Ball Drop Name Picker
One ball, a field of pegs, and a row of name slots. Wherever it lands, that's your pick.
About the Ball Drop Name Picker
Your names sit in slots at the bottom of a board of pegs. Press Drop the ball and it bounces down through the pegs before landing in one slot, and that name is the pick. It feels a little like a classic game-show board, and the drop speed slider changes how long the ball tumbles.
Ways to use it in class
- Choose who answers a bonus question.
- Pick a student to write the answer on the board.
- Decide which table group presents first.
- Select a name for a class shout-out or reward.
A lesson idea
Use the board to talk about randomness. Drop the ball ten times with the same names and tally where it lands. Students usually expect the middle to win, so the spread of results makes a memorable lesson about chance, and they can compare their tallies against a longer run.
Good to know
The landing slot is decided fairly by the picker, so the bounces are for show but never favour a particular position. Turn on No repeats and everyone gets a turn before any name comes up a second time, which keeps it fair over a whole week. Projector mode switches to bigger, higher-contrast graphics so the back row can see the result.
Questions teachers ask
- Does the ball ever land between two names?
- No. It always lands in one slot and the winner is announced with a banner.
- How many names can I use?
- It works best with a moderate list so each slot stays readable on screen.
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