Bingo for Teachers
Explore printable bingo card templates and games for kids created by teachers to play in math class, reading centers and more! Get students excited to learn with the fun game that dates back hundreds of years and yet feels brand-new to every class of kids!
This collection of printable and digital bingo cards was created by the expert teachers on the Teach Starter team and includes curriculum-aligned activities designed to promote active learning and elementary student participation.
Do you think of retirees with their daubers, or maybe a certain kids' song when you hear the word "bingo?" Maye you haven't used a bingo game in your classroom and want to know more about how to play, where these games come from and what makes them so fun for kids? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including tips to add this game to your classroom activities!
What Is Bingo? The Popular Game Explained
Bingo is probably best known as a game of chance that involves a special card or grid with numbers, letters, words or objects on it. Participants play by marking off the items on their cards as they're randomly called out.
The goal is to complete a predetermined pattern to win.
What you may not know is this popular game played in schools all around the country dates back to the 1500s, when Italians played what was then known as "Il Gioco del Lotto d'Italia" — an Italian lottery. The Italian version of the game was played with a set of numbered squares, and participants would place their bets on specific numbers.
As part of the original bingo game, a person known as the banker would draw numbered tokens from a bag and announce them. This is similar to today's game's bingo "caller" or announcer. Players would then mark off the called numbers on their game cards, and the winner would be the first person to complete a specific pattern.
Bingo cards are always set up in grid form as seen above.
The game made its way to the US sometime in the 1900s, and teachers quickly recognized it as a way to engage students to reinforce learning, work on listening skills and plenty more.
How to Play Bingo in the Classroom
If you've never played bingo, don't worry. This is an easy game to learn, so you don't have to study a ton of directions before adding it to your lesson plans.
Here's a fast guide from our teacher team!
Supplies
- Bingo cards
- Small items for students to use to cover the squares in their grid (math manipulatives work well here!) OR pencils to use to mark on their grids
Instructions
- Print out the bingo cards you need for your game, and provide students with their own cards. Students should have different grids to make the game fun.
- Call out items based on your bingo card game theme (for example, if you're playing Multiplication Bingo, you may be calling out the products of particular multiplication facts).
- As the item is called out, students should check their cards to see if the item appears. If it does, they should make a mark on that grid or place an item on top to cover it.
- The game continues with the teacher calling out items until a player completes the required pattern and shouts "Bingo!" to signal their win.
How to Make a Bingo Card for Your Students
This collection is stocked with dozens of pre-made bingo cards that are ready to print, but maybe you want to put your own spin on them?
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Bingo cards are typically 5x5 grids, but they can be any size.
- Each square on a bingo card should contain a number (or word, depending on the variation). If you decide to leave the center square blank, it should be marked as "free" and can be considered a pre-filled square.
- Winning patterns can vary, such as completing a full row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally), filling in four corners or achieving a specific shape on the card.
- Free Plan
Multiplying with Decimals Bingo Game
Get your students multiplying decimals by whole numbers with this engaging Bingo game.
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Fraction, Decimal, and Percentage Bingo
Convert between fractions, decimals and percentages with this engaging Bingo game the whole class can enjoy!
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Christmas Bingo
Play Christmas bingo with this class set of bingo cards.
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Letter Sound Bingo
Practice applying letter-sound correspondence with a set of 20 BINGO game boards and cards.
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Blending Phonemes CVC Word BINGO
Practice blending phonemes to form one-syllable words with this set of 20 bingo game boards and cards.
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Insects for Kids - Bingo Game
Learn about creepy crawly insects with a Bug Bingo Game for preschoolers.
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Continents and Oceans Bingo - Geography Game
Turn geography into a fun and educational learning experience by using our Continents and Oceans Bingo Game!
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United States Government Bingo
Review concepts of the U.S. Government using a Bingo game.
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Idioms Bingo Game
Build vocabulary and have fun with a classroom game of Idiom Bingo.
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Punctuation BINGO
A set of 20 BINGO game boards and cards to practice recognizing and naming end punctuation.
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Two-Digit Place Value Bingo Game (Digits and Craft Sticks)
32 bingo cards using place value to 99.
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CVC Words Bingo Game
Practice decoding simple CVC words with this set of printable Bingo boards.
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Multiplication With Arrays Bingo
Review how arrays and multiplication facts are related with this whole-class Bingo game.
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Bingo Cards - Rounding Numbers Using a Vertical Number Line
Review how to round numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, and ten thousand with a vertical number line Bingo game.
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Rotation and Revolution Bingo
Engage your students with a lively game of bingo while learning about Earth’s rotation and revolution.
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Adding and Subtracting Decimals – Small Group Bingo
Review how to add and subtract decimals with a small group bingo game!
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Force and Motion Bingo
Play a forces and motion game with your students to reinforce key subject-specific vocabulary.
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Syllable Types Bingo
Practice identifying the six syllable types in common words with this fun and engaging bingo game.
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Bingo Game – Coping Skills for Kids
Review calming strategies and coping skills for kids with a game of Bingo!
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Multiplying Decimals Bingo
Solve for products of decimals to the hundredths place with a whole-class bingo game.
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Order of Operations Bingo
Review vocabulary and solve expressions with this Order of Operations Bingo game!
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Need vs. Want Bingo Game
Enhance your primary grade economics lessons with a few rounds of Needs vs. Wants Bingo!
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New Year Bingo Game
Celebrate all the best things about New Year’s Eve with this set of 20 BINGO game boards and 24 themed word cards.
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Two-Digit Place Value Bingo Game (Digits and Base-10 Blocks)
32 bingo cards using place value up to 99.
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Place Value Bingo Game Numbers 0-10,000
Practice place value knowledge in numbers up to 10,000 with this set of bingo cards.
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Subitizing Bingo Games (Numbers 1 - 10)
Play these subitizing bingo games in your small groups to give your students practice subitizing numbers up to 10.
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Alphabet Bingo Upper and Lowercase Recognition
Give students the opportunity to practice the recognition of lowercase and uppercase letters with this set of alphabet bingo cards.
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Number Recognition Bingo — Numbers 0 - 10 (Small Group)
Reinforce your students’ number recognition skills with this fun BINGO game!
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Paralympic Events Bingo Game
Introduce your students to the sports played at the Paralympic Games with our fun and interactive Bingo game.
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Equivalent Fractions Pizza Bingo - Whole, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8
32 different bingo cards to practice finding equivalent fractions involving 1, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8.
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Dividing Shapes BINGO – Equivalent Fractions (Small Group)
Practice dividing shapes to generate equivalent fractions with this small group bingo game.
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Action Verbs Bingo
Identify action verbs with this set of 20 BINGO cards.