How to Insert a Countdown Timer Into PowerPoint

You can create a countdown timer in PowerPoint by utilizing the slide show function. The countdown can be easily customized, so you can adjust your beginning and ending points, and control the speed of the countdown as well.

Instructions

1. Open a new PowerPoint file and insert the beginning number of your countdown into the slide. For example, if you are counting down from five to zero, place the number "5" in the slide.

2. Format the number to the font size and style by highlighting the number and choosing the options from the "Font" section of the formatting palette.

3. Click on the image of the slide that is in the slide viewer on the left side of the window.

4. Copy the slide by pressing "Control" and "C" at the same time ("Command" and "C" for a Mac), and then pressing "Control" and "V" ("Command" and "V" on the Mac) to paste a copy of the slide into the presentation. Paste as many new slides as you need for your countdown.

5. Edit each slide by clicking on it in the slide viewer and typing in the number you need. For instance, in this example, type "4," "3," "2," "1," and "0" to complete the countdown.

6. Click and drag the slides to order them if you need to, starting with the highest number on top and moving to the lowest.

7. Click on "Slide Show" at the top of the screen, then "Transitions." Above the slide viewer on the left, click on the "Options" button. Click on the "On mouse click" box to remove the check mark, and click on the "Automatically after" box to check it. Put the number of seconds you want each slide to show and click "Apply to all."

8. Click on the slide show icon on the lower left of the window (it looks like a screen) to view your countdown.

References

• Education World: Create a PowerPoint Slide Show
• Microsoft: PowerPoint Solution Center