Themes
Every game here comes with a complete word list written for real use, so you can print it as it is or use it as a starting point and swap in your own words. 12 bingo games, 8 word searches and 3 crosswords so far.
Bingo cards
- Baby Shower BingoGift-opening bingo: guests mark presents as they are unwrapped. 50 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
- Bridal Shower BingoRegistry gift bingo for the shower: mark each gift as the bride opens it. 50 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
- Wedding Reception BingoGuest bingo for the reception: moments to spot between the toasts and the last dance. 48 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
- Christmas BingoFestive words for a class party, family gathering or office holiday lunch. 50 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
- Halloween BingoSpooky-but-friendly words for a classroom party or a costume night. 50 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
- Thanksgiving BingoDinner-table words for the wait before the turkey and the lull after the pie. 50 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
- Meeting Buzzword BingoCorporate jargon bingo for all-hands, quarterly reviews and long video calls. 48 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
- Kids' Birthday BingoSimple party words on a 4 x 4 grid, sized for ages four to eight. 40 squares, 4 x 4 cards.
- Icebreaker BingoHuman bingo: find someone who matches each square and get their name in it. 48 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
- Classroom Vocabulary BingoAcademic vocabulary for grades 3-6: the teacher reads a definition, students find the word. 50 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
- ESL Beginner BingoEveryday nouns, colours and greetings for the first weeks of English, on a 4 x 4 grid. 50 squares, 4 x 4 cards.
- Road Trip BingoThings to spot from the back seat, from water towers to out-of-state plates. 50 squares, 5 x 5 cards.
Word searches
- Sight Words Word SearchFirst-grade sight words for a quick literacy centre. 16 words on a 12 x 12 grid.
- Winter Holiday Word SearchDecember words from several traditions for the last week before the break. 18 words on a 15 x 15 grid.
- Animals Word SearchTwenty zoo and safari animals, a spelling-friendly puzzle for grades 2-4. 20 words on a 14 x 14 grid.
- Science Word SearchScientific-method and lab vocabulary for upper elementary and middle school. 20 words on a 15 x 15 grid.
- Space Word SearchThe eight planets plus comets, craters and rockets, with words in all eight directions. 20 words on a 16 x 16 grid.
- Halloween Word SearchPumpkins, bats and broomsticks hidden forwards and down only, for grades 1-3. 18 words on a 13 x 13 grid.
- Thanksgiving Word SearchThe meal, the Mayflower and the Wampanoag, for grades 3-5 and the kids' table. 18 words on a 15 x 15 grid.
- Christmas Word SearchChristmas-only words, from Santa's workshop to the nutcracker, for grades 2-5. 20 words on a 15 x 15 grid.
Crosswords
- Halloween CrosswordSpooky but never gory, from nocturnal to trick or treat, with clues for grades 3-5. 16 answers on a 14 x 17 grid, with an answer key.
- Thanksgiving CrosswordThe 1621 feast, the voyage before it and the meal today, with clues for grades 4-6. 16 answers on a 15 x 18 grid, with an answer key.
- Christmas CrosswordShort, plain clues for grades 2-4, from the reindeer to the snow angel. 16 answers on a 14 x 16 grid, with an answer key.
How the themed lists were written
Each list is long enough for a real game: at least 48 squares for a 5 x 5 bingo card, twice what one card holds, so a class set of cards looks properly different and the generator has no warning to show, and between 16 and 20 words for a word search, which fills a 15 x 15 grid without crowding it. Every list is run through the generators by an automated test, so each page opens with a complete puzzle or game. Items are things that actually come up at the event, in the order a host would think of them, rather than padding to reach a round number. A wedding list has "speech runs long" because speeches do; the buzzword list has "you're on mute" because somebody always is.
The crosswords have 14 to 18 answers each, which fills a page with the grid and its clues and leaves the answer key to a page of its own. Every clue is written for the grades named on the puzzle, defines its answer rather than quizzing on trivia, and never uses its own answer, a part of it or another answer from the same grid, so no clue gives one away. Each list is checked against the grid its page opens with, so every answer is in it.
The games are also set up for the way each one is played. Gift-opening bingo at a baby shower keeps the free centre, because guests have a card in one hand and a plate in the other and need an easy start. The icebreaker game labels its centre square "YOU", since the point is to collect other people's names. The kids' birthday and beginner ESL games use 4 x 4 cards, which finish faster and fit bigger print. The space word search allows words in all eight directions; the sight words puzzle hides nothing backwards.
Making a theme your own
Open any theme and the list is already in the generator. Delete the squares that don't fit your event, add the ones that do (the groom's catchphrase, the class pet, the vice-president's favourite acronym), change the title that prints on the cards, and set the number of players. The cards are rebuilt as you type, and the share link captures your edited version, so you can send it to a co-host or reopen it on the day.
If you are planning an event that isn't here yet, start from the blank bingo card generator, word search maker or crossword maker: a list of 48 to 60 things takes about ten minutes to write, and the hosting guide covers how to run the game once the cards are printed. Suggestions for new themes are welcome on the contact page.