Human Bingo Generator: Find Someone Who Bingo Cards

How to run it

1. Print one card per player. The cards come one per page, so each square is about 1.4 inches wide on US Letter. With Leave room to write a name in each square on, the prompt sits in the top half of the square and a line below it leaves space for a name. Every card holds 24 of the 30 prompts in its own arrangement, so players don’t all hunt for the same person at the same moment.
2. Explain the rules in one breath: find someone who fits a square, ask them one more question about it, and have them write their name in that square. One square per person on your card. The center square is free.
3. Set a time limit and start. The first player with a complete row, column or diagonal calls out. Check the card by asking two or three of the named people whether it’s true, which is a good excuse to hear their story.
4. Keep playing for two lines or a full card if the group is enjoying it, then ask a few people to share the most surprising thing they found out.

The caller on this page isn’t needed for human bingo: the players are the calls.

How many people you need

The one-square-per-person rule sets the arithmetic. A line through the center needs four other people, any other line five, two lines at least eight (two lines crossing at the free center) and a full card 24. Counting the player, that means from about 6 people play for the first line; two lines need at least 9, and a full card 25. With fewer than six people in the room, let each person sign two squares on every card. Even with enough people, a full card takes long enough that it suits a relaxed event better than the first ten minutes of a meeting.

For a large group, print the cards in two colors (change the accent color and the card set code between runs) and have each player find people holding the other color, so friends don’t just sign each other’s cards.

Writing prompts that work

The prompts on these cards are meant for a mixed group of adults or older students. Good prompts share a few traits:

• True of some people, not most. A square everyone can sign (“Drinks coffee”) teaches nobody anything; one that nobody can sign stalls the game.
• Easy to ask, pleasant to answer. “Has run a race” invites a story. Leave out anything about health, religion, politics, money, age or relationships.
• Fair to everyone. A card full of things that cost money, like concerts, lessons or holidays, favors some players. Mix them with things anyone might have done, like “Has read a book this month” or “Can whistle a tune”, and for a class of children use mostly the second kind.
• Relative prompts (“Was born in the same month as you”) work in any group, because the answer changes with whoever is asking.

Ready to swap in your own? Type them into the box, one per line. For the first day of school, pair this with sight word bingo; to split the room into teams afterwards, use the Teams tab of the wheel spinner. Planning an office party instead? The Secret Santa generator draws names without anyone drawing their own.

The 30 prompts on these cards

1. Has lived in another country
2. Speaks three or more languages
3. Plays a musical instrument
4. Has been on TV or the radio
5. Was born in the same month as you
6. Has a pet that isn't a cat or dog
7. Is left-handed
8. Can whistle a tune
9. Has run a race
10. Has met someone famous
11. Has planted a tree
12. Can juggle
13. Has never seen a Star Wars film
14. Likes pineapple on pizza
15. Has baked bread from scratch
16. Has slept in a tent
17. Grows their own vegetables
18. Has read a book this month
19. Has the same favorite color as you
20. Walked or cycled here today
21. Has been to a concert this year
22. Knows how to knit or sew
23. Can say hello in five languages
24. Has ridden a horse
25. Has a nickname
26. Knows a magic trick
27. Has done a 1,000-piece puzzle
28. Has the same first initial as you
29. Collects something
30. Has won a trophy or medal

When you reload, this page goes back to the set-up described here, with the same card set code, so printing again gives the same cards. The number of cards, the paper size and, where this page doesn’t set them, cards per page and color are remembered from the generator. To keep an edited list, use Share result, or start from the bingo card generator, which remembers everything.