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Name Bingo

Item needed:

  1. Paper
  2. Pen
open

Min players:

3

Max players:

∞

Required age:

8

Average cost:

$1

Game duration(Mins):

30 - 40
You will need to create a bingo grid 4 x 4 or 5 x 5 of personal statements i.e. who has long hair, has more than 5 siblings etc. Hand off these bingo sheets to the participants with a pen and send them to mingle with folk. Each player can only use another person once on their sheet. The game can either finish when someone collects a name for the entire grid. Alternatively, the game can continue and bingo can be played after everyone has completed their grids. So a leader would start calling the groups, and the participants can strike them off. The first to get 4 in a row wins.

Introduction

Name Bingo is an engaging and interactive game perfect for social gatherings. Participants use a bingo grid filled with personal statements to find others who match the descriptions. It’s a fantastic icebreaker and a great way to learn more about each other.

Objective

The objective of Name Bingo is to fill out the bingo grid by finding people who match the personal statements and, subsequently, to achieve bingo by marking off completed statements.

Game Setup

Required Items

  • Bingo grids (4×4 or 5×5) with personal statements
  • Pens for each participant

Preparing the Bingo Grid

Create bingo grids with 16 (4×4) or 25 (5×5) personal statements. Examples include:

  • “Who has long hair”
  • “Has more than 5 siblings”
  • “Plays a musical instrument”
  • “Has traveled to more than 5 countries”
  • “Speaks more than one language”

Example Bingo Grid (4×4)
Has long hair Plays a musical instrument Has more than 5 siblings Is wearing blue
Speaks more than one language Has a pet Loves to cook Enjoys hiking
Has been on TV Plays a sport Is a vegetarian Has green eyes
Is the youngest child Has a unique talent Loves reading Knows how to dance

How to Play

Initial Phase

  1. Distribution: Hand out a bingo grid and a pen to each participant.
  2. Mingling: Participants mingle and find people who match the personal statements on their grid.
    • When a match is found, the participant writes the name of the person in the corresponding box.
    • Each person can only be used once on a participant’s grid.

Winning Phase

There are two ways to win Name Bingo:

  1. First to Complete Grid: The game can finish when a participant collects a name for every statement on their grid. The first person to fill their grid wins.
  2. Bingo Call: Alternatively, once all participants have completed their grids, a leader can call out groups of statements. Participants strike off statements as they are called. The first person to get four in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) wins.

Game Rules

  1. Unique Use: Each name can only appear once on a participant’s grid.
  2. Honesty: Participants must truthfully match the personal statements.
  3. Mingling: Encourage participants to talk to as many different people as possible.
  4. Completion: The first person to complete their grid or get four in a row wins, depending on the chosen winning phase.

Conclusion

Name Bingo is a fun and dynamic way to get to know a group of people. By finding commonalities and learning new things about others, participants can foster a sense of camaraderie and community. Enjoy the game and happy mingling!