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Human Bingo: The ice breaker for any class, seminar or training day

Everyone gets a "Find someone who…" card. Students walk around, ask one question at a time, and write a name in the square when the answer is yes. Three in a row? BINGO!

Free, no sign-in. A4 and US Letter. Answer keys included.

The how-to-teach video comes out on Tue 1 Dec.

• Ages 8 to adult: Kids, teens, adults
• Beginner +: About A1 to B2
• 10 minutes: One or two bingos
• A card each: Or our ready cards
• Do you…? Have you ever…?: Questions and short answers

Free printables

Everything you need for the game, ready to print in black and white.

• Bingo cards (5 pages, PDF): Ready "Find someone who…" cards for kids, teens and adults, seminars and training days, and winter, two different cards per page, plus blank cards for your own squares. A4 · US Letter
• Teacher guide (1 page, PDF): How to play, the rules, what students say, easier and harder versions, and why it works, on one page. A4 · US Letter
• Worksheet: Support, Core, Challenge (4 pages, PDF): Questions and short answers, checking a bingo card, and reporting with he and she, with a QR code for home practice and an answer key. A4 · US Letter

Human Bingo in four steps

1. Give out the cards. Everyone gets a card with nine squares. Each square says "Find someone who…": has a pet, can swim, has been on a plane.
2. Turn squares into questions. Practise first: "has a pet" becomes "Do you have a pet?", "can swim" becomes "Can you swim?", "has been on a plane" becomes "Have you ever been on a plane?"
3. Walk, ask, write. Everyone stands up, walks around and asks one question at a time. A yes? Write that person's name in the square. One name per person.
4. BINGO, then check it. Three names in a row? Shout BINGO! The winner reads the names out: "Zoe has been on a plane!" Check the class agrees.

Tip: No signing your own card, and one name per person, so everyone has to talk to lots of people. Use one freeze signal (hand up, count down from three) and stop after one or two bingos.

Easier: Put a picture in each square and use "Do you…?" and "Can you…?" questions only. Harder: Fill the whole card, not just a line, and ask one follow-up question for every yes: "Where did you go?"

Squares you can use right now

Kids

Write nine on the board and students copy them into a 3 by 3 grid, or use the free cards:

Do you…? Can you…?: can swim, can whistle, has a pet, likes rain, has a brother, likes broccoli, plays an instrument, was born in summer, can ride a bike

Teens, adults and training days

Have you ever…?: has been to another country, has met someone famous, has broken a bone, has eaten sushi, has sung karaoke

Work: has worked abroad, walks to work, has changed career, loves Mondays

The free cards also have a winter set for December and January, and blank cards for your own squares.

Why it works

Every question is about a real person in the room, so every answer is news. Students need the answer to fill their card, and the winner reports what they found out, so the questions and the he/she forms do a real job.

What you need

One bingo card per student, and room to walk around. About 10 minutes for one or two bingos. The free printables above cover everything else.

Practise at home

The worksheet QR code opens the Sports word search, free, no sign-in.

Make a Sports Spin the Wheel

Spin, then everyone asks a partner: "Can you ski?" "Have you ever played tennis?" Free, no AI needed. Make it free

More classroom games

• Yes, No, Stand Up: A no-prep energizer before class starts, for kids, teens and adults
• Find the Spy: A hidden-role speaking game for kids, teens and adults
• Running Dictation: A reading, speaking, listening and writing race
• Who's the Leader?: A no-prep energizer for kids, teens and adults
• Who Stole the Pumpkin?: A Halloween mystery speaking game for teens
• Ghost Story Chain: A Halloween speaking game for teens
• Draw My Monster: A Halloween listening game for kids and teens

Human Bingo FAQ

What do I need for Human Bingo?

One card per student. The free printables have ready cards for kids, teens and adults, training days and winter, plus blank cards for your own squares.

Does it work for seminars and training days?

Yes. Use the work card ("has worked abroad", "walks to work") and add one follow-up question for every yes, so people really get to know each other.

How do I stop students signing their own card?

Make the rules clear before you start: no signing your own card, and one name per person. The winner reads the names out, so the class checks every square.

What language does it practise?

Questions and short answers ("Do you…?", "Can you…?", "Have you ever…?"), and he/she sentences when the winner reports back. Older students add follow-up questions.

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