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How to Create a Bingo Board Game

Bingo is a simple, yet fun, board game for lots of groups and occasions. You can make a bingo card by simply drawing a 5-by-5 grid on a piece of paper and filling it in with numbers, or you can make bingo cards on the computer. You can even use clip art instead of numbers to make a themed bingo game. If you don’t have the time to create your own bingo game from scratch, you can make custom bingo cards using the website below and just print them out. To make your bingo game last longer, you may want to use card stock, or heavy paper.

Things You'll Need

Computer
Word processor or desktop publishing program
Printer
Card stock
Scissors
Small opaque bag
Small tokens

Instructions

- 1
  Set up a new document in your word processor or desktop publishing program. Set the page margins to the size you want. If you want to fit two bingo cards on each sheet, you can set the page to landscape orientation and create two columns.
- 2
  Create a grid that’s 5 columns wide and 6 rows tall using the drawing tools or by inserting a table. If you are using a two-column layout, make a grid or table the same size in the other column. You'll use the top row for the letters "BINGO."
- 3
  Type the letters “BINGO” at the top of the grid or table, with each letter in a different square, or choose a different five-letter word for a themed bingo game. Use a smaller font to type the word “free” in the center square, if desired.
- 4
  Type a different number, or insert a different clip art picture, in each square of the grid. You may want to use a different set of numbers for each column, such as 1 through 15 for the B, 16 through 30 for the I, and so on.
- 5
  Save your bingo card, then print it out on card stock or heavy paper. If you used two columns, cut the card stock in half to separate the cards.
- 6
  Use the "Save As" command to create a new bingo card file that looks just like the first one. Create more bingo cards, each with different combinations of numbers or pictures. Save and print these cards. Repeat this step until you have enough cards for all players.
- 7
  Create a page with all the letter and number combinations or all the pictures you used in the bingo cards. Print out the page, then cut the numbers or pictures apart to make calling cards.
- 8
  Place the calling cards in a small bag so you can draw them randomly. A drawstring bag works best for storing the calling cards, but any bag that isn’t clear will work.
- 9
  Choose small objects for bingo game tokens, such as paperclips, coins, beads, scraps of colored paper or even small candies. You can also make bingo tokens using a large circular hole punch, available in the scrapbook section of many craft stores, and colored paper, card stock, or lightweight cardboard, such as a cereal box.

Board Games