Split your class into balanced random groups by size or by number of groups, in one click. Reshuffle any time and print the result. Free, no sign-up.
The random group generator balances a pasted class list so no group is left oddly sized when numbers do not divide cleanly. Working out remainders by hand is tedious. Paste one name per line, and the browser handles the math.
Choose students per group to fix the group size and let the generator set the group count. Choose number of groups to fix the group count and let it balance group sizes. Reshuffle, print, or project anytime for free, with no sign-up.
To randomly pair students, choose "Group size", enter 2 in the input box, and click Make groups. The tool divides your pasted class list into sets of two and displays the pairings on your screen.
If your roster has an odd number of students, the tool leaves the final student in a group of one. You can resolve this by assigning that lone student to any existing pair to form a single trio for the lesson.
Generating pairs this way works well for tasks like think-pair-share discussions, peer review sessions, science lab partners, and reading buddies.
If you only need to call on individual students rather than pair the whole class, you can use our random name picker instead. Otherwise, click Make groups again any time you want to rotate pairs for a new assignment.
Self-picked groups tend to reproduce existing social clusters, while random grouping gives students practice working with a wider range of classmates. Always using the same fixed groups can entrench roles, so the same student always leads and the same student always follows. It also removes the awkwardness of picking teams in front of the class.
Reshuffle rosters at natural boundaries. Regrouping at the start of a unit or project gives partners enough time to find a working rhythm before they move on. Regenerating groups takes one click, so reshuffling often is never burdensome.
Teachers can use the group generator as a random team generator to split a class roster for competitive games and events. Teams work best for gym activities, class tournaments, and trivia review where sides compete for points. For a review match using the Jeopardy game maker, choosing four or five total groups creates balanced rosters in one click.
To create teams, paste a class list separated by lines or commas and select the number of groups needed for the activity. Clicking Make groups shuffles the names randomly and deals students round-robin into sets labeled Group 1, Group 2, and so on. Click the button again to reshuffle, or press Print to post the lineups on your board.
The generator does not weight teams by ability, pick captains, or name teams. Teachers write team names on the whiteboard beside each group number, or use the random name picker to draw captains and determine who goes first. If a random draw clusters your strongest players together, click Make groups a second time or swap two names manually on the board.
The tool distributes students as evenly as possible, so you avoid lopsided groups. If you need to keep certain students together or apart, generate the groups and then make one or two manual swaps before printing — faster than building the whole thing by hand. Rotating groups regularly also means any single random pairing matters less, since the teams change again next time.
Group generation pairs naturally with the random name picker for assigning roles within teams, the seating chart generator for arranging the room around the groups, and the classroom timer for keeping group tasks on schedule. Together they turn the logistics of collaborative work into a few clicks.
Left to choose, students group with friends, which reproduces the same social clusters and quietly excludes whoever is picked last. Random grouping breaks that pattern: it mixes who works with whom, gives students practice collaborating with people they wouldn't choose, and removes the sting of being unpicked. Over a term, rotating random groups also builds a classroom culture where students can work with anyone — a genuinely useful skill that self-selected groups never develop.
Random is the right default, but not an absolute rule. Sometimes you need to keep two students apart, ensure a struggling student has a supportive partner, or balance groups by skill for a specific task. The efficient move is to generate random groups and then make one or two deliberate swaps before printing — you get the speed and fairness of randomization with the judgment only you can apply. That is faster than hand-building balanced groups from scratch and still lets you place the students who need placing.
Good grouping is only half the job; how you structure the task determines whether the group actually works together. Assign clear roles, give each group a concrete product to produce, and hold individuals accountable for their part so no one coasts. A random name picker is handy for assigning roles fairly within each group, and a projected timer keeps every group moving on the same schedule. The tool forms the teams; your structure makes them productive.
Group size sets how much each student actually talks during an activity. Matching the number of seats to the specific task keeps everyone accountable:
Keep groups under six students. Once a group grows to six or more, quieter students easily coast while one or two confident voices take over the conversation.
Set the generator to Students Per Group once you know the target size for the day.
There is no account and no limit. Groups are generated in your browser from your class list, nothing you enter is stored on our servers, and you can reshuffle and reprint as often as you need. Make new teams for every task, print the results to post or hand out, and never run into a signup or a fee. Chalkbox exists to turn the recurring logistics of teaching — grouping, seating, timing, picking — into a few free clicks that keep your class list on your own device.
The one small setup step worth doing is keeping your class rosters in a document you can paste from, so forming groups takes seconds even on a busy day. With the list ready, you can regroup on the fly — new teams for a discussion, different ones for a lab, fresh pairs for peer review — and never lose momentum hunting for names. That readiness is what turns random grouping from a good idea into an everyday habit, and frequent regrouping is precisely what builds students' ability to work with anyone in the room rather than only their usual partners.
Not every task calls for teams. If you just need to call on one student — for cold-calling, picking a volunteer, or choosing who goes first — use the Random Name Picker instead. It works from the same kind of pasted class list, just picks one name at a time rather than splitting everyone into groups.
If you are deciding how the desks themselves should sit before you group anyone, our guide to classroom seating arrangements covers why pods of four work better than pods of six.
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Yes. Paste your class list, choose your grouping, and generate balanced random groups — free, no account.
Both. Choose a number of students per group, or a fixed number of groups, and the tool balances everyone evenly across them.
Yes — students are distributed as evenly as possible, so you won’t get one group of six and another of two.
Yes. Click “Make groups” again for a fresh random split, so students work with different peers each time.
Yes. Print the group cards to post, project or hand out so students can find their team quickly.
No. Grouping happens in your browser and nothing is saved on our servers.
Refreshing the page resets the tool, which clears your roster and any generated groups. Nothing is saved to browser storage or our servers. Keep your class list in a separate document so you can paste the names back in and regroup right away.
The group generator does not have a gender field or attribute-balancing setting, as it performs a uniform random shuffle of whatever list you paste in. To build balanced teams, split your roster into two separate lists first, run the generator once for each list, and pair up one subgroup from each run. You can also generate the groups normally and manually move a name or two between groups afterward.
Chalkbox tools are free for classroom use and run entirely in your browser from what you enter. Review results before use.