Bingo has been one of the world’s most popular pastimes for centuries, and even in the modern day the game remains extremely popular. With a huge variety of ways to play Bingo such as, online, live, at classic Bingo halls, or at themed events, the opportunities truly are endless.
To bring the excitement to you, your family and friends, or as a great way to fundraise for charity, then why not host a brilliant Bingo party of your own?
Read on to find out just how to create a cost-effective, authentic Bingo event yourself – bringing the magic of the game right to your doorstep!
Step one: Choose a location
You could choose any location to host your game of Bingo. If it’s a smaller gathering between family and friends, the comfort of your own living room might be perfect. Depending on the time of year, you could play outside, but you should figure out first if this is going to be a recurring thing. If so, you might want to consider a hall or somewhere sheltered. What’s more – in the modern day and age, you could even decide to host a virtual event!
Depending on your guestlist or desired outcome, the size of your chosen location is something else to consider, as well as the cost of hire.
Step two: Pick a theme
When thinking of Bingo, it can beeasy to just think of the usual numbers being called out as people search their grids to cross them off, but the beauty of creating your own theme is that you can truly customise your gameplay.
First, you must decide if the game is for charity. If it is, then perhaps a themed game to raise awareness for what the charity stands for would be ideal. The game could be for musical lovers, a baby shower, or even just a night of socialising – as long as the caller can randomly pick, and call out, something that corresponds to whatever’s on the grid, your game could involve anything from the traditional numbers from one to 90, to riddles, words to do with your theme, drawings, inside jokes, or anything in between!
Step three: Send out invites
First, narrow down your guestlist to suit your chosen location, and then buy, hand-make, or send digital invites to advertise the game. Get people to RSPV, and make sure to mention if you’re requiring people to pay a fee or buy tickets. The invites can reflect the theme, get everyone excited, and if it’s a recurring event, to remind them to mark it in their calendars for future games.
Step four: Prepare the game
Preparing the game itself might just be the most exciting part if you like to get a bit creative.
You will need:
- Bingo cards
- Daubers or pens
- Balls or paper
- A Bingo caller
- Prizes
- Decorations
If you’re on a budget, then rather than buying ready-made cards and balls, why not make your own! You can download a template for the Bingo cards here. Or, create your own grid and fill it in with the numbers, words, pictures or theme of your choice! You can use a marker pen to write on some ping pong balls, or even use loose pieces of paper for the caller to pick out. You don’t even need a fancy machine, just a bag, hat or bowl for the caller to randomly choose from.
Prizes don’t need to be expensive, but we recommend having something for the one-line winner as well as the full house winner – and maybe some additional prizes, depending on the amount of rounds you’re hoping to play. You could even make decorations that fit your theme, or buy balloons and banners to get the party started.
Step five: refreshments
Refreshments are a crucial part of an enjoyable Bingo experience. Providing something as simple as tea and biscuits, or soft drinks, crisps and other party food can take your event from a five to a 10! If you have a theme, providing refreshments that’re inspired by this can be an extra way to take your party to a whole other level. For example, if your game was magic themed, then perhaps label your drinks as potions for added effect.
The excitement is sure to get players thirsty and peckish, but above all, after all the work you’ve put into making your Bingo party so special, don’t forget to sit back and enjoy!
