Happy Birthday Bingo!
By this point we are all familiar with the standard bingo game (And if you’re not, our friend Shelly at Life In Color has a handy guide!). The caller calls out numbers, and the people playing mark them on their cards. Once someone has a line of five, or the whole card for a blackout, they call out bingo and win! You might have even heard us mention different “patterns” that can be played. This is a fun challenge for those who find the standard bingo game too simple. By altering the standard line of five, the game boosts cognitive function even further.
The “Big X”, “Four Corners”, and “Large Picture Frame” Bingo patterns.
We’ve talked about different types of bingo and how to adapt bingo to different audiences. However, one thing we haven’t discussed yet is how to fit bingo into the different domains of wellness. So what better time than now, right before bingo’s birthday month?
Physical- Chair Exercise Bingo
Each participant receives a bingo card with various chair exercises printed on it. The exercises are shuffled and called out one at a time. Players perform the exercise and then mark it off their cards. S&S offers premade cards, or you can design your own to tailor exercises to participants’ abilities.
Spiritual- Gratitude Bingo
Gratitude Bingo focuses on mindfulness and thankfulness. Cards are filled with prompts such as:
“Something that made you smile today”
“A person you’re thankful for”
Instead of calling out numbers, the caller announces prompts. Players reflect on their answers and share them before marking the square.
Intellectual- Clue Bingo
Challenge players by replacing number calls with riddles or clues related to the numbers. This version exercises memory and problem-solving skills, keeping participants mentally sharp. Examples of clues include:
“This number comes after 24” (Answer: 25)
“Halfway to 100” (Answer: 50)
“3 times 3” (Answer: 9)
“Old enough to drink in the USA” (Answer: 21)
“How many it takes to tango” (Answer: 2)
Vocational- Skills Bingo
Create a set of bingo cards filled with manageable tasks for players to complete throughout the course of the day. Tailoring the tasks to your community will help encourage players to complete as many as they can. Encourage them to work with each other to fill the card. Optionally, if you would prefer to have everyone working together, make one card for your whole community and challenge them to complete it before the end of the day. Some examples of tasks you could include are:
“Tend to the garden”
“Teach someone a new skill”
“Perform music / sing a song for the group”
“Help put up holiday decorations”
“Help with a craft project”
“Assist with administrative work, such as sorting mail”
Emotional- Feelings Bingo
In Feelings Bingo players share their experiences or feelings in response to each prompt, creating an open and supportive atmosphere. To learn more about how feelings bingo can help foster emotional intelligence read this post by Everyday Speech. Each square features an emotion or scenario, such as:
“A time I felt proud”
“Something that made me laugh this week”
“An example of kindness I witnessed”
Social- Trade & Steal Bingo
The game begins like traditional bingo: a caller announces numbers one at a time, and teams mark them on their cards as they appear. After five numbers are called, the game enters a Trading Phase. During this phase each team can negotiate with another team to trade one marked number from their card. After the tenth number has been called the game enters a Stealing Phase. In this phase each team can "steal" one marked number from another team’s card and add it to their own. Players within the team must agree on which number to steal. To keep it fair, a team can only be targeted for a steal once per phase. Following this play continues with a new Trading Phase and Stealing Phase alternating after every fifth call.
Optional Rule: Designate one number on each card as protected—it cannot be stolen.
Bingo is more than just a game; it’s a versatile tool that can be adapted to foster engagement and growth across multiple domains of wellness. By tailoring bingo to meet the needs and interests of your group, you can ensure that this timeless game continues to bring joy, connection, and enrichment to all who play it. Let’s celebrate bingo’s birthday month by trying something new and seeing how far this simple game can take us!
