Cruise ship bingo
FREE
SPACE
SPACE
Summer bingo
By Arthur, founder of BingoCard Lab · Updated
Summer bingo comes in two forms. In a called game, each player gets a different card, and a caller reads items like beach ball or ice pop. Usually, the first full line wins. On a summer challenge card, kids mark activities like "Pick berries" as they do them, all through the break.
Describe your party
Choose your cards
Life jacket
Waves crashing
The captain
Rubber duck in pool
Dolphin sighting
Ship's horn
Pool deck
Sunscreen
Towel animal
Deck chairs
Sunset on deck
Ship's map
Sun hat
Shuffleboard
Buffet line
Mini golf
Midnight snack
Safety drill
Port stop
Kids' club
Seagull
Stairwell
Whale spout
Karaoke night
Cruise ship bingo
Illustrated cards $4.99 onceFamily reunion bingo
Hot dog
Matching T-shirt
Picnic blanket
Horseshoes
Group photo
Sparkler
Grandma's recipe card
Cooler
Bug spray
Badminton racket
Kite
Cherry pie
FREE
SPACESunscreen bottle
Lemonade pitcher
Name tag
Water balloon
Old photo album
Hamburger
Lawn chair
Sunglasses
Sack race
Frisbee
Ice cream cone
Family tree poster
Family reunion bingo
Illustrated cards $4.99 onceBeach bingo
Water bottle
Beach towel
Cooler
Lifeguard tower
Seaweed
Starfish
Sailboat
Ice cream cone
Sandcastle
Sand bucket
Flip-flops
FREE
SPACEBeach ball
Crab
Lighthouse
Inflatable ring
Sand shovel
Fishing net
Kite
Surfboard
Sand dollar
Pelican
Beach bingo
Illustrated cards $4.99 onceNature walk bingo
Dragonfly
Pine needles
Squirrel
Earthworm
Bee
Puddle
Spider web
Animal tracks
Clover
Fern
Rock with stripes
Fallen leaf
FREE
SPACEMoss
Snail
Feather
Mushroom
Ladybug
Pinecone
Forked stick
Butterfly
Woodpecker
Chipmunk
Smooth pebble
Bird's nest
Nature walk bingo
Illustrated cards $4.99 onceSummer reading bingo
Read by a lake
Read in a hammock
A book about baseball
Read during a sunset
Read under a shade tree
Read with a flashlight
A book about islands
A book about lemonade stands
Read during a thunderstorm
Read in a treehouse
Read at a campsite
Read on a road trip
FREE
SPACEA book about stars
A book about gardens
A book about fireflies
A book about pirates
A book about a summer fair
A book about ice cream
Read in a canoe
A book about the ocean
Read by the pool
Read in a lawn chair
A book about the mountains
A book about a lighthouse
Summer reading bingo
Illustrated cards $4.99 onceCamping bingo
Fishing rod
Mountain view
Hammock
Owl
S'mores
Pine tree
Marshmallow stick
Hiking boots
Sleeping bag
Water bottle
FREE
SPACECamp chair
Campfire
Compass
Starry sky
Camp stove
Trail map
Firewood
Lantern
Tent
Sunscreen
Flashlight
Squirrel
Camping bingo
Illustrated cards $4.99 once
Illustrations generated with AI
Summer bingo is two different games that share one name. One is a called game for a party, a class or a camp. The other is a challenge card kids fill in over the break. This page helps you pick one, then turn our 80 summer bingo ideas into cards for your group.
Two kinds of summer bingo
A called game ends in one sitting, while a challenge card lasts all summer.
| Called game | Summer challenge card | |
|---|---|---|
| Who plays | A group, all at once | One child, or a family |
| What's on the squares | Things to see, like a sandcastle or a firefly | Things to do, like tie-dye a shirt |
| How a square gets marked | The caller reads it from the call sheet | The player does the activity |
| When it ends | Someone marks a full line | On a date you pick |
Summer bucket list bingo and the summer bingo challenge are the second kind. You make both with the same generator. Only the squares change.
Which setup fits your group
Backyard party or family reunion. Play a called game with picture cards. Kids who can't read yet match the picture, so all ages play together.
Last week of school or summer camp. Play a called game. Every child gets a different card, up to 100 per deck.
Beach day. Beach bingo also works with no caller. Kids mark a seagull, a sandcastle or a beach umbrella when they spot one.
Kids at home over the break. Make a summer challenge card and put it on the fridge.
Grown-ups. Summer bingo for adults works well with words-only cards and squares like cornhole game, mosquito bite or sand in the car.
How many calls a summer game takes
These numbers cover the called game only.
Each number is the median count of calls to the first full row, column or diagonal. Lists had 40 items, with a free space on 3×3 and 5×5.
| Grid | 10 players | 30 players | 50 players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 4×4 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| 5×5 | 15 | 12 | 11 |
We simulated these games on our own deck engine: 10,000 decks per setting, 100 games each.
Unique cards don't rule out ties. Two players can win on the same call with different lines. With a 40-item list, that happened in 17.2% of 5×5 games with 30 players. Keep a spare prize ready.
Playing outside
Sand, water and wind are hard on paper. Print on cardstock, or slip each card into a zip-top bag. Seashells make good markers on a beach towel. Cut the squares off the call sheet and draw them from a jar with a lid, so a gust can't scatter them.
Make your own summer bingo cards
Start your summer list with one sentence about your group. "Write my list" drafts 30 items, and "Suggest 6 more items" adds more, up to 60. Aim for about 40, the list size our numbers use. Then pick one of 5 picture styles.
For a challenge card, write activities instead of objects. Each card in the deck mixes the squares differently.
Words-only cards cost nothing. Your first illustrated set is free to preview in full. Its illustrated PDF takes an Event pass ($4.99 once, per set) or Pro (see pricing).
Ideas for your item list
- Sandcastle
- Seashell
- Beach ball
- Beach umbrella
- Flip-flops
- Sunglasses
- Crab
- Seagull
- Starfish
- Sand bucket and shovel
- Swimming pool
- Pool float
- Water balloon
- Sprinkler
- Splash pad
- Swim goggles
- Water slide
- Lemonade stand
- Hammock
- Bubbles
- Sidewalk chalk
- Kite
- Picnic blanket
- Barbecue grill
- Swing set
- Butterfly
- Ladybug
- Firefly
- Dragonfly
- Sunflower
- Frog
- Bird's nest
- Bumblebee
- Wildflowers
- Tent
- Campfire
- S'mores
- Flashlight
- Sleeping bag
- Canoe
- Fishing rod
- Ice cream cone
- Ice pop
- Watermelon slice
- Pineapple
- Hot dog
- Corn on the cob
- Strawberries
- Burger
- Sun
- Sunscreen
- Sun hat
- Rainbow
- Thunderstorm
- Library card
- Stack of books
- Bookmark
- Reading under a tree
- Comic book
- Pick berries
- Visit a farmers market
- Watch an outdoor movie
- Stargaze
- Tie-dye a shirt
- Plant a seed
- Do a science experiment
- Read in a hammock
- Mail a postcard
- Build a blanket fort
- Cornhole game
- Iced coffee
- Patio string lights
- Outdoor concert
- Mosquito bite
- Sand in the car
- Out-of-office email
- Sunburned nose
- Fireworks
- American flag
- Parade float
Plan your game
- How many cards?
- One card per player for a called game, plus a few spares. A deck holds 1 to 100 cards, all different. For more than 100 players, make a second deck: cards are only guaranteed different within one deck. For a challenge card, print one per child.
- Which grid?
- We suggest 3×3 (8 items + free space) for ages 3 to 5 and 4×4 (16 items) for early readers. Older kids and adults can play 5×5 (24 items + free space). For a summer-long challenge card, we suggest 4×4 for young kids.
- Letter or A4?
- Letter or A4, with 1, 2 or 4 cards per page. The call sheet is the last page of the PDF.
- How long does a game last?
- With a 40-item list and 20 players, a called game reaches a first line in a median of 13 calls on 5×5. It takes 11 on 4×4 and 5 on 3×3. A challenge card has no calls: it runs until the date you set.
Frequently asked questions
How to have a bingo party?
Pick one caller and give every player a card and a handful of markers, like cereal or dried beans. Before each round, say which pattern wins: a single line, four corners or a blackout. The caller ticks each item on the call sheet as it's read. When someone shouts bingo, check their card against the ticks. Give a small prize for a line and a bigger one for a blackout.
What are some fun games to play at a beach party?
Beach bingo fits a group of any size. Hand out cards with squares like a seashell, a crab or a starfish, and call them from the towels. Between rounds, mix in other beach classics, like a sandcastle contest or a water balloon toss. Keep the prizes small and summery, such as sunglasses or an ice pop.
What are some fun summer games?
Bingo is an easy pick, since every age can play at once with just paper and a pen. On a nature walk, mark a butterfly, a ladybug or a sunflower as you spot each one. Or play a called round by the campfire after dark, with a flashlight for the caller. Classic outdoor games fit the day too, like a sack race or tag.
What are 100 things I can do when I'm bored in the summer?
Turn the list into a summer challenge card. Pick activities kids can do at home or nearby: pick berries, stargaze, plant a seed, tie-dye a shirt, mail a postcard or build a blanket fort. The 10 summer challenge squares in our list are a ready start. Kids mark a square each time they finish one. A full line earns a small reward, and a full card a bigger one.
Where can I get free printable summer bingo cards for a large group?
On BingoCard Lab, words-only cards are free and unlimited, with no account needed. Every card in a deck is different, and no two share a complete winning line. So a whole camp or class can play the same round. The free PDF carries a small BingoCard Lab logo.