No-Login Classroom Setup
Brush Ninja is designed to work without student accounts. Most schools use it this way.
This guide shows how to run lessons without logins, passwords, or shared profiles. This keeps setup simple and helps limit personal data collection.
Who this is for
This guide is useful for teachers working on shared devices, Chromebooks, or tablets, and for anyone who wants to keep classroom setup simple. It is particularly helpful if you prefer not to manage student accounts or work with younger learners.
The same approach works well in primary and secondary classrooms, clubs, and home learning.
Why use Brush Ninja without logins
Using Brush Ninja without accounts removes many common classroom issues. There are no passwords to manage, no forgotten logins, and no shared accounts. Setup is immediate, with no profiles to configure and no student data stored centrally.
For most lessons, accounts add complexity without offering real benefits. Working without logins keeps lessons focused on making and learning rather than administration.
How it works without accounts
When students use Brush Ninja without logging in, their work exists only on the device they are using. While they are working, the project is stored temporarily in the browser. Once they export their work, it is saved as a file on the device.
Nothing is uploaded to Brush Ninja servers, and no personal details are collected. Students create, export, and submit their work locally using your usual classroom systems.
Classroom Examples
These examples show student work created without accounts or logins:
Making our mark on International Dot Day-ish with Brush Ninja Animation Maker!
Tweeted by Rosemary LaraHere’s some fantastic GIF animations created by some of @esmsedinburgh’s P5 classes using Brush Ninja - a moon invasion and time-lapse plant growing cartoon! Totally normal thing to say in this job 🤣
Tweeted by Mr RigbyWhen the ice cream van has visited the school playground it must be the last week of school term in Scotland! Enjoy the summer holidays!
Tweeted by Heather HaynesWait for the end…Stewart’s Melville College @esmsedinburgh becomes Hogwarts @harrypotter! Animation creativity through a 9 year old child’s eyes.
Tweeted by Heather HaynesSpace Science is a favourite topic of young children! Recent launches by @SpaceX and @BoeingSpace keep their interest alive and I love that we provide space related learning opportunities well after the formal curriculum topic ends. Every mission shapes their future! Exciting!
Tweeted by Heather HaynesSee more examples of Brush Ninja being used by teachers →
Basic classroom setup
This is the simplest setup for most lessons.
Step 1: Open the tool
Ask students to go to https://brush.ninja on their device. They can bookmark the site for easy access. From the homepage, choose Animation Maker or another relevant tool.
No login is required.
Step 2: Create the work
Students draw, animate, or design as normal. Encourage them to save drafts if the lesson is long.
Step 3: Export the final file
At the end of the lesson, students export their work. Animations are saved as GIFs, while other tools export images or PDFs. Files download directly to the device.
Step 4: Submit the work
Students submit their files using your normal system, such as Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, a shared drive, Padlet, or your school LMS.
Brush Ninja does not manage submissions itself.
There is more info on submitting work in the Collecting and Sharing Student Work guide.
Working on shared devices
On shared or temporary devices, students should always export their work before logging out. Browser storage may be cleared automatically, so it should not be relied on.
Saving .brushninja files is optional but useful for longer projects, as it allows students to resume work later. Clear instructions and regular reminders are important.
If a device is reset, any unexported work will be lost. Exporting is essential.
Using starter files (optional)
Some teachers prepare starter files in advance. These are pre-made .brushninja files that students can open and edit. They might include background images, diagrams, character parts, or templates.
These files can be shared with students directly. Students open them in the free version of Brush Ninja and work as normal. No student accounts are required.
When accounts might be useful
Most classes do not need accounts. In some cases, teachers may choose to use a paid account to prepare reusable templates, store personal projects, or create resource files.
Even in these cases, students do not need accounts. Teacher accounts are for preparation, not classroom management.
Classroom management tips
A few simple routines prevent most problems. Put the website link in your LMS or on the board, demonstrate exporting early in the lesson, and remind students to export before packing up.
For longer projects, encourage saving drafts and walk around to check that files are downloading correctly.
Common problems and fixes
- “I can’t find my work.”: Check the Downloads folder. Search by file name.
- “My work disappeared.”: It may have been lost when the page refreshed. Encourage early exports.
- “It saved on the wrong account.”: Avoid using shared browser profiles. Use local downloads instead.
- “Students are logged into random accounts.”: Remind them that accounts are not needed. Log out if necessary.
Safeguarding and privacy notes
Using Brush Ninja without logins means there are no student profiles, no public posting, no internal messaging, and no central storage of student work.
This supports most school safeguarding policies. For full details, see the For Schools page.
Extensions and next steps
Once students are confident using Brush Ninja without logins, you can introduce starter files or run multi-lesson projects using folders or cloud storage.
Keep the core workflow simple.
