Ring the Bell: a mini whiteboard game where every team answers
A mini whiteboard review game: every team writes every answer, a miss costs a heart, and the last team standing rings the bell for +5. Free, one screen.
Ring the Bell is a mini whiteboard game for the whole class: every team writes its answer to every question at the same time, then you tick the teams that got it right. Each team starts with three hearts, a miss costs one, and the last team still standing rings the bell. Nobody waits for a turn.
At a glance
| Players | The whole class in 2–4 teams free (up to 8 with Oly Pro) |
| Time | About 10–15 minutes for 12 questions |
| Works with | Every English question format and every subject (multiple choice, true/false, open questions) |
| Best for | Checking the whole class at once, test review, spelling, keeping every team busy |
| You need | One screen and your phone; a mini whiteboard or paper and a pen for each team |
How to play Ring the Bell
- Make or pick a question set. Snap a textbook page, paste a word list, type a topic or your own questions, or open a set from the free library.
- Pick Ring the Bell, set the teams and start. Give each team a mini whiteboard, a piece of paper or a slate. Every team starts with three hearts.
- Play. A question comes up for everyone. Each team writes its answer and holds it up. Show the answer (from your phone, the card, or the R key), and the screen asks you to tick every team that got it right. Tap the teams, then Done. Ticked teams score; every other team still in the game loses a heart. A team with no hearts left is out. The last team standing rings the bell for +5 and the game ends. If more than one team is still in when the questions run out, the most points wins.
Rules and scoring
- Right answer: +1 for every team you tick. A double question is +2, a triple +3.
- Wrong answer: every team still in that you didn't tick loses a heart. Points are never taken away.
- Three hearts each. A team that loses its last heart is out and its desk goes quiet. It can still write answers for fun, but it no longer scores.
- Nobody got it? Press Done without ticking anyone (or "Nobody"): the question doesn't count, and no team loses a heart. A very hard question can't knock out the whole class.
- The bell: when only one team is left, it rings the bell for +5 on top of its point, and the game is over.
- Timer: set 10 to 60 seconds and boards must be up when the clock runs out. Time's up shows the answer and opens the ticking.
- Also: hide the score, a seasonal look and calm or no effects. There is no steal in this game, because every team already answers every question.
What you can teach with it
English: picture, word, listen, spell, meaning, sentence order and your own questions.
- Spelling at A1–A2: listen questions, where Oly says the word and every team writes it. You see at a glance which teams can spell "giraffe".
- The missing letter for young learners, like the camel above.
- Grammar at B1: your own questions ("She ___ (go) to school yesterday") as open questions; the boards show exactly what each team wrote.
Other subjects:
- Math: mental sums, fractions, unit conversions.
- Science: true/false statements, written T or F, or the name of a part of a plant or the body.
- History and geography: dates, capitals and famous names.
Tips from the classroom
- Count down "3, 2, 1, boards up!" so every team shows at the same time and nobody copies.
- Rotate the writer. One student writes each round; the rest of the team helps. With a class list, Oly can name the writer.
- Be strict or kind with spelling, but decide before you start. For a spelling lesson, a missing letter is a miss; for a science quiz, you might accept it.
- Big classes of 40: use 6 to 8 teams (Oly Pro) so teams stay small and everyone writes.
Play it without a screen
- Draw three hearts for each team on the board.
- Read a question; every team writes its answer and holds it up on "boards up!".
- Every team that's right gets a point; every team that's wrong rubs out a heart. If nobody got it, nobody loses one.
- A team with no hearts is out. The last team left gets 5 extra points.
The screen version tracks every heart and point and lets you tick the teams from your phone while you walk round and check the boards.
Questions teachers ask
Is Ring the Bell free?
Yes. Playing is free with up to 4 teams, with library games and your own typed questions. The free plan also includes 10 AI question sets a month (3 from photos); Oly Pro allows up to 8 teams.
Do students need devices?
No. Students write on mini whiteboards or paper. Only you use a phone, as the remote, and even that is optional: the keyboard works too.
What if every team gets it wrong?
The question doesn't count. Nobody loses a heart, and the game goes on with the next question.
Can a team lose points?
No. A miss costs a heart, not points. A team that runs out of hearts is out, but it keeps the points it has.
What if more than one team is still in at the end?
When the questions run out, the team with the most points wins. Use a bigger set if you want the hearts to decide it.
Can I use my own questions?
Yes. Paste them as question | answer | wrong, wrong, type them in the editor, or edit any set before you play.
For another game where every team plays on every question, try Team Bingo. For a game the whole class wins or loses together, try High Water.