How do I prepare and use Christmas picture bingo to print?

Quick answer: Print the 24 Christmas calls and one blank 5 by 5 board per player, plus two spares. Before the party, draw or add the 24 pictures to each board, one in every square around the free center, and draw the same pictures on the caller cards. At the party, shuffle the cards, say each name, hold up the picture and have players cover the matching square. Check any bingo against the caller log before you give a prize. The calls are text and the board is blank, so children who can't read need the drawings added first.

24 Christmas bingo calls to print

Print the text calls below and add the drawings described on each card. The picker can repeat earlier calls; use a shuffled paper deck for a round without repeats.

Random bingo call

Draw one when the room is ready

Santa hat — red cone with white trim and a pompom

Santa hat — red cone with white trim and a pompom
Christmas tree — green triangle tree with a star on top
Candy cane — white hook with two red stripes
Gingerbread man — smiling cookie with icing buttons
Snowman — two snow balls, carrot nose, top hat
Stocking — red stocking with a white cuff hung on a hook
Jingle bell — gold bell with a ribbon bow
Wreath — green circle with red berries and a bow at the bottom
Reindeer — brown face, antlers, round red nose
Sleigh — red runner sled piled with gifts
Bauble — round ornament with a hanger loop and one stripe
Present — wrapped box with a cross ribbon and a big bow
Star topper — five-point gold star with rays
Mitten — one red mitten with a snowflake pattern
Hot cocoa — mug with steam curls and mini marshmallows
Peppermint swirl — round candy with a red and white pinwheel
Snowflake — six-armed white flake on a dark square
Elf — pointy green hat and curled shoes
Cookie plate — plate with a bitten cookie and crumbs
Glass of milk — half-full glass beside cookie crumbs
Chimney — brick chimney with snow on top
Penguin — penguin with an orange beak and a knit scarf
String of lights — wavy wire with colored bulbs
Gift bow — big red bow with two loops and tails

What you get when you print Christmas picture bingo

The printable has three parts: 24 Christmas calls, a blank bingo board and a caller log. Each call comes with a drawing hint, from a red Santa hat to a penguin wearing a scarf. The calls are text and the board is empty. There is no finished illustrated board to download.

That matters most if your players are young. Children who can't read yet need real drawings on both the boards and the caller cards. Labels under the pictures can help readers, but labels alone won't turn this into a picture game. Plan time to add the pictures before party day.

The blank grid is for your own drawings. It won't create different boards for you, so you decide the layout of each one.

How to add the pictures and print the boards

Use a 5 by 5 grid with a free center space. Put one of the 24 Christmas pictures in each of the other squares and use every picture once. Draw each picture the same way on the caller card and the boards so children can match what they see.

Make similar calls easy to tell apart. For example, draw the candy cane as a white hook with two red stripes, and draw the peppermint swirl as a round red-and-white pinwheel. The wrapped present has a box and ribbon. The gift bow is just the bow.

Print a test page at 100% scale and check the print preview before printing the full set. Use card stock if you have it, and print one board per page if your printer settings allow it.

For general printing help, our guide to printable party games explains using the print controls or your browser's Print command and checking the preview. Bingo pictures still need drawing before you print.

Put the pictures in a different order on each board before copying. Shuffling alone doesn't guarantee every board is different, so compare the finished boards if you want to avoid identical layouts. Keep two finished boards aside to demonstrate the game.

Different layouts change when a row, column or diagonal fills, but two players can still finish on the same call.
Every board holds the same 24 pictures, so in a blackout round all correctly marked boards fill on the last call. Play for a line if you want a competitive finish, and be ready for joint winners if one call completes more than one line.

How many boards should you print?

Print one board per player plus two spares. You need only one set of the 24 caller cards for the whole group. If children share boards in pairs, count pairs instead of players.

Count everyone who will actually play: the guest of honor, siblings and any adults who want to join. If the class count already includes your child, don't add them again.

Confirm who's attending first, then mark which of them will play before you count boards. The party guest-list planner helps record attendees, the finish time and who is collecting each guest.

Gathering (illustrative)	Player boards	Spares	Total boards	Caller decks
Family table of 8	8	2	10	1
Party of 12	12	2	14	1
Class of 24	24	2	26	1
Class of 28	28	2	30	1

How many Christmas picture bingo boards do I need for a class party?

Quick answer: Print one board per student plus two spares: 26 boards for a class of 24, or 30 for a class of 28. One set of the 24 caller cards is enough.

The class number usually already includes your own child if they're in that class, so start from the class list. If a sibling or a helping adult wants to play, add a board for each of them.

Before you finalize boards, check with the teacher about timing, helpers and any siblings or adults joining. Our guide to planning a classroom celebration explains what a class number normally includes and counting each person once.

Add the pictures to the blank boards before the party. For two separate parties of 12, you can reuse the same 14 boards and shuffle the calls again between parties. At a holiday dinner, count one board per chair plus two for late arrivals.

Set out the markers, caller cards and prizes

Set up each place before the players sit down, so the first round can start straight away. Removable markers let you clear the boards and play again without printing more.

Put one prepared board at each place and keep the two spares nearby.
Put the 24 caller cards in a bowl, with space beside it for the cards that have been called.
Leave the caller log and a pencil within the caller's reach.
Offer nonfood prizes such as stickers, erasers or mini coloring sheets if you like. If you give out candy, check the labels against the food needs families have told you about.
Tell everyone what each round is for: a line prize, a shared blackout or a turn as caller.

What do we use as tokens?

Quick answer: Paper squares are the simplest choice: you can clear the boards and reuse them, and they're the marker to use at a table with very young children. Cereal loops and buttons are other options for some groups; choose what suits the children who are coming.

Put a small bowl between every two players. Fill it with enough markers to cover both boards completely, including the free centers.

Check that both players can reach their bowl and that it holds enough markers. A willing adult can help with refills. Our guide to planning shared materials without arguments covers checking supplies before guests arrive.

Food markers and small objects won't suit every group, so think about the ages and food needs of your guests before choosing anything other than paper. Don't use marshmallows as markers when young children are playing. Clear the boards before you serve food at the same table.

How to call a round and check for bingo

Give everyone a board and markers and cover the free center. Announce the winning pattern before the first call. Shuffle the 24 caller cards and put them face down in a bowl.

Draw one card at a time. Say the name, hold up the picture for a three-second count and wait longer if someone is still looking. Write each call in the caller log and keep called cards out of the bowl until the round ends. Use the printed cards for a round without repeats. The on-page picker can repeat a call from earlier in the round.

When someone calls bingo, check their covered squares against the called cards and the log before you give the prize. Then clear the boards, leaving the free center covered, put all the calls back and shuffle again. If the winner wants to, they can be the next caller.

What counts as a win?

Quick answer: For a line, a player needs five covered squares across, down or diagonally. The free center counts when the line passes through it. Four corners needs all four corner squares covered. Blackout means every square is covered.

Because every board has the same 24 pictures, blackout ends with the whole table finishing together on the last call. Use a line round if you want a competitive finish.

If one call completes a line on more than one board, accept joint winners. Have enough prizes ready for that, or make the prize something everyone can share.

Can 3-year-olds play without reading?

Quick answer: Yes, they can match pictures if the boards and caller cards have the same drawings. The calls come as text, so you need to add the drawings first.

If a full board is too much for a young child, a few picture pairs played face up may be easier. Christmas matching cards also need pictures added first, with a buddy naming the cards.

Show each card for a three-second count and pause longer when a child needs more time. A helper can sit beside a child who needs support. Two children can also share one board and agree where to put each marker. Paper squares are the marker to use at this age.

Age is only a starting point. Consider whether a child can match pictures, stay with the game and how much help they need before deciding the full board fits. Choosing party games for the children's ages explains briefing helpers.

Example: a 40-minute bingo session

Here is one possible plan for a session once the boards and cards are ready. The 12-minute line slot and the 20-minute blackout slot are planning allowances. They aren't guaranteed round lengths, so adjust them to your caller and players. The four slots add up to 40 minutes.

Time	What happens
0:00–0:05	Hand out boards, cover the free centers and show one practice call. Put the practice card back before shuffling.
0:05–0:17	Play for a line. Check each winning line against the log. If the round ends early, clear the markers and let a new caller practice.
0:17–0:20	Reset: return and shuffle all 24 cards, start a new log and explain the shared blackout finish.
0:20–0:40	Play blackout, check any missed squares together and gather up the markers. If everyone finishes early, end the session instead of dragging out the calls.

How long is one round?

Quick answer: When you plan your schedule, allow roughly 10–12 minutes for a line round and up to 20 minutes for blackout. Then adjust to your group.

These are planning allowances only. How fast the caller goes and how long players take to find each picture both change how long a round takes. A line round can fit after food, and a shared blackout can follow presents if the group wants another game.

When you place bingo in your day, leave flexible room, since round lengths vary. The party-day timeline helps you order arrival, food, presents and games so an optional round fits.

Other ways to play with the same boards

You can change the rules without printing anything new. Explain the new rule before you draw the first call.

If the group wants something different rather than another bingo round, pick a new game by age and space. Christmas party games for families helps you compare options and choose what to play first.

No-reading round: show each picture for at least three seconds and let players match picture to picture.
Speed round: try five calls a minute if everyone can keep up, and slow down when players are still searching.
Four corners: cover all four corner squares to win. This is a separate pattern, not a line of five.
Blackout: keep calling until every square is covered. With this 24-picture set, the whole table finishes together.
Team play: two players share a board and agree where to put each marker.
Quiet table: players raise a hand instead of shouting bingo.

Checklist before party day

Other seasonal bingo printables, such as Easter, Halloween or New Year's Eve, use different picture lists and quantities. Check the materials for each one before you prepare a set.

Count your players and decide whether they'll have their own boards or share in pairs.
Print a test page at 100% scale, then print one board per player plus two spares.
Draw the 24 pictures on each board in a different order, and draw matching pictures on one set of caller cards.
Choose markers that suit your guests (paper squares for very young children) and fill one bowl for every two players.
Set out the caller log, a pencil and any prizes.
Decide the order of your rounds, for example a line round and then a blackout round.
Keep the boards, cards and instructions together in case another adult takes over calling.

B	I	N	G	O


		FREE

What to count	Your number or note
Players, or pairs sharing boards	______________________________
Boards needed, including two spares	______________________________
Caller decks	______________________________
Who will add the pictures?	______________________________
Where the finished boards will go	______________________________

Call	Picture called	Call	Picture called
1	____________________	13	____________________
2	____________________	14	____________________
3	____________________	15	____________________
4	____________________	16	____________________
5	____________________	17	____________________
6	____________________	18	____________________
7	____________________	19	____________________
8	____________________	20	____________________
9	____________________	21	____________________
10	____________________	22	____________________
11	____________________	23	____________________
12	____________________	24	____________________

Player: ____________________ Board number: __________

Date: ______________ Caller: ______________ Winning pattern: ______________

Winner or joint winners: ______________________________________________

Next caller: __________________ Notes: ________________________________

Markers: ____________________ Prizes: ______________________________

Caller cards stored in: ____________________ Helper: ________________

Sources and further reading

Christmas picture bingo to print