Tombolio

Wheel of names

Press “Spin the wheel”.

Session history

No spins yet.

    Who goes to the board, who presents first, who brings the donuts? Paste your list of names, spin the wheel and pick someone at random in front of everyone. With winner removal on, everyone gets a turn before the list runs out.

    How to use it

    1. Replace the sample names with your own, one per line. You can paste a column straight from a spreadsheet or a class roster.
    2. Tick “Remove the winner after each spin” so a name that has been picked can’t come up again.
    3. Spin the wheel: the chosen name appears in large type below it.
    4. Use “Shuffle” or “Sort” to reorder the list, and “Copy share link” to reuse the same class on another device.

    Ways to use it

    • Cold-call fairly

      Project the wheel at the start of class: students can see nobody is chosen in advance, and removing names means no one gets asked twice.

    • Set the presentation order

      For presentations or interviews, spin as many times as there are people: the order of the picks is the order of the turns.

    • Hand out meeting roles

      Facilitator, note-taker, timekeeper: one spin per role and the meeting can start.

    • Run a Secret Santa

      Have each person privately spin for the name of the person they’ll buy a gift for, removing each name once it’s picked.

    • Choose team captains

      In PE or group activities, the wheel names the captains so nobody can accuse the organizer of picking favorites.

    How the randomness is guaranteed

    The name is chosen by the browser’s cryptographic generator (crypto.getRandomValues), which is designed to produce unpredictable values.

    The draw uses rejection sampling: values that would cause modulo bias are thrown away. In a class of 27 students, each name has exactly a one-in-27 chance.

    The name is picked before the wheel turns, and the animation is calculated to stop on it. Your students’ or coworkers’ names never leave your device.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do I add my whole class at once?

    Copy the column of names from your spreadsheet or school management system and paste it into the list: each line becomes a slice of the wheel.

    How do I make sure each student only goes once?

    Tick “Remove the winner after each spin”. The picked name disappears from the wheel, and the session history keeps the order of every pick.

    Two students have the same first name. What should I do?

    Add the initial of their last name, for example “Emma M.” and “Emma R.”. Each line is a separate entry, even if the text looks similar.

    Are my students’ names sent anywhere?

    No. The list stays in your browser, which keeps it for your next visit. The “Clear list” button removes it from this device for good.

    Does the wheel work with a long list?

    Yes, up to 200 names. Above 40, labels are shortened on the wheel, but the winner’s full name is always shown in large type below it.

    Can I open my list on the classroom computer?

    Copy the share link and open it on the other device: the list is stored in the address, after the # sign, and is not sent to our server.

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