5 Classroom-Ready Tools Built into the Google Search Bar

Google has many useful tools built right into the search bar. Here are (more than) 5 you can start using right now in your classroom.

1. Start a Timer or Stopwatch

The Google search bar timer feature has been available for many years, but I appreciate being reminded of it occasionally in case I’ve forgotten it’s available. Type “timer” in the Google search bar and it generates a 5-minute timer that can be clicked and easily edited to any countdown. PLEASE NOTE: The Google timer ends in an audible alarm that can be jarring if your volume is set very high! At the top of the timer, you can also click STOPWATCH to switch to counting up from zero. PRO TIP: Click the 4-corner icon in the lower-right corner to make the timer/stopwatch full-screen.

2. Roll a Die

Are you engaging in a lesson about chance? Playing a game? Want a random number? Just type “roll a die” to instantly roll a single, standard, 6-sided die. Once you see the dice interface, you can change the number of dice and select non-standard dice with different numbers of sides.

3. Flip a Coin

Only need a 1-2, yes-no, or other random binary option? Just type “flip a coin” to watch a particularly Classical coin animation appear right from the Google search bar.

4. Use a Metronome

It’s not a city-dwelling troll (that’s a metro gnome), it’s a device used by musicians to play a work at the tempo (speed) designated by the composer. There are metronome devices and apps available, but you can also type “metronome” into the Google search bar and get access to one. The Google metronome can be set to a plodding Lento at 40 beats per minute (BPM) to a brisk Prestissimo at 218 BPM.

5. Engage in a Breathing Exercise

The American Lung Association tells us that “breathing exercises can help rid the lungs of accumulated stale air, increase oxygen levels and get the diaphragm to return to its job of helping you breathe.” Just type “breathing exercise” into the Google search bar and get access to a silent, visual, 1-minute breathing exercise that you can do yourself or suggest to a student or peer.

Finally, rumor has it that Pac-Man and Solitaire may also be available by typing those terms in the Google search bar, but those features are beyond the scope of this article. 

This article was inspired by a recent Gizmodo article.