Icebreaker Bingo
This is a clever and fun icebreaker that’s been run at a dozen conferences. You’re welcome to freely use it.
Description:
Each attendee receives a Bingo Board, where each square is a social question that they must ask each other. If a question receives a ‘Yes’, that square is captured. Questions are ordered by category, such as Teaching Life and Personal Life. (See the example below). It’s so wonderful to see teachers eagerly chatting with each other–and they are so grateful to be given an excuse to do so!
Time slot and Number of Boards:
An icebreaker should have a minimum of 20 minutes. The icebreaker could be its own featured event, or part of a longer event such as a cocktail hour or exposition (where they have other things to do), or even ongoing through the entire conference.
Short Icebreaker (30 minutes or less): If you wanted to devote 30 minutes or less to the icebreaker, you’ll need 2 different bingo boards per attendee. (On average, 10% to 15% of attendees will finish 2 bingo boards in 20 minutes. Many others will have started their second bingo board side but not finished.)
Medium Icebreaker (40 minutes to an hour): You’ll need 3 different bingo boards per attendee.
Long Icebreaker (1.5 hour to 2 hours): You’ll need 4 different bingo boards per attendee.
Whole Conference Icebreaker (1 day to 2 weeks): The way this works is that people can socialize informally with the boards during break times. Depending on how much focus you want to give the icebreaker, you could ask them to get traditional Bingoes, or to capture every square. For 1-2 days, you’ll need at least 2 different bingo boards per attendee. For more than 2 days, you should have at least 4 different bingo boards per attendee. For 1 week or more, you need 4 boards AND you must ask them to capture every square (or to get multiple bingoes); see the next paragraph.
Capture Every Square: If you have leftover icebreaker boards after your event, and another day still left to your event, you might consider asking people to continue using their boards during any free times, but now they must capture every square on their boards, rather than the traditional 4-in-a-row Bingo.
Prizes:
I would definitely offer a PRIZE to whomever finishes all their Bingo Boards first! (Or a few prizes, if you wanted to reward multiple finishers). If you’d like some prize suggestions, see my game design page (particularly my “What’s Your Game Plan?”).
Printing the Bingo Boards:
The Bingo Boards need to be printed on card stock, since your attendees will be writing on the boards while walking around with them in their hands. If your organization does not give you free color printing, I request that you consider using my printing company’s services, which are far cheaper than Staples. Staples prices are 42 to 32 cents per color copy (for under 500 copies), and this is for thin, cheap 24lb. paper. I can print the boards on card stock (a nice 60 lb. stock) for only 30 cents a print. (So 2 bingo boards would be 60 cents total, printed double-sided on a single piece of cardstock). If you have other color printing needs, let me know!
Color: 30 cents/copy (Card stock, 60 lb.)
Color: 20 cents/copy (Deluxe Paper, 28 lb.)
If you print them yourselves, you must not modify them in any way that would conceal the words that identify me as the creator (or my website address), since everything in them is copyrighted by me. Thank you.
Modifying the Questions and Categories:
These are just sample icebreakers and questions here, but the exercise becomes even more useful (and hilarious) when at least some of the questions are tailored for your particular organization, to reflect canon experiences you have shared, stances on decisions you’re considering, etc. I can modify questions and categories to include unique ones for your organization or conference, which is a major effort, and I charge for this extra work. (Prices start at $200; contact me for more information).
Icebreaker Board Downloads:
These files cannot be modified, distributed, or hosted anywhere. Permission is only given for these files to be printed out and distributed on physical pieces of paper.