- Home
- Kids and Classroom Timers
- Turn-Taking Timer
Turn-Taking Timer
Pick a turn length and press Start. At each bell the toy changes hands and the next turn is already counting.
2 minutes
Spacestart / pauseRresetFfull screen+ −add or remove a minute0–9type a time
1 minute: for two-year-olds, who find waiting very hard, and for a toy everyone wants at once.
2 minutes: a good first choice for preschoolers sharing one toy.
3 minutes: ride-on toys, the trampoline, a turn at the water table.
5 minutes: a swing, a classroom computer, a bike at recess.
10 minutes: tablets and game controllers, where a shorter turn ends mid-level.
A sharing timer: turn lengths by what is being shared
| What is being shared | Turn length | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One toy, toddlers | 1–2 min | Waiting any longer is too hard at two |
| One toy, ages 3–5 | 2–3 min | Long enough to play, short enough to wait |
| Swing, slide or trampoline | 3–5 min | The line can see the end coming |
| Favorite bike or scooter at recess | 5 min | Several children get a turn per break |
| Classroom computer station | 5–10 min | Time to finish one task |
| Tablet or game controller | 10 min | About one level or one round |
| Speaking in circle time | 1 min | Everyone is heard before attention fades |
No official figures exist for turn lengths. These are common starting points; the right length is the one the waiting child can manage.
How to use it
- Choose a turn length. Two minutes is set to begin with; go down to one for toddlers and up to five or ten for swings, tablets and game controllers.
- Type whose turn it is in the label box if you like, and agree the order out loud: “Mia first, then Leo.”
- Give the timer to the child who is waiting, or prop it where they can watch it. Press Start.
- At the bell, the toy changes hands straight away. The next countdown has already begun, so every turn is the same length without anyone resetting it.
Why a timer settles sharing fights
Most fights over a toy are about uncertainty. The child who is waiting does not know when their turn will come, or whether it will come at all, so they grab. The child who has the toy does not know how long they can keep it, so they cling. A countdown both can see answers both questions. The wait has an end, and the turn is safe until then.
It also takes the adult out of the referee’s chair. “The bell went” is easier to accept than “I think you have had long enough”, because the same rule applies to everyone and nobody chose the moment. That only holds if the turns really are equal, which is why this page restarts by itself: the alarm rings once and the next turn starts with no gap and no favors.
Taking turns at different ages
Most two-year-olds find waiting very hard, and they are not expected to share willingly yet. Keep turns to a minute, stay close and give the waiting child something to do, such as holding the timer. From three or four, children can wait two or three minutes and begin to manage the swap themselves. School-age children can handle five or ten and will often police the bell more strictly than you would.
In a classroom the same approach works for the computer station, the favorite bike at recess or speaking turns in circle time. For board games, the board game timer keeps each player’s move to a limit, and the chess clock gives two players separate clocks.
Common mistakes
- Giving the older or louder child a longer turn. Equal lengths are the whole point, and children notice at once.
- Letting the swap drift after the bell. Thirty seconds of “in a moment” comes out of the next child’s turn.
- Setting ten-minute turns for toddlers. The waiting child will have given up or melted down long before the bell.
- Using the timer for a child’s own special toy. Some things do not have to be shared; put those away before friends arrive.
Questions people ask
How long should a turn be for toddlers?
One to two minutes. Most two-year-olds find waiting very hard, so short turns that come round quickly work better than long ones.
How do I teach my child to take turns?
Show what a turn looks like with a timer and say what is happening: “Your turn now, Sam’s turn when it rings.” Start with short turns and an adult nearby, and praise the handover when it goes well.
Does the turn timer restart automatically?
Yes. Repeat is already switched on for this page. The alarm sounds once at the end of each turn and the next countdown starts immediately.
How long should turns be on a tablet or video game?
Five to ten minutes suits most games, since a shorter turn tends to end in the middle of a level. Agree before starting whether a player may finish the current round after the bell.
Can I use it with more than two children?
Yes. Fix the order before you start and keep to it, or write the names on a list. Each bell moves the toy to the next name.