How to Design a Word Bingo Game

Choose a theme based on how and where the word bingo game will be played. If you are teaching Spanish, for instance, you might use a theme based on the Spanish language. For a birthday party, you could make a game with words about the birthday person̵7;s life.

Make the list of words. Write common words that fit into the word bingo theme. You will need the same number of words as there are spaces in the grid you will make; usually nine or 25. Use a free word bingo card maker (see References) to make up the cards for the players. Enter the required number of words into the card maker. Click on the button that tells the program to make the cards. Print the card that comes up. Use the shuffle feature to mix the words up and print a new card. Do this until you have enough cards for the group.

Write all the words from the list onto paper and use the scissors to cut them out. Fold them up and put them into a small paper bag. Mark the bag with the name of that specific word bingo theme.

Give players the filled-in grid sheets you have made. Announce the word bingo theme for the current game. Tell the players to listen for the words on their sheets and cross out the ones that are called.

Give directions as to what will constitute a word bingo win. A win might be one row, one column, or one diagonal; it is your choice. Tell the players to call out that they have a bingo when they have that win.

Reach into the bag for that grid and pull out a word strip. Call out the word. Continue as long as no one has filled the required spaces. Be ready with a prize for the first player who yells ̶0;bingo!̶1; and is a confirmed winner.