Make small groups without the awkward leftovers

Choose a maximum size, distribute evenly and leave room for human judgement.

Grouping 18 people into sets of four does not have to mean four full groups and a stranded pair. GatherKit starts with the maximum size you choose, calculates the number of groups needed, and distributes participants as evenly as possible. In this example, it creates five groups: three groups of four and two of three.

Maximum size is a ceiling

The tool supports a maximum of three, four, five or six people per group. With 25 participants and a ceiling of six, you get five groups of five. If your activity genuinely requires exactly four roles, adjust the activity or assign a shared role; a size ceiling does not promise every group will have that exact number.

Numbers instead of names

Each participant receives a numbered ticket with a group assignment. The host sheet contains the same mapping. You do not need a contact list or registration file. Keep tickets together until the gathering begins, then hand them out. Rebuilding the pack shuffles assignments and may choose different activity cards.

Random is only a starting point

A random assignment does not know about language, mobility, working relationships or someone who is new to the room. Review the groups and make practical swaps where needed. The browser does not ask for sensitive personal information or attempt to infer those needs.

When someone arrives late

Add the person to a smaller group if that feels comfortable, and write the change on the host sheet. For substantial changes in attendance, rebuild and print a fresh pack. Tell people which version to follow; the older tickets do not update themselves.

Keep the same groups for a short session

In a 15- or 30-minute activity, familiarity is often more useful than a complicated rotation. Repeated regrouping costs time and creates extra instructions. GatherKit keeps a group together across its rounds; use another pack for a later session when meeting different people is the priority.