Bingo

How to play

1. Agree on the winning pattern before the first call: a line, a column, a diagonal or the full card.
2. Give each player one card. Every card in the set has a different arrangement, and a free centre, when used, is already marked.
3. Cut the caller sheet into slips and shuffle them, or use the on-screen caller to draw.
4. Call each word or number clearly and at a steady pace. Nothing is repeated within a set.
5. When a player believes they have the winning pattern, they call bingo and the card is checked against the items already drawn.
6. When the game ends, start a new set. A new set resets the caller, so the next game begins with a full pool.

Tips

• Print one page as a test. Check that the smallest words are easy to read at the distance they will be used, then print the full batch.
• For a large room or a mixed table, choose a 3 × 3 grid with short words, or select large print with one card per page.
• Use black ink only. It keeps the sheets simple and easy to photocopy.
• Keep the caller sheet away from the players so they cannot see upcoming items. Use counters that are easy to pick up and clear on the card.
• Start from one of the ready-made lists, such as everyday joys or in the classroom, then edit it to suit your group. Save the setup as a file to use it again.

Where it comes from

Lotto-style number games are often traced to a 16th-century Italian lottery, although the links between that lottery and later games are not fully documented. The 75-ball B-I-N-G-O card, with five letter columns, is the North American format and was popularised from around 1930. Word bingo follows the same pattern with items from a list of words, so each player marks what is called.

Played in: North America · Europe

Questions