Play Thanksgiving Bingo this Holiday Season

This year’s Thanksgiving Day is likely to be quite different for many in the United States due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now if you are anything like us, you will be looking for fun things to do indoors with family and friends during the Holiday Season – so why not print out and play Thanksgiving Bingo!

We have also published a blog that sets out 10 Creative Ideas for Thanksgiving Day – why not visit it out for a few other Thanksgiving Day things to do.

The History of Bingo

Bingo originated in Italy way back in 1530, where they operated a lottery called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia”, which today is still played every Saturday.

From Italy, the game made its way to France in the late 1770s, where it was called “Le Lotto”, and was played predominantly amongst the wealthy. Germany played a similar version of the game in the 1800s, used mainly as a child’s game to help students learn math, spelling, and history.

The British took the game to the next level. In the early 20th century bingo halls started popping up all over the United Kingdom, particularly in the East End of London where they developed “Bingo Lingo” based on cockney rhyming slang.

The game arrived in the US in the late 1920’s and was originally called “beano”. It was at a country fair game where a dealer would select numbered discs from a cigar box and players would mark their cards with beans. They yelled “beano” if they won. Edwin S. Lowe, New York toy salesman, renamed the game “bingo” after he overheard someone accidentally yell “bingo” instead of “beano”.

Thanksgiving Bingo

We think Thanksgiving Bingo works best for 3-10 players. In order to play Thanksgiving Bingo you will need to download and print the Fun Crafts Kids Thanksgiving Bingo pack.

The Thanksgiving Bingo pack includes:

• 10 x different Bingo scorecards (download them via the printable button below!)
• 1 x caller card (25x square caller cards with Thanksgiving shapes)

In addition, you will need the following household items:

• Scissors to cut out the 25x square calling cards
• A box or bag for the caller cards
• Bingo chips – maybe use coins, poker chips, games counters or pieces of paper

Preparation

1. Cut out the 25x square caller cards
2. Shuffle caller cards and put into the box or bag so that the caller or players cannot see!
3. Nominate a caller who will read out the caller cards to the players
4. Give a Bingo scorecard to each player (up to 10-players)
5. Give each player 15 Bingo chips – worthwhile having a few extra to hand just in case players run out!
6. Now you are ready to play!

How to Play Thanksgiving Bingo

The game is played on a Bingo scorecard made up of 25 squares — if you get 5 squares in a row, column, or diagonal, you win!

1. The Caller takes the caller cards.
2. Players take the bingo cards.
3. The caller randomly draws a square caller card and calls from the bag or box out the Thanksgiving shape and then show the players the card.
4. Players then look at their Bingo scorecard to see if they have the Thanksgiving shape called out. If yes, then place a bingo chip over the shape.
5. Repeat the process until one player has filled all the patterns in a column, row, or diagonal and shouts “Bingo”.
6. The first player to fill all the patterns in a column, row or diagonal and shouts “Bingo” wins the game. The louder the shout the better!

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and do play Thanksgiving Bingo!

For more Thanksgiving ideas visit our blog: 10 Creative Ideas for Thanksgiving Day.