Bingo in a Bag

Bingo in a bag is a fun way to get in vocabulary practice and take the responsibility off of the teacher during class time. Bingo in a bag is exactly like regular bingo except students are in charge of calling out the words.

Why play this version?

I like this version for many reasons. But mostly because it frees up the teachers time and allows them to walk around the classroom and supervise.

  • Smaller groups
  • More practice time
  • Students must produce the words, not just understand it
  • Teachers have the ability to supervise smaller groups
  • Easier to provide feedback
  • Collaborative

How to set it up

You need to have bingo boards for students. For this particular version of bingo, you don’t need to have a different board for the 40 kids in your classroom. Bingo in a bag is played in small groups. So 8 – 10 different boards will do. This is helpful if you are creating the board yourself (they are a time suck).

Create calling cards using the vocabulary words you are working with like food, clothing, family. Copy enough sets of these calling cards for each group. I like to laminate them so I can use them year after year. It just keeps them a bit more sturdy. Stuff the calling cards into a brown bar (or an envelope if you don’t have a bag).

How to play

Separate students into groups of 3 – 4 people. Give each group member a board (ensure that they are not the same) and one bag of calling cards.

Students take turns pulling a card from the bag and telling the rest of the group the word. The other group members, including the caller, will cover that word if they have it on their board.

How to Win

Depending on the amount of time you have to play this game, determines how a student will win. I like to play blackout if I have enough time. It allows for more practice because it requires more than 5 words to win.

Additionally, students can win in several different ways if you play multiple winners in the same game:

  • Vertical
  • Horizontal
  • Diagonal
  • 4 corners
  • Borders
  • X
  • Blackout

Want another version of bingo? Check out Tic Tac Bingo!

Check out premade bingo cards here!

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Hi! I'm Robin

I am a wife, mother, gardner, and self-proclaimed yogi. I help teachers be awesome.

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