In order to keep us all safe at this time; create your event with social distancing in mind. All guests should stay in or near their cars before, during and after the bingo event.

To protect yourselves and your guests, have hand sanitizer and gloves available for the game host, and the runner who goes back and forth to the cars.   Announce that everyone should stay in their cars, and use proper procedures if they get out of their cars.   Also, make this a point on all of your invites and advertising.  Let everyone know that you are planning a fun and “safe” event.

Enlist a Bingo host and a ‘runner’ assistant who will will deliver the paper bingo cards, etc. to the vehicles; and also take the bingo prizes out to the guests.

I’m a full-time entertainer, magician, juggler, etc., but I’m not the only one who can call a bingo game and make it fun.  Find someone who is comfortable with working with crowds, and let them focus on calling the bingo.  Have someone else run back and forth to the cars (bringing the bingo cards, checking for winners, and delivering the prizes).  That way, the show will run smoother and the host can concentrate on helping everyone have a great time.

Plan the show to run approximately 60 or 90 minutes, and will include 7-10 separate bingo games (depending on your prize budget).

I use 7-10 prizes for a 60 or 90 minute show.   These prizes can be family oriented ‘things’ (board games, movie packages, etc.), or gift cards.  I did one party for a 75th birthday where the birthday woman asked that instead of presents, everyone bring “White Elephant” prizes to give away, and we got a lot of fun things.  Get creative, as long as there is something to win, everyone is happy.   You can make the prizes last longer by playing more complicated games that take longer (double bingo, the letter X, L, or T, etc.).  These games take more time, so if you have fast winners, play a longer lasting game the next game.  Mix it up.   I went online and got pictures for each kind of game and just printed them out and laminated them (see below).  Use these to explain the rules before each new game.

Between the games, do something fun!!  Don’t rely on just the bingo to create a good time. 

If you do nothing but call bingo, you’ll need a lot more prizes, because it goes pretty fast.  So I do things between every game, or second game.  I perform (juggling, magic, etc.), but you can do whatever.

1. You could make up a Bingo Quiz, with each answer starting with B, I, N, G, O.  For instance, I made up an animal quiz, and used this board, but you don’t even need an answer board…just the questions.
2. Or you could make some Rebus signs for the crowd to guess (see below).
3. I’ve also made really big bubbles (but you can do any kind of bubbles).
4. I’ve been doing shows in the dark, so I bought a light-up Drone, and flew it around; or you can even just play one song between each game.
5. Tell bingo jokes–look them up on the web.  “I finally found out where bingo began.  You see, there was a farmer who had a dog….”
6. We also have coloring contests for the children as well (by providing them with coloring sheets and 4 crayons in plastic bags that they get to keep).

 Rebus puzzles use pictures, symbols and letters to represent a word, phrase or idiom. Here are examples of Rebus Puzzles I found with one web search:

Here’s the link to that search

You’ll need to gather all the equipment necessary, to make sure that you are ready.

I use a pop up tent just to give the show a focus , two portable tables (one for the prizes and one for the bingo equipment), and you will want to rent a sound system locally if no one has one, and you’ll also need: Click on the links below:

1. Bingo balls/with cage  (this is a small, inexpensive one-but effective), you can also use Bingo Playing Cards
2. Paper Bingo Cards (these are the ones I use-but there are many different kinds to choose from).
3. Bingo Daubers (these are the least expensive I have found-but they are still expensive)  You can also just use small pencils instead (and let the people keep them).
4. Because I have a bunch of boxes around, I also cut small cardboard squares for my guests to use for holding their paper cards on.
5. You can let everyone keep their paper cards, their cardboard squares, and their pencils (that’s the safest way), but when we use daubers, we collect those back and I spray them with sanitizer between each show.
6. You’ll also want to get hand sanitizer just to have and also nitrile gloves for the runner.
7. If you want to make a banner, it looks like a “show”,  Here is a link to make one online pretty inexpensively.   I believe that the one below cost me about $36 (including shipping).

Dune gives specific hints for the Bingo Caller/Show Host.

Find a perfect place for everyone to meet (a parking lot somewhere), and get permission to use it.