Applied Behavioral Health Practice

Routine Visual Timer

A free visual timer for kids, teachers, and parents. Build a picture-based schedule, project your routine, or print a wheel. No account needed.

1. Choose a mode

Replaces the current steps. Save your routine first if you want to keep it.

2. Add steps

Click a suggestion to add it, or add a custom step and search any ARASAAC symbol.

3. Total time

4. Save & load

Export the current routine as a file to share or back up. Import opens a routine without changing your saved library.

Theme Text size
Icon size

Drag icons or labels to reposition them, or focus one and use arrow keys. Save your routine to keep positions.

Set paper to US Letter and scale to 100% / Actual size for exact 3.5in / 7in circles. Also uncheck Headers and footers (under "More settings") — otherwise the browser prints its own title/URL bar over the page margins.

This page includes an affiliate link to TimeTimer. If you purchase through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

QR code to routines.getadhd.care Applied Behavioral Health Practice More free routines at routines.getadhd.care

Symbols © Government of Aragón, created by Sergio Palao, used under CC BY-NC-SA (ARASAAC.org)

Customize timer
Sound options

Timed: steps advance automatically.

Drag icons or labels; use arrow keys for fine adjustments. Timer color
Theme Text size
Icon size
Text color
Timer controls

A visual schedule that works on screen or paper

Turn everyday activities into a picture-based routine. Each section of the circle represents a step, and the timer shows progress through the schedule. Choose a ready-made routine or add your own steps, symbols, and durations.

How to make a routine timer

  1. Choose Morning, Classroom, or Bedtime, or add custom steps in the builder.
  2. Set a duration and picture symbol for each activity. Choose a theme and adjust text or icon sizes.
  3. Open Projection for a live timer, or Print Preview to print the routine wheel or save it as a PDF.
  4. Save in this browser, or export a routine file to share with another parent or teacher.

Ways to use your visual timer

At home: start with getting dressed, breakfast, and brushing teeth. For bedtime, try a bath, pajamas, a book, and settling down. Adjust the minutes to fit your household.

In the classroom: project the wheel for circle time, reading, writing, cleanup, and recess. Use quiet mode for silent transitions or choose individual sound cues.

For flexible days: turn on Flexible schedule. The timer holds on the current activity until you press Next step, even if the planned time has elapsed.

Frequently asked questions

Is this visual routine timer free?

Yes. You can build, project, print, save, and export routines without an account. The printable page includes an optional affiliate link.

Can I print a visual routine?

Yes. Open Print Preview and choose Print / Save as PDF. Use US Letter paper at 100% or Actual size, with browser headers and footers turned off. The outer circle is 7 inches across and the center is 3.5 inches across.

Can I use the timer without sound or text?

Quiet mode is on by default. You can turn individual sounds on when you want them. Choose No text in either view for picture-only step labels, and hide the clock in Projection if you prefer.

Where are my saved routines stored?

Saved routines stay in this browser on this device. Export a JSON routine file for a backup or to move a routine to another device. Importing opens the file; press Save to keep it in that browser.

Does it work offline?

The timer runs in your browser, but picture searches, fonts, and QR images need internet access when they are not already cached.

How do I put the timer on an iPad Home Screen like an app?
  1. Open routines.getadhd.care in Safari on the iPad.
  2. Open the Share menu and choose Add to Home Screen. You may need to tap More or scroll to find it.
  3. Name it “Routine Timer.” If your iPad shows Open as Web App, turn that on, then tap Add.
  4. Launch the new Home Screen icon, load or build a routine, and open Projection.

If saved routines do not appear in the Home Screen version, export them from the original browser, then import and save them there. Adding an icon does not make picture searches or other online assets available offline.

Apple’s iPad web app instructions

How do I add the timer as an app or shortcut on a Chromebook?
  1. Visit routines.getadhd.care in Chrome. Open the three-dot menu, then Cast, save, and share → Install page as app, if available. Follow the installation prompts.
  2. If that option is missing, choose Cast, save, and share → Create shortcut and name it “Routine Timer.”
  3. Find the app or shortcut in the Launcher, right-click its icon, and choose Pin to shelf.
  4. Open it from the shelf and choose Projection → Full screen. The fullscreen button is available inside Timer controls or Customize timer.

Menu labels vary by Chrome version. A school-managed Chromebook may restrict installation; ask your school’s technology team if the option is unavailable.

Google’s web app instructions · Pin a shortcut to the Chromebook shelf

How do I keep an iPad on the timer? Is that AssistiveTouch?

Guided Access restricts the iPad to one app. AssistiveTouch provides an onscreen menu for gestures and button actions; it does not lock the device to the timer.

  1. In Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access, enable the feature and set a passcode under Passcode Settings.
  2. Open the timer, choose the routine and display settings, and open Projection. Triple-click the iPad’s top button, or the Home button on models with one. Select Guided Access if a shortcut menu appears.
  3. Use Session Settings (or Options) and the screen-area controls to limit unwanted touches. Leave Play, Pause, and Next step usable if the person needs them. You can block the company and booking links.
  4. Start the session. Practice exiting before handing over the device: triple-click the same button, authenticate, then choose End. Apple lists a double-click for pausing sessions on iPadOS 18 or earlier.

If easier touch controls are also useful, enable Settings → Accessibility → Touch → AssistiveTouch.

Apple’s Guided Access setup and exit instructions · Apple’s AssistiveTouch instructions

Can I lock a Chromebook to just this timer?

Fullscreen and pinning to the shelf make the timer easier to access, but they do not prevent switching apps or leaving the page. For a personal setup, close unrelated tabs, open the timer in its own window, and agree on when the device will be used for the routine.

For a school-owned device that must stay in one app, ask the administrator about a managed ChromeOS kiosk configured for this website. This requires administrator setup; it is not a lock that this webpage can turn on. A normal device screen lock hides the timer, so it is not a substitute.

Google’s managed web-app kiosk guide

How do I keep the display awake during a routine?

iPad: in Guided Access settings, adjust Display Auto-Lock so the screen stays visible for the routine. See Apple’s Guided Access settings.

Chromebook: open Settings → System preferences → Power. For the power mode you are using, choose Keep display on while inactive. A school administrator may manage this setting. See Google’s display and power instructions.

Keep the timer in the foreground and the device charged. Sleep or backgrounding can interrupt visual updates and sound cues. Return to your usual sleep settings after the routine if you changed them.

How can I use this as a personal routine device?

Try using a spare iPad or Chromebook as a dedicated visual cue for one person, placed where the routine happens—for example, at a homework desk or near the morning getting-ready area.

  1. Build a short routine together with familiar pictures and realistic durations. Let the person choose a theme and whether they want text or sound.
  2. Save it on that device and export a backup. Add the Home Screen icon or shelf shortcut so the routine is easy to open again.
  3. Open Projection, choose a comfortable screen size, and decide whether to show the current-step panel. Use Quiet mode for a silent cue.
  4. Use Flexible schedule when the person should decide when they are ready to move on. Agree on who presses Next step and how to pause or ask for help.
  5. If needed, set up the device restrictions above with the person and keep an adult’s exit method available. Review the routine after trying it and adjust any steps that feel rushed.

Use the display as a prompt for what comes next, with the aim of making the routine easier to follow independently. A printed wheel is another option when a screen is distracting. Saved routines and timer progress do not automatically sync across devices.

Privacy policy

Your saved routines and settings stay in your browser’s local storage on this device. Clearing site data removes them. The timer does not upload your saved routines or use analytics to track you.

You can export routine files at your own risk. You are responsible for their contents, filenames, storage, and sharing—including any protected health information (PHI) or other personal information you include.

Online images and fonts use third-party services, which may receive standard connection information such as your IP address. Symbol searches are sent to ARASAAC, so do not enter personal or health information in searches.

Created by Applied Behavioral Health Practice. Picture symbols are from ARASAAC.

Schedule consultation