Teacher Created Resources 30 Minute Large Sand Timer - Classroom Timer for Kids, Learning Activities, Games & Time Management (TCR20887) - Perfect for Teachers, Homeschooling & Educational Activities

The Teacher Created Resources 1 Minute Sand Timer is a durable, accurate, moderately large and stable (i.e., does not tip easily) sand timer. It is perfect for encouraging kids to brush their teeth and for timing activities that divide up into 1 minute intervals. Just flip the timer each time it empties to reset for another minute.This timer is best suited for activities that take up to 4 minutes to complete. I use it for teeth brushing and also for Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games. In the latter case, if players are taking too long to make a decision, I pull out this timer and tell them they have 1 minute to make up their minds (sometimes 2 minutes, if I'm feeling generous). It's a great way to apply pressure to speed things along and keep the game from getting bogged down, especially when playing with easily-distracted kids. It can also be used for impromptu character penalties, such as telling a player that his/her character is blind, immobilized, unconscious, etc. for a certain number of minutes, instead of a number of turns. Sometimes, a time-based penalty works better than keeping track of turns, and watching/flipping the timer gives that character something to do, while creating a sense of tension/drama for the rest of the party as they try to compensate for the handicap for a set amount of time.Anyway, whatever your needs, this is a good choice in an accurate, durable, easy-to-see (colorful) sand timer. Mine clocked in at almost exactly 60 seconds, so I would even trust it for precise cooking purposes if that's your goal. Of course, it you're timing multiple-minute activities, you just have to be diligent about flipping it the moment the upper glass runs out.