Bingo for Teachers
Explore printable bingo card templates and games for kids created by teachers to play in maths class, reading rotations 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 Australian curriculum-aligned activities designed to promote active learning and primary 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!
What Is Bingo?
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, where 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 banker would draw numbered tokens from a bag and announce them. This resembles 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.
When the game made its way to Australia, teachers here quickly recognised it as a way to engage students to reinforce learning, work on listening skills and plenty more.
How to Make a Bingo Card
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 centre 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.
Bingo cards are always set up in grid form as seen above.
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 many directions before adding it to your lesson plans.
Here's a fast guide from our teacher team!
Supplies
- Bingo cards
- Students can use small items to cover the squares in their grid (maths 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 give students their 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 it appears. If it does, they should mark 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.
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Icebreaker Bingo - First Day of School Game
Kick off a new school year with a Getting to Know You Icebreaker Bingo!
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Christmas Bingo Game
Play Christmas Bingo with your class for some end of year fun!
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Getting to Know You – Back to School Bingo
Start your year off right with an engaging back to school bingo game designed for foundation and year 1 students.
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Money Bingo – Australian Currency
32 different bingo cards using notes and coins.
- Free Plan
Fraction, Decimal and Percentage Bingo
32 different bingo cards using fractions, decimals and percentages.
- Free Plan
Multiplication Bingo – 0–12 Times Tables
Thirty-two different bingo cards using multiplication from 0–12.
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Numbers 0-20 Bingo
32 different bingo cards for numbers 0-20.
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Place Value Bingo Game – Numbers 0–10 000
Thirty-two different bingo cards using place value to 10 000.
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Multiplication With Arrays Bingo
Review how arrays and multiplication facts are related with this whole-class Bingo game.
- Free Plan
Continents and Oceans Bingo
Turn Geography into a fun and educational learning experience by using our Continents and Oceans Bingo Game!
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Numbers 0–10 Bingo
32 different bingo cards for numbers 0–10.
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Telling the Time Bingo – Hour, Half-hour, Quarter To and Quarter Past
Thirty different bingo cards using analogue clocks.
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Place Value Bingo Game – Numbers 0–1000
Thirty-two different bingo cards using place value to 1000.
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Contractions Bingo
Thirty-two bingo cards using contractions.
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Subtraction Bingo – Numbers 0–60
32 different bingo cards using subtraction and numbers from 0-60.
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Equivalent Fractions Pizza Bingo - Whole, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8
32 different bingo cards using whole, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 equivalent fractions.
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Angles Bingo
Generate excitement about angles in your classroom by playing this whole-class types of angles bingo game.
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Two-Digit Place Value Bingo Game (Digits and MAB)
32 different bingo cards using place value to 99.
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Place Value Bingo Game – Numbers 0–1 000 000
Thirty-two different bingo cards using place value to hundred thousands.
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Division Bingo - Numbers
32 different bingo cards using division.
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OA Vowel Digraph Bingo Game
Practise decoding words with OA vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds with this BINGO game for up to 18 players.
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Equivalent Fractions Bingo
Match fraction models with an equivalent fraction with an exciting game of Bingo!
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Two-Digit Place Value Bingo Game (Digits and Pop Sticks)
32 different bingo cards using place value to 99.
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Addition Bingo – Numbers 0–50
32 different bingo cards using addition and numbers from 0-50.
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2D Shape Bingo
Engage your students while consolidate learning about 2D shapes, their names and properties with 2D Shape Bingo!
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Water Cycle Bingo
Learn water cycle vocabulary with this fun game of Bingo!
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Prefix Bingo
Match prefix words to their definition by identifying the meaning of the prefix and the root word with a fun game of BINGO.
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Percent Bingo Game
Engage your students with a lively bingo game while practising how to match percent models and fractions to various percentages.
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Initial Letter Bingo
30 different bingo cards using initial letters.
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Telling the Time Bingo – Hour and Half-hour
Thirty different bingo cards using analogue clocks.
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Telling the Time Bingo – Mixed Times
Thirty-two different bingo cards using analogue clocks.
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Multiplication and Division – Bingo Game – V2
Thirty-two different bingo cards using multiplication and division.