What should we do today? Spin the idea wheel
What to do? Everyone sitting around, nobody has an idea? The wheel suggests an activity – usually free, almost always doable right now.
Source: W3C Recommendation, W3C Web Cryptography API – getRandomValues(). Updated: .
How it is calculated
The wheel holds 16 ideas that cost little or nothing and need no real planning. Each has 6.25% chance (1 in 16). Cross out whatever doesn't fit today and add your own favorites – the better the list suits you, the less often you'll want to spin again.
How it works
Type one idea per line, then click the wheel or the spin button. Below the wheel, an automatic odds table shows the exact percentage for every idea, and a history list keeps track of every spin so far. Turn on "Remove the winning entry from the wheel" if each activity should only come up once – the winning idea disappears after the spin, and the "Put drawn entries back" button brings every entry back later. The “Share this wheel” button copies a link that contains your list, so anyone in the group opens your exact wheel without retyping anything.
Ideas by situation
- Rainy day: delete the outdoor entries (bike ride, playground, exploring) and add things like "Build a blanket fort", "Indoor treasure hunt" or "Free museum".
- Family with kids: picnic, crafts, baking and the playground work well. Let each child add one entry – everyone accepts the result more easily that way.
- Couples: swap the kids' ideas for "Cook a restaurant-style dinner", "Watch the sunset", "Sort old photos" or "Start a new series".
- On your own: audiobooks, the library and exploring suit solo days. Add "Write a journal", "Learn a new song" or "Finish a small project".
- Group hangout with friends: add ideas that need more people, like "Game night with a quiz", "Cook together, everyone brings one ingredient" or "Photo scavenger hunt around town".
- Summer and winter: swap the outdoor entries by season – add a pool day or barbecue in summer, or baking cookies and a board game night instead of a bike ride in winter.
Tip: weight your favorites
With Walk with a photo challenge *3 an entry counts three times. With 16 entries that makes 18 shares: the walk then comes up 3/18 = 16.67% of the time, every other idea 1/18 = 5.56%. Typing the same idea on two or three separate lines instead works exactly the same way. The wheel lands more often on what you actually enjoy, but still keeps a surprise in it.
A rule against endless spinning
Agree beforehand: the first result counts, and everyone gets one veto. Use your veto and you may spin again – after that, you do whatever comes up. If two ideas sound equally good, let a coin flip decide.
Frequently asked questions
How likely is each activity?
With 16 entries, each idea has 6.25%. Weight an entry with *2 or *3 and its chance goes up while the others go down accordingly.
Do the suggestions cost money?
Most are free or very cheap: walks, the park, the library, games and tidying cost nothing; cooking or baking only costs the ingredients.
Can several people have a say?
Yes: each person types one or two ideas into the text box, then you spin. You can share the link with your list so everyone sees the same wheel – handy for a group hangout too.
How do we decide who organizes it?
Use the random name picker: enter everyone's name and let it draw one person.
Can I add the same idea more than once?
Yes, that raises its odds just like weighting it with *2 or *3 – you can combine both.
How do I stop the same idea from being picked twice?
Turn on "Remove the winning entry from the wheel". The spun idea is taken off the wheel until you click "Put drawn entries back" to bring every entry back.
Does the wheel work for a bigger group or party?
Yes. Add the ideas, copy the link and send it to the group – everyone sees the same wheel, no account needed.
How many ideas should my list have?
The wheel works with as few as two entries; 10 to 20 is a good range – enough variety without giving any single idea a tiny chance.
Sources and legal basis
- W3C Recommendation: W3C Web Cryptography API – getRandomValues()
- MDN Web Docs – Crypto.getRandomValues()
As of: · Editorial policy
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