Colour Hunt Bingo

Name and Purpose

Colour Hunt Bingo combines a treasure hunt with a bingo grid. Players search for hidden crayons and colour in their sheet as they find each one.
Builds observation skills, colour recognition, and cooperative instincts as early finishers help those still searching.

a.k.a.

Age / Group / Time / Space

Materials

Paper bingo sheets, 1 per player (3×3 grid with 9 colour names or swatches)
9 crayons in matching colours for hiding around the room
Markers or crayons for players to colour in their bingo sheets (kept at the table, not hidden)
Optional: laminated bingo cards for reuse with dry-erase markers

Quick-Run Card

Setup and Boundaries

Hide crayons at age-appropriate heights. Avoid places players could hurt themselves reaching for them.
Players return each crayon to its hiding spot after colouring their sheet so others can find it too.
Signal: 1 clap from staff = pause and look up. 2 claps = everyone back to table.
Scan the room for any tripping hazards before hiding crayons.

How to Play

Staff pre-draws a 3×3 bingo grid with 9 different colours on each sheet before the session.
Hide 9 crayons (one per colour) around the room before players arrive.
Give each player a bingo sheet and a marker for colouring in squares.
On the start signal, players search the room for the hidden crayons.
When a player finds a crayon, they colour in the matching square on their sheet, then return the crayon to its spot so others can find it.
The first player to colour all 9 squares calls out. They then become a “Scout” and help other players using hot and cold cues (“warmer” / “colder”).
Activity ends when everyone has completed their card.

I-OPt Options

A (Active): Move around the room energetically and search as many spots as possible.
S (Support): Once your card is complete, join as a Scout and guide others using warm/cold cues.
Q (Quiet): Search methodically and at your own pace, starting in one area before moving to the next.
O (Observer): Watch where others find crayons and use that information to find your own.

Inclusion Adaptations

For players with colour vision differences, label each square with the colour name as well as a swatch.
For players with mobility limitations, hide some crayons at table height or on accessible shelves.

Stewardship Moment

Crayons and laminated bingo cards are fully reusable. Store them together in a labelled pouch.
Encourage players to handle crayons gently so they last for future groups.

Consent

Pre-brief: “This is a search-and-colour activity. You will move around the room at your own speed. For those who prefer to stay seated, watching where others go and using that information to guide your own search is a completely valid strategy.”
For those not comfortable with any part of this activity, sitting out or joining as an observer is another option.
Mid-game check: After 5 minutes, staff checks in with any players who have not found many colours yet and offers a gentle directional hint.
Opt-out/re-entry: Players can sit at the table at any point and have crayons brought to them by a Scout.

Risks and Mitigation

Players grabbing the same crayon at the same time: remind players to colour in their square and return the crayon for the next person.
Competitive rushing leading to bumping: reinforce walk-pace movement inside the room.
Crayons not found within time limit: staff keeps a master map of hiding spots.

Warm-Up Suggestions

“Colour I Spy”: staff calls a colour and players point to something in the room that colour.
Quick 30-second colour naming round: go around the circle, each person names a colour they see on someone’s clothing.

Debrief Questions

What? “Which colour was hardest to find? How did you figure out where it was?”
So What? “How did it feel when someone helped you find a colour using hot and cold?”
Now What? “When is it more satisfying to help someone else find something than to find it yourself?”

Cleanup and Reset