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

Quick answer: Print the 28 caller notes, one blank board for each player plus spares, and the caller log. Before you play, draw one picture for each caller entry and copy the same drawings onto the boards. The page gives you text caller notes, drawing hints and blank grids. It does not include finished illustrated boards or a separate PDF. Then show each picture card, say its name and let players cover the matching square. Use a 5x5 board with a free Heart Space for the full game, or a nine-picture board for younger children.

28 Valentine bingo caller notes

Print these names and drawing hints, then add matching pictures to the caller cards and boards. The picker can repeat earlier calls; use shuffled paper cards for a round without repeats.

Friendship-themedSuggested ages 3 and up, with a nine-picture board and matching help for younger playersA seated Valentine game to adapt to your class or family

How to play

Print one blank board per player, add matching pictures and prepare the caller cards.
Show the winning pattern and cover the free Heart Space on 5x5 boards.
Shuffle the paper cards, show one picture for a slow three count and say its name twice.
Players cover the matching picture if it appears on their board; pause when someone needs more time.
Keep called cards separate and check each claimed win against them. Record all valid tied winners.
Clear the markers, reshuffle the full deck and show the next pattern before another round.

Random calling card

Draw one when the room is ready

Winged heart — a red heart with two small white wings

Winged heart — a red heart with two small white wings
Cupid's arrow — a golden arrow with a feathered end and a heart tip
Lovebug — a round red beetle with heart-shaped spots
Valentine mailbox — a shoebox mailbox with a card slot and a sticker heart
Candy heart — a pink candy with two short letters stamped on top
Chocolate box — an open box with two rows of wrapped chocolates
Red rose — one rose on a long stem with two leaves
Teddy bear — a brown bear hugging a small red heart
Paper valentine — a folded card with a lace edge and a big XO
Doily — a white lace paper circle with scalloped edges
Sticker sheet — a page of shiny hearts with two already peeled
Friendship bracelet — a braided band in pink, red, and white
Buddy bench — a small bench with one heart painted on the backrest
Kindness jar — a jar half full of folded paper notes
Bumblebee — a striped bee flying a dotted loop around a daisy
Paper bouquet — three paper blooms wrapped in a cone
Sealed envelope — an envelope pressed with a red wax heart
Cupcake — a swirled cupcake with one candy heart on top
Strawberry — a red berry with a leafy cap and seed dots
Foil balloon — a heart-shaped balloon on a string, mid-float
Owl — a round owl with a heart-shaped chest patch
Puppy — a floppy-eared puppy with a bone-shaped collar tag
Kitten — a gray kitten batting a pink yarn ball
Heart sunglasses — red glasses with heart-shaped lenses
High five — two hands meeting with three motion lines
Puzzle pair — two interlocking pieces, one pink and one red
Gift box — a small pink box tied with a white ribbon bow
Confetti — a scatter of tiny paper hearts and dots

What you get when you print this bingo page

The page has 28 caller entries. Each one has a name and a drawing hint, such as the buddy bench, the kindness jar or the puppy. It also has a blank 5x5 board, a blank 3x3 board, a three-round caller log and a sheet for writing down each picture as it is called. The print controls print the page itself.

The pictures are your job. Before anyone can play, the caller cards and the player boards need matching drawings. Plan time for drawing, copying, cutting and gluing as well as printing.

Does this page include finished picture boards or a PDF?

Quick answer: No. You get 28 caller names with drawing hints, blank boards and logs you can write on. Add the same pictures to the caller cards and the player boards before you play.

If you want a version where children draw their own nine-square boards, the Valentine party games pack includes a sketch-your-own option. Each pack has its own contents, so check that pack before you count on it.

Draw the pictures for the caller cards and boards

Draw one picture for each of the 28 caller entries, then copy those same drawings for the boards. Simple pictures are fine as long as children can tell them apart. For example, give the winged heart two visible wings, keep the foil balloon on a string and draw the candy heart as a small stamped sweet. Three similar plain hearts would be harder to match.

Check that each picture can be told apart without relying on pink, red or gold, using shapes and details such as wings and strings. Ask families whether any child would find another adjustment useful. Advice on color-blind-friendly party games also suggests adding pictures to signs for different areas.

If you fold the caller cards, put the picture on the side the players see and the name on your side. Keep words off the children's picture squares. Cut each player's pictures into separate tiles, arrange them on the board and glue them down. If you do this before the party, the party time can go on playing instead of cutting and gluing.

Keep the rules and materials together so someone else can take over as caller if needed.

How do I keep the theme about friendship?

Quick answer: Use pictures such as the buddy bench, kindness jar, high five and friendship bracelet, and keep the messages about friendship rather than couples or crushes.

If bingo is one part of a larger Valentine event, keep the same friendship focus for the other activities and food. A plan for Valentine’s party food and games for a class or crew includes preparing labels from the actual recipes or packages and keeping ingredient information with the food.

The deck also includes Cupid's arrow and a card with XO. If they don't fit your classroom's guidance, change those drawings or leave those calls out. Make the same change on every board that uses that picture. Every picture you keep on a board needs a matching caller card, or nobody can ever cover that square.

How many boards to print and how to fill them

A full-size board has 24 different pictures from the 28-card deck, plus a free Heart Space in the center. You can put the same 24 pictures on every board in different orders, or give the boards different sets of 24. Either way, keep the full caller deck together so every board picture can be called.

Shuffling the order changes when rows fill up, but it does not stop ties. If every board has the same 24 pictures, every correctly marked board reaches blackout on the same call. Boards with different picture sets can reach blackout at different times, but ties can still happen.

Count only the people who will hold a board. If the birthday child or a sibling is playing, include them. Adults who are only helping or calling do not need a board. A class of 24 already includes the birthday child if that child is in the class, so don't add them again. The numbers below are worked examples.

A party guest-list planner records invited guests by row, so the birthday child and household members usually aren't listed. Add a separate note for everyone who will play bingo, including siblings, and prepare boards from that count rather than from all attendees or helpers.

What to prepare	Family of six (example)	Class of 24 (example)
Blank boards	6 plus 1 spare: 7 total	24 plus 2 spares: 26 total
Full-size picture sets	6 sets of 24	24 sets of 24
Caller cards	1 deck of 28	1 deck of 28
Marker cups	6 cups of 30	24 cups of 30
Markers for seated players	6 x 30 = 180	24 x 30 = 720

How many boards do I need for a class of 24?

Quick answer: Print 24 player boards plus two spares, so 26 blank boards in total. Prepare 24 picture sets and 720 markers (30 per player).

If you hand out a spare board, give it its own picture set and 30 markers. If you want a reference at the caller's seat, make a separate master board instead of taking one from a player. The master board shows what the pictures look like. The pile of used caller cards shows what has actually been called.

With a class, you can either prepare and number 24 picture orders in advance or let the children shuffle their tiles before gluing. Number the finished boards in a bottom corner so you can sort them if a stack gets dropped. If you want to reuse the boards with removable markers, laminate them.

If children shuffle and glue their own tiles, set out a picture set for each child and enough glue at each table so nobody waits; boards prepared in advance skip this step. Tips on how to plan shared materials include asking a willing adult to help with handoffs.

Choosing the 5x5 or 3x3 board

The 5x5 board has a printed free Heart Space in the center. Players cover it before the first call. The printed table is a blank template, not a scale drawing. The original handmade layout used squares 4 cm wide with 2 mm outlines, so five squares span 20 cm before borders and margins. Check the print preview and print a test copy first. You may need landscape orientation or larger paper for those sizes.

The 3x3 board has nine pictures and no free center, and any complete row across wins. For a separate round with younger players, use only the nine caller cards that match those boards. If mini-boards join a full-deck game, tell the players that some calls won't be on their boards. Keep mini-board wins separate from 5x5 wins, because the boards need different things to win.

How can three- and four-year-olds play without reading?

Quick answer: Try a 3x3 board with nine pictures and no free center. Show each caller picture while you count three slowly, say its name twice and pause while the children find it. Any complete row wins.

A helper can sit beside a child and show how to match the pictures. Offer the larger board in a later round if the child wants to try it. Sound effects like a bee buzz or a heartbeat thump can add fun, but keep showing the picture, because a sound alone may not tell everyone which square to cover.

Before the first round, try a practice call: show a picture, have the helper point to its match, then let the child find the next one. That shows whether younger players can match without text. For other activities, party games with no reading required include options like Duck Duck Goose.

Show the pictures and call the round

Show the winning pattern before you start. Then show one practice call: hold up the picture, say its name and show how to cover the matching square. If a called picture isn't on a player's board, that player doesn't put down a marker.

Shuffle the paper caller cards. Hold each picture up while you count three slowly, then say the name, and leave the card where players can see it. Say the name again before the next call. Try one call about every 20 seconds, and pause whenever someone needs more time.

If some players don't share a language, demonstrate a match before starting and check understanding by watching who covers the right square, rather than relying on spoken names. Party games for guests who speak different languages use hand signals, such as circling one finger for one more round.

When someone calls bingo, check the covered pattern against the used cards. The free center doesn't need to be called. Also check anyone else who finished on the same call, and write down every valid winner. Clear the markers and reshuffle the complete deck before the next round. The same pictures will come up again in later rounds, and that's expected.

If a square is disputed, write down the board number and position, such as board 6, row 4, column 2. The used caller cards show whether that picture was called.

Before the round starts, explain that a disputed square is checked against the used caller cards, and say what happens if two players finish on the same call. Settling that ahead keeps the check calm. More on how to keep party games from getting too competitive includes rotating jobs whatever the score.

Can the on-screen picker repeat a call?

Quick answer: Yes. It won't show the same picture twice in a row, but an earlier picture can come up again.

The picker also doesn't keep a record of what it has shown. If you want a round with no repeated calls, shuffle the paper cards and put each called card in a separate pile. If you use the picker anyway, write down each new call on the log and skip any repeats.

Choose a winning pattern, markers and prizes

Choose one pattern for each round and show an example before calling. These patterns are for the 5x5 board. Use a single row for the mini-board. They are options to choose from, not eight rounds to fit into one party. A row is an easy first round. Save blackout for a longer round, or for a finish everyone shares when all boards have the same pictures.

Pattern	What players cover
Heartline row	Any one complete row across: five squares, including the free center if it is the middle row
Dropped line	Any one complete column down: five squares
Four corners	The four corner squares only; the free center does not count
Cupid's X	Both diagonals crossing at the free Heart Space: nine squares
Lace frame	The full outer border: 16 squares
Arrow through the heart	The middle row and middle column: nine squares in a plus sign
Blackout	All 25 squares, including the free center
Kindness wall	A cooperative round: keep calling until every board has one finished line; helpers can help younger players match

Can I use something other than candy hearts?

Quick answer: Yes. Paper heart cutouts work if you don't want to use food. The original suggestions also include cereal loops and pom-poms. Choose markers that suit the children's ages and needs, and keep small pieces and hard candy away from young children. Allow 30 markers for each full-size board and keep extras nearby.

The original setup puts candy hearts in cups with napkins underneath. Thirty markers cover all 25 squares with a few to spare. Hard candy and other small pieces can be a choking risk for young children, so don't use hard candy markers with three- and four-year-olds. With younger players, pick markers that suit their age and stage, and watch the table during play. A non-food marker isn't automatically safe either, since small items like pom-poms can still go in mouths. Markers are for covering squares, not snacks; if you want to share treats, do it after the game. Choose materials that suit the children and the classroom rules. Check the actual ingredients with families before using food as markers. A cereal is not automatically suitable for a nut-free or dye-free requirement. If you have agreed a separate marker option for a child, keep it labelled instead of refilling everyone from one tray.

Prizes are optional. The original suggestions are sticker sheets for line wins, novelty pencils for blackout and a group photo for a cooperative finish. Use only what fits your party and its photo arrangements. Show the prize list before play and decide how you'll handle ties.

Example: a 30-minute bingo session with two rounds

This is an illustrative timetable for two rounds with the boards prepared in advance. It adds up to 30 minutes. Calling all 28 cards at 20 seconds each takes 9 minutes 20 seconds, before any pauses for matching. A row may finish much sooner, and a longer pattern may need more time. If the first round uses up the time, skip the second.

Bingo is one block in the day, so place it in your party-day timeline with time to clear boards and caller cards afterward. If matching runs long, plan for a single round. Add up all the minutes and compare the total with the invitation.

0:00 to 0:02: Hand out the boards and marker cups, cover the free centers, show the first pattern and do a practice call.
0:02 to 0:12: Call the first round. Stop to check any claimed win. If it ends early, keep going toward a finish everyone shares if there's time.
0:12 to 0:15: Check for tied winners, hand out any prizes, write the result in the log, clear the markers, reshuffle and show the next pattern.
0:15 to 0:25: Call the second round. A new caller can take over with the rules and log beside them.
0:25 to 0:28: Check the final wins against the called cards and record them.
0:28 to 0:30: Collect the boards, marker cups and cards before the next activity.

How long does a round take?

Quick answer: For planning, allow about 15 minutes per round, including explaining, calling and checking wins.

Calling all 28 cards at 20 seconds each takes 9 minutes 20 seconds before pauses. A line may finish earlier. Helping children match pictures or choosing a longer pattern can take more time. If time is short, plan one row round instead of promising two full rounds.

Checklist before the game starts

The original estimate is 30 minutes of preparation. That depends on how much of the artwork is already done, so allow more if you still need to draw and copy the pictures.

Count the players and print their boards plus spares.
Draw the caller pictures and make a matching picture set for each board.
Arrange 24 pictures around each full-size board's free center, or nine pictures on each mini-board.
Number the boards, and make a separate reference board if it would help.
Cut and shuffle the caller cards, and set aside a place for used cards.
Count out the marker cups and keep extra markers nearby.
Make a card showing the first winning pattern and put it where everyone can see it.
Set out the caller log, a pencil and any prizes you've chosen.
Leave the rules with the deck for the next caller.



		FREE Heart Space

Round	Pattern	Winner or tied winners	Time of win	Caller
1	____________________	____________________	__________	__________
2	____________________	____________________	__________	__________
3	____________________	____________________	__________	__________

Call	Picture	Call	Picture
1	____________________	15	____________________
2	____________________	16	____________________
3	____________________	17	____________________
4	____________________	18	____________________
5	____________________	19	____________________
6	____________________	20	____________________
7	____________________	21	____________________
8	____________________	22	____________________
9	____________________	23	____________________
10	____________________	24	____________________
11	____________________	25	____________________
12	____________________	26	____________________
13	____________________	27	____________________
14	____________________	28	____________________

Player: ____________________ Board number: __________

Caller: ____________________ Date: ____________________

Next caller or notes: ____________________________________________________________

Round: __________ Pattern: ____________________

Sources and further reading

Valentine picture bingo to print