ToolPorch / Classroom / Timer
Classroom Timer the back row can read
A countdown built for transitions, timed work, and "you have five minutes": giant digits, a clean fullscreen, a gentle chime instead of a fire alarm.
Built around how timers are actually used in class
Classroom timers fail in predictable ways: digits too small to read from the rug, an end alarm that spikes the whole room, an interface full of buttons a projector shows to everyone, or a timer that drifts when the tab loses focus. This one fixes each of those. The digits scale to the screen — in fullscreen on a projector they're the size of a poster. The chime is a soft two-tone bell synthesized in the browser, loud enough to notice, calm enough for a kindergarten room. And the countdown is wall-clock based, so backgrounding the tab, a laggy Chromebook, or a paused projector feed never makes it lose seconds.
The color language
Green means "plenty of time," amber means "final minute, start wrapping up," red means "ten seconds." Students learn the pattern in one day, which means fewer "how much time do we have?" interruptions — they can read the room's state at a glance, literally.
Frequently asked questions
Does the timer make a sound at zero?
Yes — a gentle two-tone chime generated by your browser (no jarring alarm). Toggle it off with the sound checkbox if you prefer a silent visual finish. The screen also flashes softly at zero either way.
Will it keep running if I switch tabs?
Yes. The timer tracks the actual clock, not screen refreshes, so it stays accurate even when the tab is in the background — when you come back, the remaining time is correct.
Why do the digits change color?
The display shifts to amber in the final minute and red in the final ten seconds, so students can read the state of the countdown from across the room without reading the numbers.
Can I put it on the projector without ads showing?
Yes — click Fullscreen. Fullscreen mode is always completely clean on ToolPorch: just the digits, nothing else, ever.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded, yes — nothing about the timer needs a connection.