Birthday picture bingo cards
Give each child a picture board, show a matching caller card and say its name twice. Children can point to the picture and mark it without reading. Below are a 3×3 board for ages 3–4, a 5×5 board for ages 5 and up, and instructions for preparing different boards and playing again.
The caller pack above has 24 pictures from the full board and five optional replacements. The boards use emoji pictures, so check how they appear in your print preview before printing the whole set.
Get the bingo table ready
Prepare one board per player or pair, plus two spares. Set the boards where everyone can see the caller.
- Print the boards on card stock if you have it; check one copy before printing the rest.
- Prepare the matching caller cards. Keep the five replacement calls separate for now.
- Put the caller cards face down in a mixing bowl and leave space beside it for used cards.
- Give each player or pair a small cup of markers.
- Put stickers or other chosen prizes in a paper bag if you want to award them.
- Place the 3×3 boards where younger players can see the pictures clearly.
The original marker suggestions are cereal loops, small crackers, buttons and pom-poms. Choose what is appropriate for your guests, and confirm food requirements before using snacks. Markers need to leave enough of each picture visible for children to recognize it.
Write down these details for anyone helping:
| Preparation note | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Players or pairs | ____________________ |
| 3×3 boards needed | ____________________ |
| 5×5 boards needed | ____________________ |
| Markers | ____________________ |
| Caller | ____________________ |
| Prizes, if any | ____________________ |
For a longer helper sheet, the printable party games guide covers supply locations and helper jobs. Keep those notes together using the suggestions in the printable library.
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Print a bingo board
These grids contain pictures only, apart from the free center. The caller pack gives you the matching names. Use the same emoji pictures on boards and caller cards so children can match what they see.
5×5 board for ages 5 and up
Cover the free center before calling. A complete row, column or diagonal of five spaces wins, including the free center when it falls on that line.
| 🎂 | 🎈 | 🥳 | 🎁 | 🧁 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🧸 | 🍦 | 🥁 | 🖍️ | 🌟 |
| 🐶 | 🐱 | FREE | 🦆 | 🚀 |
| 🧃 | 🍕 | 🌸 | ⚽ | 🚂 |
| 🦋 | 🐟 | ☀️ | 🍎 | 🤖 |
The rows match the original master: cake, balloon, party hat, gift box and cupcake; teddy bear, ice cream cone, drum, crayon and smiley star; puppy, kitten, free center, duck and rocket; juice box, pizza slice, flower, soccer ball and train; butterfly, fish, sun, apple and robot. Here, 🥳 is the party-hat picture and 🌟 is the smiley-star picture. Show children those two before starting.
3×3 board for ages 3 and 4
There is no free space. Three pictures in a row, column or diagonal wins.
| 🎈 | 🐶 | 🎂 |
|---|---|---|
| 🦆 | 🥳 | 🧸 |
| 🍦 | 🐟 | 🥁 |
Use only these nine matching calls for this version. After the first bingo, you can keep calling until everyone has covered the whole board. That finish is called blackout.
Check the printed pictures
Copy the grid into a document if you need to enlarge it or put one board on each page. For the 3×3 version, the original guide suggests pictures at least 4 centimeters tall; enlarge the document until the printed pictures reach that size. This webpage does not set a fixed printed picture size.
In print preview, turn browser headers and footers off if available, then check that the grid fits on the page and that every emoji appears. Leave the grid lines visible. Print one test board and one caller card before making copies; emoji can look different across devices and printers.
Give guests different boards
Keep the center row of the 5×5 board in place. Change the order of the other four rows to make different arrangements while retaining the free center.
For preparation, call the cake row A, the teddy-bear row B, the juice-box row C and the butterfly row D. These letters are host notes, not extra labels children need to read.
| Example board | Top row | Second row | Center row | Fourth row | Bottom row |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | B | Puppy row | C | D |
| 2 | A | C | Puppy row | B | D |
| 3 | A | D | Puppy row | B | C |
| 4 | B | A | Puppy row | C | D |
Each outer row can go first, followed by any of the three remaining rows, then either of the last two: 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 gives 24 arrangements. Copy the pictures in the chosen row order before printing each board.
Different arrangements can still win together. Whole rows retain the same pictures, so row swaps do not prevent shared wins. For more variation, rearrange individual pictures too, keeping all 24 pictures once each and the free center in place. Turning a board a quarter turn changes its orientation but preserves its winning lines.
For different 3×3 boards, rearrange the nine pictures without adding or removing any. If you print identical copies, expect children to complete the same lines together; you can play as a shared matching game instead of looking for one winner.
Call the pictures and check a bingo
For a physical deck, print the caller pack and cut the entries into separate cards, or copy each picture and name onto a card. Use 24 matching cards for the full board or the nine matching cards for the small board. Put drawn cards face up beside the bowl so you can check a winning line.
Show the picture, say its name twice and pause while children look. The caller actions are optional: point to your head for party hat, tap twice for drum or use a robot voice. Give younger players time to find the picture before drawing again.
When someone calls bingo, ask them to point along their row, column or diagonal. Check those pictures against the cards already called. If two players complete a line together, both win; if you have a prize bag, let both choose.
Use the digital picker with a called-picture list
The Draw another call button can repeat an earlier picture. It also draws from all 29 entries, including replacements. Skip a repeated call or any picture that is not on your boards, and record the matching pictures you have called. For a round without repeat draws, use the physical deck and keep used cards out of the bowl.
Prepare a second round
Clear the markers and reshuffle the matching cards. You do not need new pictures to play again.
If you want to use the five replacements, change the pictures on every board before changing the caller deck. For example, replace cake with candle flame, balloon with moon, party hat with umbrella, teddy bear with frog and drum with snowman. Remove those five original calls and add the five replacements. All five original pictures occur on both board sizes, so this example works for either version.
Write your substitutions down so a helper knows which calls to use:
| Original picture | Replacement picture |
|---|---|
| ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ |
Help younger and older children play together
Use the smaller board when a child would find nine pictures easier to scan. Give an older child the full board if they want a longer round. Agree before starting that the small board needs three in a line and the full board needs five.
If you call for both sizes together, use the 24 core cards and explain that some calls will not appear on the smaller board. If that makes the round frustrating, play the nine-picture round together first, then offer the full-board version afterward.
For more than ten guests, sharing boards is an option. Let the younger child find the picture and the older child help check the line, then swap jobs if both want a turn. The mixed-age party games guide has more ways to share useful jobs. The birthday party games guide can help you choose another game that fits the number of guests and the room.
When to prepare the bingo game
Spread the preparation out if that suits your week. The listed 20-minute prep time is a starting estimate; editing boards and enlarging pictures may take longer.
- A week before: Check the pictures in print preview, print a test board and decide how many of each size you need. Check your markers and prizes.
- The day before: Finish the board arrangements, print the copies and cut the matching caller cards. Put replacement calls in a separate envelope.
- An hour before: Set out boards, marker cups and the caller bowl. Keep the host notes beside the caller.
- Between rounds: Clear boards, refill marker cups and reshuffle. Change both boards and calls if using replacement pictures.
As an example 15-minute slot for two 3×3 rounds, allow two minutes to demonstrate, five minutes for round one, two minutes to check wins and reset, five minutes for round two and one minute to collect the pieces. That totals 15 minutes. It is a schedule to adjust, not a promise that a round will finish on time.
What to play after bingo
Pick a follow-on activity only if you need it. Clear the bingo boards and markers before using the table for food or another game.
- If food is nearly ready: Try I Spy from games to play while waiting for food. Choose something everyone can see, give its color and let the children guess.
- If children want to make something: The easy building-block challenge cards include familiar objects to build, with picture sketches for nonreaders.
- If you have prepared an outdoor activity: Nature scavenger hunt cards include observation prompts, a picture-only variation and boundary notes. Arrange that activity before guests arrive.
- If you want a clue trail: Birthday treasure hunt clues to print provide household riddles and a hiding map; younger guests will need someone to read the clues.
- If you prefer finding things in any order: Scavenger hunt ideas include a picture-card hunt and simple indoor finds.
- If you need another short game: Easy party games explain table games and movement games with clear places to stop.
For a treasure-themed birthday, treasure hunt party food includes snack cups and X-marked cupcakes for the food break. For another theme, party food ideas for kids’ themes offers familiar menus you can adapt. The dinosaur party guide can help you connect a separate themed activity with the rest of the birthday.
If older siblings want their own activity, the Never Have I Ever guide explains a pass rule for a separate conversation game. If they already have a spa activity planned, spa party activities and food helps arrange stations and the food break. Neither needs to be added to the younger children’s bingo round.
Birthday picture bingo questions
How many birthday picture bingo cards should I print?
Prepare one board per player or pair, plus two spares. The 5×5 layout allows 24 arrangements by keeping the center row fixed and changing the order of the four other rows. Different arrangements can still win together.
Can children who cannot read play?
Yes. They match the picture on the caller card to a picture on their board. Show each picture while saying its name twice, and use the 3×3 board for a shorter round.
What can I use as bingo markers?
The original suggestions are cereal loops, small crackers, buttons or pom-poms. Choose markers appropriate for the children attending and confirm food requirements before using snacks. Give each player or pair a small cup.
How long should I allow for a round?
Use five minutes for a 3×3 round or ten minutes for a 5×5 round as planning estimates, not fixed durations. Allow extra time to demonstrate a turn, check wins and reset.
What if two children call bingo together?
Check both lines against the called pictures and let both share the win. If you are giving prizes, let both choose. You can keep calling until everyone covers their board if the group wants to continue.