Grown-ups

Waiting timer for kids: how long until?

⏳ We wait until the egg hatches.

3:00

About as long as one song.

What are we timing?
Several steps? Make a routine: a picture and a timer for each step
How long?
3 min
Pick a picture

Six cracks spread across a spotted egg, and at zero a baby dinosaur hatches and waves.

Take turns

Pick 2 to 4 animals. When time is up, the next animal gets a turn.

Sound and more

Keys: Space start or pause · R reset · ← → 30 seconds · S next picture · U count up or down · M sound · F full screen

For grown-ups

"How long until?" is easier to answer with a picture than a number. Set the wait and a dinosaur egg cracks bit by bit; when it hatches, the wait is over. A child who cannot read a clock can see exactly how much waiting is left.

Tips for grown-ups

  • Say what the egg means before you start: 'when the dinosaur hatches, we can go to the park'.
  • Short waits first: three minutes is a long time for a toddler.
  • The done-at clock shows when the wait ends on a real clock face, a good first lesson in telling time.
  • Cookies cooling, the bath filling, a sibling's turn: anything with a wait works.
  • Let your child press Start, so the waiting is something they are doing, not something done to them.

Questions

Why does a picture help with waiting?

Young children find time hard to picture. A thing that changes as time passes (an egg cracking, a pizza going) shows how much is left without reading numbers.

Is this a visual timer for autism or ADHD?

Visual timers are widely used to help children see time pass, and many families of autistic children and children with ADHD use them. This is a simple free tool, not a clinical one; follow your child's own plan.

Can the waiting end with a sound?

Yes. The egg hatches with a crack, a cheep and a tiny roar, at the volume you choose, or silently.

Is it free?

Yes. No ads, no sign-up, nothing to download.

For grown-ups: Peabody has no ads, not one, and nothing to sell your child. The Kids Pick, an independent kids' directory, rates its games 90/100. See what other free kids' sites load · Grown-ups, sign in · Already have a profile?