In the late 1990s, Jan Rogers created the very first Time Timer Original after seeing that her youngest child needed a visual timepiece to support her in understanding the passage of time. Once Jan met this need, she found that transitions in daily routines became much more manageable for her daughter. 

From a Personal Project to a Patented Success  

Jan realized in creating the first Time Timer for her personal family use, that this simple but effective time management tool could be of benefit to others. A Time Timer visual timer that “shows” the passage of time through the use of a patented red disk was the result, and this project that had started out as one for a mother to help her child led to over 30 patents, all with thoughtful design and passion for helping everyone manage the passage of time to “make every moment count.” 

As Jan shared in an interview on the Time Timer blog, “The need for a visual timepiece became evident to me when my youngest daughter was about 4 years old.  She was constantly interested in time, frequently asking “how much longer” or “when”.  No timer available at that point could give her the information she wanted – the kitchen timer was a bell in space, she knew it was coming just not when; the digital clock and watches were just a series of numbers that meant nothing; the clock on the wall was confusing and difficult to interpret.” 

“It seemed to me that if my child was having difficulty with this basic task of understanding elapsed time, other children might need the same kind of resource to help understand time.  In my daughter’s early schooling, time was taught as a position on a clock face, not a duration, so it was difficult for a child to manage time segments.  I thought that if the child could actually “see” time move, they would be better equipped to meet deadlines, transition, self-monitor timed activities, etc.”  

Time Timer Around the World  

Time Timer visual timers now come in a wide range of models to meet the unique needs of individuals, different environments, and varying routines. What began as Jan’s project to support her child led to the production and distribution of Time Timers in schools, workplaces, at home, and everywhere in between!  

Jan’s innovation has made an impact on the lives of many, and at Time Timer we remain just as committed and passionate about supporting everyone in managing the passage of time to support happier, calmer routines and allow people of all ages to feel empowered to manage their time with more freedom and unlimited potential.