5 Different Ways to Play BINGO, plus Prize Ideas

Learn 5 different ways to play BINGO for a fun twist on a classic game! Plus get a list of prize ideas for kids, teens and adults.

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BINGO is a classic game for all ages because it’s so versatile! For the longest time, I assumed that there were only a couple of ways to play. But recently I put together a BINGO activity for the youth in our congregation and found some different ways to play BINGO.

Included in this post, you’ll find 5 easy ways to play BINGO. There are more, but I found that these were the easiest to adapt to a group without too many rules or confusion.

5 Different Ways to Play BINGO

Classic

The most common way to play BINGO is to get 5 in a row in one of three directions: horizontal, vertical and diagonal. The first person to achieve this yells “BINGO” and they win the game. You can get through a lot of rounds of BINGO playing this classic version. It’s great for young kids because it is so straightforward.

Blackout

Blackout is the second most well-known way to play BINGO. The goal is simple: cover all the squares on your BINGO card. Once you do this, you yell “Blackout” and you win. This is another great option for young kids because it’s easy. It will also extend the game.

Patterns

You might be surprised at how many different patterns can be created with a 5×5 square! This version of BINGO takes a little more work ahead of time because you need to decide what patterns you are going to include. If you think it would be helpful, you could use extra BINGO cards or a basic 5×5 square to show what the pattern is for that round.

This is a great option for older kids and adults. The key with this version is that you only want to put a marker on the square if it helps create the pattern. If it doesn’t, you just leave it off. It will get too confusing to see the pattern if there are extra squares marked off.

I’ve included an image of some of the patterns we did for our activity.

If you’d like to print off a copy of the BINGO patterns, fill out the form below and it will be emailed to you.

Seat Swap

This was a favorite version among the youth when we played. The seat swap version of BINGO is exactly what it sounds like. The person calling out the BINGO decides on a number of calls before the players have to move seats. We found that choosing a number between 5-7 worked well. You can tell the players to move in a variety of ways: one to the left/right, two to the left/right, person across from them, etc. We combined this version with classic, blackout and patterns.

Double prize

Increase the fun for the winner by making a BINGO round a “double prize” round. This is an easy version to combine with any of the different ways to play BINGO listed above.

BINGO Prize Ideas

Part of the fun of BINGO is the prize! I’ve created 3 categories for BINGO prizes: kids, teens and adults.

For kids (preschool – elementary)

• Candy Bars
• Box of Theater Candy
• Stickers
• Money
• Temporary Tattoos
• Glow Sticks
• Fruit Snacks
• Bouncy Ball
• Playdough
• Mini Popper fidget toys
• Small bag of popcorn
• Pack of gum
• Tic Tac minis

Older kids (middle school-high school)

• Candy Bars
• Box of Theater Candy
• $5 gift card
• Puzzle (these cereal box puzzles are so fun)
• Craft Kit
• Gel Pens
• Fuzzy Socks
• Nail Polish
• Chapstick/Lip Balm
• Money
• Pack of gum
• Tic Tac minis
• Mini lotion

Adults

• Gift Card
• Baking Mix
• Mugs
• Candy
• Tumbler
• Succulent
• Adult Coloring Book & Pencils
• Candles

Recommended BINGO Supplies

• BINGO Cards
• Daubers (circular tipped markers) – Good for single use on BINGO cards
  • Set of 8
  • Set of 40
• BINGO Chips – Good if you want to reuse the cards
• BINGO Set (includes balls, cage, cards and chips) – This would be a great option if you plan on playing frequently.

{Free} BINGO Cards on Sunshine and Munchkins

• Halloween BINGO Cards (Set of 6)
• Chore BINGO Cards (Set of 4)

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