Kahoot’s brainstorm question is an open-ended format: instead of picking from options, every participant submits their own idea and the group votes on the best ones inside the same session. See also how to use Kahoot in interactive classes and its game modes. Kahoot is one of the most popular platforms for energizing classes, workshops and meetings thanks to its real-time interaction tools.
One of its most useful yet less-known features is the “Brainstorm” question, designed to encourage creativity, participation and idea-sharing among attendees. This tool transforms any session into a collaborative space where everyone can contribute quickly and easily.
Below, we explore how this question type works, the customization options it offers and how it can enhance participation in educational or professional projects.
What is the “Brainstorm” question in Kahoot?
The Brainstorm question allows each participant to freely submit one or more ideas from their device. It’s ideal for brainstorming activities, gauging prior knowledge or sparking discussion around a topic.
For example, you can ask: “How will you use Kahoot in your future projects?” and everyone can instantly submit their response.
This format encourages creativity and allows even shy participants to contribute without pressure.
Customizing time, scoring and number of submissions
When creating a Brainstorm question, Kahoot offers several configuration options:
- Time limit: choose how long participants have to submit their ideas.
- Scoring: enable or disable points for the ideas that receive the most votes. This is useful when you want to add friendly competition or simply gather ideas without ranking them.
- Number of ideas per participant: define how many suggestions each person can send.
These settings help adapt the activity to classroom environments as well as team meetings, workshops or trainings.
How participants submit their ideas
Participants send their ideas directly from their devices. Once submitted, they appear on screen anonymously, which promotes honesty and uninhibited creativity.
Submitted ideas can also be:
- Grouped if several people submit similar suggestions
- Hidden if an idea is irrelevant or needs to be removed
These options help keep the activity clean, organized and focused.
Voting and highlighting the top ideas
After submissions close, participants enter a voting phase where they select their favorite ideas. This transforms the Brainstorm into a collaborative evaluation exercise.
At the end of the voting phase, Kahoot displays the ideas that received the most votes. If scoring is enabled, the platform also reveals the name of the participant who submitted each winning idea.
Why use the Brainstorm question type?
The Brainstorm feature offers multiple benefits:
- Boosts active engagement
- Encourages creativity and critical thinking
- Collects diverse contributions in just minutes
- Supports inclusive dynamics where everyone can participate
- Perfect for classes, meetings, workshops and brainstorming sessions
Using this question type can transform the way students, colleagues or participants interact with your content. The official step-by-step guide and feature updates are published on the Kahoot site.
Tips for better results
- Write open, clear questions that inspire creative thinking.
- Limit the number of ideas if you need a shorter activity.
- Group similar responses to identify patterns.
- Encourage honest and constructive voting.
- Save and reuse the collected ideas for future activities or decisions.
Frequently asked questions about the Kahoot brainstorm question
What is the brainstorm question type in Kahoot?
An open-ended question format where participants type their own answers instead of choosing from options. After submission the group votes, and the best-supported ideas are highlighted on screen.
How many ideas can each participant submit?
The host sets the number, along with the time available and whether scoring is part of the activity. In large groups, limiting each person to one or two ideas keeps the vote readable.
When in a class or meeting does it work best?
At the opening, to surface hypotheses before the content, and at the close, to collect questions or proposed actions. In both cases the output becomes a record of what the group actually thinks.
Is brainstorm useful for corporate teams?
Yes. It is used in retrospectives, requirements gathering, improvement prioritisation and team-building, precisely because it turns scattered opinion into a voted list in a few minutes.
How do you avoid repeated or off-topic answers?
Phrasing the question specifically, showing an example before opening submissions and allowing a few seconds to read the ideas already submitted reduces duplicates and improves the quality of the vote.
How can schools and companies in Latin America license Kahoot?
Aufiero Informática distributes Kahoot across Latin America, with support in English, Portuguese and Spanish and regional commercial terms for schools, universities and businesses.
