Celebrity Bingo

Name and Purpose

• Celebrity Bingo builds pop culture literacy and group energy through a familiar game format.
• Players practise recognition, focus, and listening in a low-pressure setting.

a.k.a.

• Famous Faces Bingo; Picture Bingo

Age / Group / Time / Space

• Ages 8-16 | 10-40 players | 15-30 minutes | Indoors; tables or flat surfaces for boards

Materials

• 1 bingo board per player (printed or hand-drawn)
• Pictures of celebrities, athletes, musicians, or fictional characters (cut from magazines or printed)
• Bingo markers: counters, dried beans, or small stones
• A bag or box with duplicate caller pictures
• Optional: dry-erase laminated boards for reuse

Quick-Run Card

1. Prepare boards with celebrity pictures (one per square).
2. Give each player a board and 12-15 markers.
3. Caller draws a picture from the bag and holds it up.
4. Players mark matching pictures on their board.
5. First to complete a line calls “Bingo!” and names one fact about a celebrity on their board.

Setup and Boundaries

• Arrange players so all can see the caller clearly
• Signal: counsellor raises a hand = quiet for the call
• Ensure pictures are age-appropriate and inclusive of diverse backgrounds

How to Play

1. Distribute boards. Each board has a different arrangement of the same picture set.
2. Players place markers in the centre square (free space) to start.
3. Caller draws from the bag, holds the picture high, and names who it is.
4. Players find and mark the matching picture on their board.
5. First player to mark a full row, column, or diagonal calls “Bingo!” and reads off one name from their winning line.
6. Celebrate the winner. Reset boards and play another round with a different pattern (four corners, full board, etc.).

I-OPt Options

• A (Active): Play a full board and call out “Bingo!”
• S (Support): Pair with a player who needs help spotting pictures
• Q (Quiet): Play at their own pace; no pressure to call out
• O (Observer): Watch one round, then join when ready

Inclusion Adaptations

• Large-print boards available for players who need them
• Caller also names the celebrity aloud so players who process visually and auditorily are both supported
• Pair players so no one navigates the board alone in their first round

Stewardship Moment

• Use laminated or dry-erase boards to eliminate single-use paper
• Reflection: “What do you notice about the people on your board? Are they from lots of different places and backgrounds?”

Consent

• Pre-brief: “In Celebrity Bingo, everyone plays at their own pace. For those not familiar with some of the people on the board, a partner or the caller will name them as we go.”
• For those not comfortable with any part of this activity, sitting out or joining as an observer is another option.
• Mid-game check: After the first round, ask: “Is the pace working? Do we need more time to mark boards?”
• Opt-out/re-entry: Players may watch any round and join back for the next.

Risks and Mitigation

• Players not recognising some celebrities: caller names every picture aloud; pair players if needed
• Boredom in later rounds: introduce new win patterns (four corners, blackout) to keep energy up
• Pictures becoming damaged: store in a labelled envelope; laminate for extended use

Warm-Up Suggestions

• “Two Truths and a Celeb”: each player names two real facts and one invented fact about a celebrity they know
• “Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down”: counsellor names a celebrity and players vote if they know who it is

Debrief Questions

• What? “Which celebrity was the hardest to spot? Which was easiest?”
• So What? “What does it tell us that some people are famous to all of us and some only to a few?”
• Now What? “Who is someone YOU think more people should know about?”

Cleanup and Reset

• Collect all markers into one container
• Slide boards and pictures into labelled envelopes
• Wipe dry-erase boards if used