The App

Lickety Split is a visual and musical timer for kids. Each everyday task has its own song, which speeds up as time runs out, while an animated character acts out the task and the Time Disc drains. Five minutes becomes something a child can see and hear.

So instead of nagging, grown-ups are free to cheer their children on, and everyone celebrates together.

Timers

In BEAT THE TIMER, your child’s goal is to finish (getting dressed, say) and tap the “I did it!” button before the music runs out.

In COUNT DOWN, your child’s goal is to keep going (brushing teeth, say) until the music ends.

The ANYTHING TIMER has no set task: choose a song of about 1 to 20 minutes for anything else.

YOUR SONG, YOUR LENGTH plays a song from your own music, and its length becomes the timer.

Tips

ENTHUSIASM: A parent or teacher’s enthusiasm for using Lickety Split can be contagious for children. You might say: “Let’s get this room clean. I think we can beat the duck.” Lickety Split is designed to let children try again if they don’t succeed the first time — the goal is their ultimate success!

REWARDS: Parents can reward a child’s success at a Lickety Split task if they choose, but may find the child’s internal satisfaction of knowing they did it to be their motivation.

USING THE ANYTHING TIMER: The Anything Timer has no set task. Some ways to use it: • (Beat the Timer) “Can you hop into bed before the two-minute timer runs out?” • (Count Down) “I need 4 minutes to pay these bills, then we can play together.”

COUNTING GAMES: Play games that involve counting your score together. For example, “Let’s see how many socks we can pair before the timer runs out!” The next day, see if you can beat yesterday’s score.

ROUTINES: Children may find it easier to get ready, move between activities and finish daily tasks when those tasks are part of a familiar routine. Routines in My day put the tasks in order, with a Now and Next card between them, like a picture schedule.

My day

Open My day from Home. Routines put familiar picture cards in order; plans add activities to a date or repeat on chosen weekdays. You can change one day's plan without changing the others. A duck ending leaves a routine step ready to try again; Done without timer is your family's override. Add a plan → What is happening? → Something I'm trying. This device keeps only part of your day. Add things you did elsewhere; an empty space doesn't mean they weren't done. Moments from the day → Add a moment.

Something I'm trying

Choose Something I'm trying to visit Timey's gem mine. Explore the landscape and choose a friend: Rabbit for Kindness, Tortoise for Patience, Lion for Courage, Caterpillar for Perseverance, Unicorn for Compassion, and Bee, Dinosaur, Train, Deer, Owl, Squirrel and Bear for seven more; the list below says which. Fox welcomes your own idea. Choose a virtue together and save it. You can add a small action if you like; the grey suggestion is only an example. Choosing is an intention, not a test. Print picture cards: Use these same pictures on a paper board.

Look back together

Later, use Look back together in My day. Talk about what happened and choose a response. Words, a drawing or a short voice story are optional. When a reflection linked to a virtue says you tried—whether it went as planned, was hard, or you tried something different—that animal joins your clearing. There wasn't a chance leaves things as they are. Finishing a timer alone never decides a virtue.

Gem necklaces

Each reflection saying you tried counts as one attempt, including when it was hard or you tried something different. The number on the card shows the total; its gold outline fills over 10 attempts. Then the friend wears its necklace on the card and in the garden. Separate attempts on the same day count; editing the same reflection does not add another. Clearing stories keeps this small record; removing the profile removes its garden.

Children & profiles

Settings → Children & profiles makes a space for each child. After adding a second profile, Home shows a child selector. Choose the child before starting: their routines, timer settings, character, prompt recordings, song choices, practice goals and garden are separate. Language, narrator, Premium and saved music files are shared on this device. There are no accounts; iCloud sync on iPhone and iPad is optional.

Music Practice

Premium's Count Down menu includes Music Practice with Beaty. A grown-up enables the microphone and sets a goal in Settings → Music Practice, such as 20 minutes each day or 90 minutes a week. Playing time counts with generous pauses; Beaty's mood reflects progress. A routine's practice visit contributes to that visit and the child's larger goal once. Take a break whenever needed. The microphone listens on the device; practice audio is never saved or uploaded. Moments from the day → Add practice time. Add only time this device hasn't already counted. It counts toward this child's practice goal.

What is a visual timer?

A visual timer shows time passing as something a child can watch shrink or change, not only as numbers. Lickety Split adds a song that speeds up as time runs out, so a child can follow it while their eyes and hands are busy with the task.

What is Lickety Split?

Lickety Split is a visual and musical timer for children's everyday routines: brushing teeth, getting dressed, tidying up and more. Each task has its own song and animated character. Routines put tasks in order with a Now and Next picture card. It is free on the web for now and free to download from the App Store, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore, with no ads and no account.