Christmas bingo: 75 calls and a free card generator

The 75 Christmas bingo calls

Fifteen per column, and a card's B column only ever holds B calls, the same way classic bingo keeps numbers 1 to 15 under B. Print the caller sheet from the generator to cut these into slips.

How to play Christmas bingo

Five rules. Read them out before the first call.

1. 1Hand out one card each. Pick the number of players in the generator, then print the set or let people open this page and play the card on screen.
2. 2The caller draws at random. Press Next call in the Caller view, or pull slips from a bowl. Read the letter first: "N: cookie swap."
3. 3Players mark what they have. Each call sits in its own column, so a player only checks one column per call. The center square is free.
4. 4Five in a row calls bingo. Across, down or corner to corner. The player reads their five squares back, and the caller checks them against the calls so far.
5. 5Keep playing for second place. One prize per round, then switch the pattern and play again with the same cards.

How long it takes: With 10 to 30 players, someone usually has five in a row within 20 to 26 calls. At one call every 20 seconds, that is a round of about 8 minutes, so three rounds fill a 30-minute slot.

In the office, hybrid or on video

• In the office: Print a card per person and the caller sheet, cut the calls into slips, and mark squares with candy, buttons or a pen. Read each call twice.
• Hybrid: Put the caller view on the room's screen and share the same screen on the call. Remote players tap their card on this page; people in the room play on paper.
• On video: Share the caller view, and send everyone this page so they can tap their own card. Players type BINGO in the chat; the first message wins, then they read their five squares aloud.

Calling for 60 people on a video call, with half of them on mute? A hosted virtual bingo game runs the cards, the calls and the winner checks, so you get to play too.

Rounds and prizes

Keep the same cards and change the winning pattern each round. Clear the marks between rounds.

• Line. Five in a row across, down or corner to corner. The standard first round.
• Four corners. Only the four corner squares. Quick, and it gives a new set of people a chance.
• Letter X. Both diagonals, nine squares with the free space. A good middle round.
• Picture frame. All 16 squares around the edge. Plan on most of the calls.
• Blackout. Every square. Save it for the last round, with the biggest prize.

Prizes that work at the office

• First pick at the white elephant table. Costs nothing and everyone wants it.
• A box of good chocolates. Easy to mail to a remote winner, and nobody has to pick a size.
• The office's best parking spot or desk for a week. If you have one, it is the most fought-over prize there is.
• Choose the music. The winner picks the playlist for the rest of the party.
• A small treat for the last card too. A candy cane for whoever marked the fewest squares keeps it light.

Mailing prizes to remote winners? Holiday chocolate gift boxes make a prize that travels well. Bingo fills about 30 minutes; for the rest of the party, our Christmas party games for adults and Christmas Pictionary words are ready to play.