Zoom and online work calls are everywhere. People have flocked to apps like Microsoft Teams and Zoom in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, becoming one of the main ways that people communicate. Zoom chief executive Eric Yuan said Zoom jumped into success overnight because of the need for such an app, according to The New York Times. Here’s where Bingo comes in. Before you start your watch party, create Bingo cards with words or phrases likely to appear in the film or TV show you have decided to watch.
Still looking for some games you can play with your group while social distancing? This week we played Bingo, and it’s fairly simple.
You can do this many different ways. However it is easiest to use Zoom or Facebook live as long as you can share your screen.
Step 1 – Bingo Cards
Option 1: Printed or Online Cards
- Of course your party needs a theme! While holiday is pretty broad, narrow your.
- Bingo is simple & extremely intergenerational. It translates well to Zoom and requires basically no prep work. Suggested Age Range: 3 Years-Older Adult Tips & Ideas: I generally do 4-5 rounds with my intergenerational group. The first three winners get prizes (a $5 gift card for ice cream in the mail).
- Name in the Bag/Guess Who? You know that popular Christmas Day game where you put the.
The first step was to find Bingo cards for everyone. MyFreeBingoCards.com makes this easy and free for up to 30 players. Click on the link that says 30 cards for free.
Once you do you’ll be given the option to download the cards in pdf. Instead, you can get an individual link for each card that can be texted or emailed.
The online cards actually allow you to play virtually and mark them as you play using your phone, tablet or computer.
Email or text the cards out to everyone playing. I would suggest doing this earlier in the day or the day before so that you can start
Option 2: Make Your Own
With a small group it might be easy to have everyone make their own cards. Post some instructions ahead of time on what the letters and numbers should be. It needs to be a 5×5 grid with Bingo in letters across the top. Then they choose 5 numbers under each letter from the following choices B 1-15, I 16-30, N 31-45, G 46-60, O 61-75.
Bingo Calling
Some of you may have a bingo set at your house. However, for the rest of us I found a great option. Go to letsplaybingo.io. This is a simple and absolutely free bingo caller program that automatically calls and displays called numbers. Everyone seeing the screen can hear and see each ball called.
Other options could include using a bingo cage you have at the church or at home. Or you could make slips of paper with the numbers on them and call out that way.
Video Set Up
Here is where you have a few options.
Option 1 – Cell Phone Video
The first option is to set your phone in front of your computer screen and broadcast to instagram live or Facebook live. Those who get a bingo could text you.
Option 2 – Zoom
A second option would be to use the screen share function of Zoom to share the bingo caller window with everyone. In addition, make sure and share the audio as well.
Option 3 – Zoom and Facebook Live
Finally you can use the screen share function of Zoom to then share on Facebook live. This is what the guys at stuffyoucanuse do with their trivia games.
It’s a little more intricate set up but it will allow many people to follow along. And you won’t have to worry about zoom invitations and so many people in one call.
I hope that this is helpful as we continue to all look for ways to engage our youth and church during the coronavirus lockdown. For more coronavirus resources please check out our Covid-19 Resource Page
Related posts:
Start running your own virtual bingo game in less than two minutes.Our virtual bingo system is the most popular in the world because it's so quick and easy to use.
It's totally free to run a game for up to 30 players, and prices start at $10 for more players.Check out a demo:
Our virtual bingo system is packed with features and includes everything you need to run a virtual bingo game:
- Randomized bingo cards
- Bingo caller
- Automated winner verification
- Tools to send out virtual bingo links to players
- Virtual bingo cards that can be played on-sreen or printed
All bingo cards made on myfreebingocards.com can be played virtually.
Our virtual bingo games are totally free for up to 30 players.For more than 30 players our prices start at $10 for 100 bingo cards, which gives access to our virtual bingo system for 31 days.
To get started right away with our bingo card generator choose an option below:
- 1-75 Number Bingo (American style)
- 1-90 Number Bingo (UK style)
If you want more info before you get started then read on to find out more about our bingo card generator and our virtual bingo system.
Holiday Bingo Via Zoom
How to use our bingo card generator
If you haven't used it before then please watch this video showing how to use our bingo card generator to make 1-75, 1-90 or any other type of bingo cards.
How to send out virtual bingo cards
We offer several methods to send out virtual bingo cards to your players.Paid-for bingo games include a tool to automatically send out links to a list of email addresses you provide.
How to call your bingo game
Everyone gets free access to our amazing bingo caller. The caller picks out the next call for you to read out, and can also be used to check if a player has won.Watch this video to see how it works.
Our free bingo cards come with three different call sequences so you can play three different games of bingo using our caller.
Paid-for bingo cards for more than 30 players come with 100 call sequences, and include the ability to call the bingo yourself in any order you want.The caller is available for 31 days from the date of purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every player get a different bingo card?
For paid games we guarantee that each player will get a different bingo card.For free games played using the 'Virtual Link' it is possible that two players will get the same bingo card.However even if each player has a different bingo card it is still possible for two people to get 'bingo' on the same call.
You should plan for what to do in case several people win on the same call,e.g. by having enough prizes for several winners, a prize that can be shared, or by giving the prize to the player who responded with 'bingo' first.
Can players use the same card again?
Yes. Each virtual bingo card can be reset by the player, and can be reused as many times as you like (for up to 31 days for paid-for bingo cards).Watch this video to see a demo.
Zoom Meeting Bingo
Can I send more than one bingo card per player?
Yes, you can send up to 20 bingo card links at a time to each player. If you need to send more you can repeat the process.
How do I verify that someone has won?
Ask the player for their Bingo Card ID and enter it into our card verifier. You will see what that player's card should look like at the current call.Watch a demo here.The system works with any winning pattern - you can immediately see if a card is a winner just by looking at it.
Can I add more bingo cards?
Yes. If your game turns out to be more popular than expected you can add more bingo cards.Watch this video to see how.A discount of 20% is automatically applied.You must add the new cards from within the set you want to add them to - do not simply buy a new set of bingo cards.
Can I get more than 500 bingo cards?
Yes. Start by buying 500 bingo cards, then add more bingo cards to the set. You can add 100, 250 or 500 cards at a time.See the previous question for help adding more cards.
Can I use your site for a fundraiser?
Maybe. It's essential that you read the disclaimer section of our terms before you consider charging players for a bingo game.If you do go ahead, Ticket Tailor are currently offering free ticketing for online events.
Can you play bingo and listen to Zoom on the same device?
Yes - on the devices we have tested. On most mobiles and tablets it's possible to have Zoom, WhatsApp, etc running in the background while the browser is open.So you can listen to the bingo calls and mark your card on the same device. We cannot guarantee this will work on all devices.
Can you play several virtual bingo cards at once?
Yes. This works on computers, tablets and mobiles. Watch this video for a demonstration.
Can players print virtual bingo cards?
Yes. Players can choose which bingo cards to print and what size to print them. Watch this video to see how it works.
Games To Play Over Zoom
Do I get printable bingo cards too?
Yes. With all games you get access to run a virtual bingo game andyou can download a single PDF file with bingo cards to print off for an in‑person game.
With free bingo cards, depending on how you share the cards, players might be able to cheat by opening several bingo cards in different tabs. If it's important that your players can't cheat then choose a paid option.
Play Bingo Via Zoom
Does the virtual bingo game expire?
Paid-for bingo games expire 31 days after the date of purchase, which should give you plenty of time to play your bingo games.If you want to keep playing after 31 days you can extend your virtual bingo cards - watch this video to see how.Free virtual bingo games do not expire - just make sure you bookmark or save the link to the bingo caller so you can come back to it.