressful activities, like games, hands-on work and positive reinforcement.

+ Next, introduce the Time Timer during practice tests. Try to use the same age-appropriate amount of time for each practice so that your students build their internal clock. Then, when you say, “You have 30 minutes left,” they’ll have a strong intuitive idea of what that means.

+ On test day, use the Time Timer for 5 - 10 minutes of quiet time before the test starts to help prepare for the exam. 

+ Because all Time Timer operate nearly silently, you can have one running during the exam without creating a distracting or stressful ticking sound. Students will be able to quickly glance up and see how much time they have left. No matter how young they are, you'll be surprised at how quickly they get good at this!