Let’s be honest: getting every student excited about a review session can feel like an uphill battle. You want active participation, formative insights, and a bit of fun—but the classic pop quiz often falls flat. What if you could transform that energy with a tool that feels more like a game show than a test?
Enter Gimkit. This interactive, game-based platform is a powerhouse for classroom engagement, turning review into a fast-paced, student-loved experience. But the magic doesn’t happen by itself; it starts with you. The great news is that learning how to host Gimkit is straightforward, and in just a few minutes, you can be the architect of your classroom’s most exciting lesson yet.
This guide will walk you through the entire process, from setting up your account to analyzing the results, ensuring you feel confident and ready to host your first (or your hundredth!) game successfully.
The Pre-Game Checklist: Setting Up Your Kit and Account
Before you can host the game, you need the game itself. This prep work is quick and ensures a smooth experience when your students are ready to play.
Creating or Finding Your Perfect Kit
A “Kit” is simply Gimkit’s term for a set of questions. You have two fantastic options here:
- Create Your Own Kit: Click the “New Kit” button on your dashboard. The built-in Kit Editor is intuitive. You can type in your questions and answers, import from a spreadsheet, or even use their text-to-speech feature to read questions aloud. This is perfect for tailoring content directly to your current unit.
- Search the Public Library: Don’t reinvent the wheel! Click “Discover” or “Search” in the Gimkit dashboard. You’ll find thousands of pre-made Kits on every topic imaginable, created by fellow educators.
Pro-Tip: When you find a public Kit you like, use the “Duplicate” button. This creates a copy in your own library that you can then edit and customize to better fit your students’ needs.
Navigating the Gimkit Host Dashboard
Once your Kit is ready, hosting is just a click away.
- Log In: Head to Gimkit.com and sign in. Most teachers find the Google Single Sign-On (SSO) the fastest option.
- Locate Your Kit: Navigate to the “My Kits” section of your dashboard. Here, you’ll see all the question sets you’ve created or saved.
- Hit ‘Host’: Find the Kit you want to use and click the prominent “Host” button next to it. This is the green light that gets the party started!
Step-by-Step: How to Host Gimkit and Get Students Playing
This is the main event. Once you click “Host,” you’ll be taken to the game setup screen. Let’s break down the critical choices you’ll make.
Selecting Your Game Mode
This is where Gimkit truly shines. The game mode defines the entire experience.
- Classic: The foundational mode. Students answer questions to earn in-game cash, which they can spend on powerful “Upgrades” and “Power-ups” to increase their earnings. It’s competitive, strategic, and perfect for focused review.
- Trust No One (Among Us® Style): This is a class favorite. Students complete tasks (answering questions) while identifying the “imposters” among them. It fosters deduction and discussion. Best for a fun, collaborative break.
- One Way Out (Escape Room Style): The class works together to solve puzzles (your questions) to escape the room before time runs out. Fantastic for building teamwork and tackling challenging content as a group.
- Other Modes: Gimkit frequently adds new modes like “The Floor is Lava” or “Humans vs. Zombies,” each with a unique twist.
Guidance: For a pure, fast-paced review, stick with Classic. To mix things up and focus on collaboration and fun, choose Trust No One or One Way Out.
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Mastering the Essential Host Settings
Before you launch, fine-tune these settings to match your class period and goals.
- Game Goal: You can end the game based on a Time Limit (e.g., 10 minutes) or a Money Goal (e.g., the first to $50,000 wins). A time limit is often easiest for managing a class period.
- Power-ups: These are the heart of the strategy in Classic mode. You can leave them enabled for maximum excitement or disable them for a more straightforward question-and-answer session. You can also adjust their costs to balance the game’s economy.
- Bonus Settings: Consider enabling “Student Player Names” if you want to track individual performance. For a quicker start or to ease anxiety, “Anonymous Names” can be fun. You can also toggle music and sound effects on or off based on your classroom environment.
The Final Countdown: Sharing the Code
Once your settings are perfect, click “Continue” and then “Start Game.”
A unique, auto-generated Game Code will appear on your screen in large, friendly numbers. This is the key your students need!
- Display the Code: Project it clearly at the front of the room. If you’re remote, share your screen.
- Students Join: Students go to Gimkit.com/join on their own devices (computer, tablet, or phone), enter the code, and their name.
- Watch the Roster: You’ll see student names appear on your host screen. Once everyone is in, click “Start Game” again to begin the action!
Beyond the Basics: Advanced Hosting Tips for Engagement
You’ve got the fundamentals down. Now, let’s make you a Gimkit pro.
Troubleshooting Common Connection Issues
Even with the best plans, tech hiccups happen.
- “The site is blocked!” Check your school’s firewall. Sometimes, IT needs to whitelist Gimkit.com.
- “I can’t get in!” Ensure students are using the correct URL: gimkit.com/join (not .com/play or .com/game).
- A student is lagging behind: You can force-start the game once most students are in. The straggler can usually join mid-game and catch up.
- Inappropriate usernames: If you have anonymous names off, you’ll see what students type. You can kick a problematic name from your host screen and have them rejoin with an appropriate one.
Hosting for Remote or Hybrid Learning
Gimkit is a lifesaver for engaging students who aren’t physically present.
- Screen Share is Your Best Friend: Share your screen in your video conferencing tool (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.). Display both the join code at the start and the live leaderboard during the game.
- Use the Direct Join Link: Below the Game Code, you’ll find a direct join link. Paste this into the chat of your video call. It’s one less step for students, as it takes them directly to the game entry page.
- Assign Kits for Homework: Use the “Assignments” feature to set a Kit for students to complete independently, at their own pace. It’s a perfect way to differentiate practice or prepare for an upcoming assessment.
Post-Game Analysis: What to Do After You Host Gimkit
The fun of the game is over, but the learning for you as the teacher is just beginning.
Reviewing the Gimkit Reports
Don’t just close the tab! Gimkit provides a goldmine of data.
- Access the Report: After the game ends, click “View Results” or “View Summary.”
- Use the Data for Assessment: The report shows you:
- Question Analysis: Which questions had the lowest percentage correct? This tells you exactly which concepts need to be re-taught.
- Student Performance: You can see each student’s performance, identifying who might be struggling silently.
- Overall Class Understanding: Get a snapshot of how the class grasped the material as a whole.
This transforms a fun game into a powerful formative assessment tool, giving you actionable data to guide your next lesson.
And that’s it! The process to host Gimkit boils down to a simple, three-step rhythm: Select your Kit, Choose your Mode, and Share the Code. In return, you get a classroom buzzing with engagement and invaluable insights into your students’ understanding.
The setup is minimal, but the payoff in active learning and student joy is massive. So, what are you waiting for? Log in to Gimkit today and host your first game. Or better yet, take the plunge and try that “Trust No One” mode you’ve been curious about—your students will thank you for it.
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