Run an online quiz with Kahoot

You’ll need

Device with access to the internet

Before you begin

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Additional help to carry out your risk assessment, including examples can be found here. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers

Planning the Kahoot quiz

Let everyone know you’ll be using Kahoot in advance and that they’ll need access to the internet to join in. If they've a mobile device, they could download the app.
It’s up to you whether you create your own Kahoot or search for ready-made quizzes. Either way, make sure that all of the content is appropriate for Scouts and the age range of the sections involved.

What is Kahoot?

Kahoot is a competitive and fun online quiz platform. You’ll need someone to host the quiz; everyone else will need their own device (such as a laptop or smartphone) with internet access.

Learn more about Kahoot

Staying safe online

This activity’s designed for you to run during an online session. Take a look at our advice on using Zoom and other popular digital platforms, as well as guidance to help everyone to stay safe online.

Make sure that the person leading the game is the meeting host and that they know how to use the waiting room function on Zoom.

Prepare a Kahoot: Make your own quiz

Head to the Kahoot website and create an account. The website works best if you access it using a desktop or laptop computer, rather than a mobile device.
You can create and host quizzes with the basic free account, or you can pay to upgrade your account to access some extra features.
Always make sure that questions you choose are appropriate for Scouts.
Once you’ve set up your account, log in using the button in the top right of the page.
If it’s your first time using Kahoot, you’ll be able to play a demo game when you first log in.
Click the ‘Create’ button in the top right corner of the page to make your own quiz. Give your quiz a title by typing into the bar at the top of the page.
Write your first question by adding text, images, and multiple choice answers. Don’t forget to assign timing and points too.
If you’re using a free account you’ll only be able to use ‘single answer’ questions. If you’re using a free account, stick to the ‘quiz’ or ‘true or false’ questions, too.
Finish the question by marking the correct answer – tick the circle at the end of the answer box.
Click the blue ‘Add question’ button on the left to move onto your next question.
If you’re not sure what to ask, click the ‘Question bank’ button on the left side of the page to search from millions of questions in community-created Kahoots.
When you’re finished, click the green ‘Done’ button in the top right of the screen to complete your Kahoot.

Prepare a Kahoot: Search for pre-made quizzes

Go to the ‘Discover’ page by following the link in the purple bar at the top of the home screen.
Type your keywords into the search bar at the top of the page and hit enter (or click the search button).
Choose a quiz from the list of options.
Click on the title to see the full details of the quiz, including the list of the questions. Check that everything’s appropriate for young people.
To play, click the green ‘Play’ button on the left.
To choose a different quiz, hit the back button on your browser.

Get ready to play

Log into your Kahoot account and find your quizzes under ‘My Kahoots’.
Choose the quiz you want to use. Click the green ‘Play’ button and the quiz will open in a new tab.
On the left, you’ll have the option to host or teach; on the right you’ll have the option to challenge or assign. Choose the host or teach option to play live.
Choose your game settings, such as randomising the order of questions and answers.
When you’re ready hit the green ‘Classic’ button. You’ll see a screen displaying your six digit game PIN.

It’s quiz time!

Invite everyone to a Zoom meeting and remind them to bring a mobile device with the app (or be ready to open their browser) to play the game. People could play in pairs or teams too.
Welcome everyone to the session as normal. You could chat to everyone and ask people to introduce each other. You may choose a few people to share what they've been doing recently.
Start your quiz by sharing their screen so that everyone can see the game PIN.
Everyone should load the app or go to kahoot.it in a web browser and enter the game code. You’ll be able to see members as they join.
When everyone is ready, hit ‘Play’. If you click the padlock symbol next to the start button, it’ll stop anyone else from joining the quiz while you’re playing it.
Everyone should look at the question on screen and the possible answers and choose their answer on their device. When the timer runs out (or everyone has answered) Kahoot will automatically show the correct answer.
Players get points if they chose the right answer – the faster they answered correctly, the more points they’ll earn. You’ll see a scoreboard with the top five scores after each question.
Click ‘Next’ to move onto the next question.
At the end of the quiz, a podium will show the top three players. Congratulate everyone for taking part!
To finish the session, you challenge everyone to create a quiz for another meeting. You could let people get creative with their own themes or theme it around a badge or award.

Reflection

Kahoot! was created to ‘make learning awesome’. Its founders believe that the best way to learn is through playing inclusive games which encourage curiosity. Ask everyone to think about a skill or subject that they’ve found it difficult to learn. How were they taught about it? For example, some people find it hard to learn a hands-on skill (like a craft or instrument) if someone just explains the steps to them without showing how to do it.

Would anyone like to tell people about the skill or subject they found difficult to learn? In small groups, see if you can develop a way of teaching this skill or subject that meets Kahoot!’s three values. The method of learning you decide on should:

Be fun and engaging. Think about your favourite games, competitions, or adventures. What makes them interesting?
Inspire curiosity. What makes you want to find out more about a skill or subject?
Leave no learner out. How will you make sure that your method works for everyone? This may include subtitling videos, making sure it’s wheelchair accessible, or splitting an activity into smaller chunks with breaks between each part.

Once each small group has developed their teaching method, find some time in an upcoming session for them to teach the rest of the group. This is a great way to meet requirements of the Scouts Team Leader Challenge Award and Explorers Leadership Activity Badge.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Online safety: Supervise young people when they’re online and give them advice about staying safe. Take a look at our online safety or bullying guidance. The NSPCC offers more advice and guidance, too. If you want to know more about specific social networks and games, Childnet has information and safety tips for apps. You can also report anything that’s worried you online to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command. As always, if you’ve got concerns about a young person’s welfare, including their online experiences, follow the Yellow Card to make a report.