Teaching Tips and Tools: Bingo!
By Shannon VanHorn
Director of Distance Learning and Faculty Development
Introduction: Getting students to listen for key ideas during lectures, videos, and
presentations can be challenging. Bingo cards may be a way to keep students engaged.
Tool identification: My Free Bingo Cards offers a variety of cards for free. Faculty members
can choose to use an existing card or create their own. No existing cost comes with these
cards, and they can also be uploaded onto mobile devices.
How to Get the Tool: Simple! Go to www.myfreebingocards.com . On the left side, you will
see a variety of cards, available, from the traditional B1-075 Bingo card to cards to special
occasion, movie, and music categories, to specific areas such as “Check Your Privilege,”
“Greek Myths,” “Capital City,” “Java Script” “Choral Progression,” and “Bacteria and
Viruses” cards (and much more!). There’s even a Donald Trump card! And at the end of the
term when you are grading papers, you may want to check out the “End of the Term” card!
Don’t see one you like? Click on the Bingo Card Generator and create your own with your
own terms, theories, concepts, theorists, etc… It’s easy to use. You just put in the Title, the
list of words, choose the number of spaces you want, as well as if that includes a free space,
and whether you want the cards to all be the same or random. You can then print them off
on paper or card stock and can print several to a page.
How to Use the Tool:
1. Use it for a test review. Describe the person, theory, concept, or term. Students look
on their Bingo card to see if they have it. Play traditional Bingo
(up/down/across/diagonal, four corners) and have candy prizes for winners.
2. Make one up for a video you are watching. Use terms and images from the video.
First one with a Bingo wins a prize.
3. Create one for a lecture you are giving and include key terms you will be using.
4. Implement it as an icebreaker for your class. Put random items on it such as
“Attended a play on Broadway,” “Is a twin,” “Favorite football team is the Cowboys,”
“Hit a hole-in-one” “Likes spicy food,” “is Left-handed,” etc.. and have tem get up on
the first day, meet people, and get signatures from people who fit their boxes. First
to Bingo wins!
5. Give students a reading in class. On the Bingo card, include topics and terms from the
reading. When a student has a bingo, have him/her put a line where they stopped
reading so you will know where to look for the terms they have covered.
Conclusion: Bingo can be a quick way to engage your classroom. Check it out!