step 1

Together with your child, set clear rules about the daily maximum screen time. Subsequently include these agreements in the week schedule in the Gametimer app.

step 2

As soon as the agreements have been recorded in the app, they are automatically synchronised in the Gametimer.

step 3

The Gametimer is now ready to be used. Simply hand over the Gametimer to your child, and you will notice that the rest will follow naturally.

"By introducing the Gametimer, I have started to regulate and control gaming time."

D. van Houts te Wijchen

Play

When the Gametimer is set up, the device is ready to use.

Turn the Gametimer so the green side is on top and the time begins to run. The set times are shown on the display and via the 10 LEDs.

Break

Placing Gametimer horizontally will put it on pause. This means you can continue later without losing time. Two beeps will sound every minute, and every 15 seconds after 5 minutes; this makes it clear that the Gametimer is in pause mode, meaning a choice has to be made between stop or play.

Stop

Turn the Gametimer so the red side is on top to stop playing. When the playing time for the day has been used up, the Gametimer will emit a sound that will not stop until “stop” is activated. It is now no longer possible to set Gametimer to “play” without the sound going off again.

New gaming time will be available again the next day. If you want to increase or decrease the amount of time your child has on certain days, you can set this up via the settings screen of the Gametimer app. This is useful on holidays or weekends for example.

Gametimer app

The Gametimer settings can be changed in the Gametimer app. This is protected with a password. When the settings are changed, the administrator of the Gametimer app will receive a confirmation by e-mail.

  • easy to use
  • weekly schedule
  • clear statistics
  • Can be linked to multiple Gametimers

 

App Store

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The purpose of the Gametimer

By using the Gametimer, children learn to deal with their maximum daily screen time in an educational manner. Gametimer helps to set clear rules and teaches children to become more aware of their screen time. This way, children learn that regularly taking breaks is an important part of gaming and screen time. But also that they can decide for themselves when and for how long they can play games, up until their maximum screen time for that day has been reached. This allows them to become more conscious about their screen time, and teaches them to plan and divide their time in front of a screen better and more efficiently.

Discover more benefits of the Gametimer

Suppose your child goes to bed at 9pm
but is watching a movie that ends at 9.10 pm.
How do you deal with this situation?

1. Give them plenty of space
By giving them a bit of space, they will be more accepting of the Gametimer. Within set limits, children have direct responsibility over their screen time. This way, they can decide when they want to use their screen time themselves. It will take some getting used to, but children are fast learners.
2. Setting the maximum daily screen time
Do you find it difficult to determine how much screen time your child should have per day? In order to help you with this, we have written an article that explains more about the recommended maximum daily screen time for children. We have included the recommended time per age category in minutes.
3. Create a base for support
In order to create a solid base for support, it is important to establish clear agreements with your child. By allowing children to have a say in these agreements, they become more aware of their screen time whilst also learning to plan better.
4. Increasing awareness
The goal of the Gametimer is awareness. Children will learn that taking brakes and stopping are also part of gaming and screen time. Don’t worry too much if the Gametimer is occasionally not used when you are not present. The Gametimer’s statistics provide insight into screen time over the past 7 days.
5. Creating structure together
Making agreements about gaming and screen time is not easy. This is primarily because children do not have (many) set times in their lives. But if you set a decent schedule in the Gametimer, your child will be able to easily plan their daily screen time. Do you want to know more about how the Gametimer works and how you can set a clear schedule? Please take a look at the manual.