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Screen Time Timer
Agree the time before the screen goes on, tap it here and press Start. Run this on a different device, where your child can see it.
30 minutes
Spacestart / pauseRresetFfull screen+ −add or remove a minute0–9type a time
15 minutes: a short video or two, or a turn on the tablet before dinner.
20 minutes: about one episode of most shows for young children.
30 minutes: half of the daily hour suggested for ages 2 to 5.
45 minutes: a longer gaming session or most of a family show.
1 hour: the whole daily amount suggested for ages 2 to 5, in one sitting.
How much screen time by age
| Age | Mainstream guidance | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 months | Avoid screens other than video chatting | Video calls with family are fine |
| 18–24 months | Only high-quality programs, watched with a parent | Sit with them and talk about it |
| 2–5 years | About 1 hour a day of high-quality programs | One 60 min or two 30 min sessions |
| 6 years and up | Consistent limits; no single number | A family media plan |
Summary of American Academy of Pediatrics advice. The World Health Organization similarly advises no sedentary screen time for 1-year-olds and no more than an hour a day for ages 2 to 4. For school-age children the aim is that screens leave room for sleep, physical activity, schoolwork and family time.
How to use it
- Agree the amount before the screen goes on: “You have 30 minutes of the tablet.” Tap that length.
- Open this page on a phone or laptop that is not the one being watched, and stand it where your child can see the countdown. Press Start as the show or game starts.
- Give a heads-up a few minutes before the end, and have the next thing ready: a snack, shoes by the door, the bath running.
- When the alarm sounds, the screen goes off. If your rule is “finish the level if it is a minute away”, apply it the same way every time.
Why a timer is easier than “five more minutes”
Stopping a screen is hard for children because shows and games are built to roll on into the next thing. A limit that arrives without warning feels like something a parent did to them. A countdown they have watched from the start is different. The length was agreed, the end was visible the whole time, and the alarm says stop so you do not have to.
Decide the awkward cases beforehand. An episode with one minute left or a game level about to end is a fair reason to finish, as long as that rule was set in advance and is not won by pleading. This page’s timer does not lock the tablet, pause the TV or close a game. It keeps time and sounds an alarm; an adult still switches the screen off.
Choosing limits that fit your family
For children under 6 the guidance in the table gives a clear number to work from. From age 6 the American Academy of Pediatrics does not name one. It suggests consistent limits written into a family media plan, so that screens do not push out sleep, physical activity, schoolwork or time together. A weekday video game timer of 30 or 45 minutes after homework, with more at weekends, is a common pattern.
What is on the screen matters as much as the minutes. A video call with a grandparent, a film watched together and solo scrolling are not the same thing. Switching screens off about an hour before bed is common sleep advice for all ages.
Common mistakes
- Running the timer on the same tablet the child is using. They cannot see it, and the alarm arrives as a surprise.
- Naming the limit after the screen is already on. Agree it first, while you still have their attention.
- Giving extra time when the alarm is met with tears. The next ending will be harder, because protest worked.
- Having nothing to move on to. “Screen off” goes better when it is also “and now we make pancakes”.
- Treating all screen use as one thing. Homework on a laptop and a video call are usually counted separately from entertainment.
Questions people ask
How much screen time should a 4-year-old have?
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests limiting screen use to about one hour a day of high-quality programs for ages 2 to 5. The World Health Organization gives a similar figure of no more than an hour for ages 2 to 4.
How much screen time for kids aged 6 and older?
There is no single official number. The advice is to set consistent limits that leave enough time for sleep, physical activity, schoolwork and family time, and to write them down as a family media plan.
Does this timer lock the tablet or turn off the TV?
No. It counts down and sounds an alarm, and that is all. To block a device automatically, use the parental controls built into the tablet, console or TV.
Can I use it as a video game timer?
Yes. Set the session length, start it when the game starts and keep it in view. Agree first whether the alarm means stop at once or stop at the next save point.
Should I give a warning before screen time ends?
Yes. A heads-up about five minutes before the end, and a glance at the countdown together, gives a child time to wind down. Young children cope with endings far better when they can see them coming.