1
Set the break length
Open the Timer from the dock and tap a preset — 1, 2, 3 or 5 minutes. Drag it big so the back row can read it.
Brain break timer for the classroom
Put a short break on the board, fill it with something quick, and let the timer bring everyone back.
Big enough for the back row, set in one tap, and the end is never up for debate. Use a plain countdown for a single break, or the Pomodoro mode to build breaks into a long block.
- Free for teachers · no login required
- Students need no accounts or devices
How it works
A brain break in three taps
The timer makes the length of the break visible, so starting it is easy and ending it isn't an argument.
2
Put the break beside it
Add a game, a dice roll or a song next to the timer, so the class can see what the break is and exactly how long it lasts.
Let the timer call time
When the ring empties, the end sound (if you turn one on) marks the switch. Bring the lesson back up and carry on.
Break ideas
Brain breaks that fit the timer
Each one already lives on the board — put it beside the timer and press start.
1 minute
Switch the Dice to Choices and type your own moves — ten star jumps, balance on one foot, stretch to the ceiling. Roll, move, sit.
Uses Dice
1 minute
Read the question, let them guess, reveal the punchline. A one-minute laugh resets the room faster than a lecture about focus.
Uses Joke of the Day
1–2 minutes
Name a thing, start a one-minute timer, and everyone draws it. Share a couple on the board with the Draw tool.
Uses Draw
2–3 minutes
Decode emoji puzzles as a class — film titles, idioms, this week’s vocabulary. Nobody needs a device.
Uses Guessmoji
3 minutes
Put a song beside the timer with the Spotify or YouTube widget. The music stops when the break does.
Uses Spotify
3–5 minutes
Teams guess where an answer lands between two ideas — hot to cold, easy to hard. Lots of talk, quick to reset.
Uses Spectrum
Long blocks
Build the breaks into the lesson with Pomodoro mode
For a double period or a long practical, switch the Timer type to Pomodoro. Set the work time, a short break, a long break and how many work sessions come before the long one — each length can be anything from 1 to 99 minutes.
The timer labels the phase on screen (Focus, Short Break, Long Break) and moves to the next one for you, so the class always knows whether it's working time or break time. For example: 20 minutes of focus, a 3-minute break, and a longer 10-minute break after three rounds.
Coming back
Settle the room after the break
The timer ends the break. These make the restart calm.
Traffic Light
Switch to amber in the last thirty seconds, red when it’s time to sit. The colour does the warning for you.
Work Symbols
Show the mode you’re coming back to — silent, whisper or together — so nobody has to ask.
Noise Meter
Turn the meter on as the lesson restarts and let the class bring the volume back down themselves.
FAQ
Good to know
How long should a brain break be?
Short. Most classroom brain breaks run one to five minutes. Keeping the length visible on the board — and the same each time — makes the routine easier to start and easier to end.
Can the timer alternate between work time and breaks?
Yes. Switch the Timer type to Pomodoro and set the work time, the short break and the long break (each from 1 to 99 minutes) and how many work sessions come before the long break. The timer labels each phase — Focus, Short Break, Long Break — and moves on to the next one for you.
Does it play a sound when the break is over?
It can. Choose a sound in the timer settings, or leave it silent and let the emptying ring do the work.
Do students need devices or accounts?
No. Everything on this page runs on the shared screen at the front of the room. Some Arcade games can also be joined from student devices with a code and a first name — never an account.
Is it free?
Yes. The Timer, the other classroom tools and every Arcade game type are free to use, with no login to try. A free account keeps up to three boards across devices; AI-generated game content uses your plan’s AI allowance.
Will it work on my interactive whiteboard?
Boardee runs in the browser, so any interactive panel, projector or classroom computer that can open a web page can run the timer.
Put a brain break timer on your board
Open a board, tap Timer on the dock, pick a length. That's the whole setup.