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Winter Classroom Bingo

Winter Holidays is a free bingo game for classrooms, with 48 squares about snow, winter animals and the holidays families celebrate at this time of year, from Hanukkah and Christmas to Kwanzaa and Lunar New Year. Print a different card for every student, and use the fun facts as a mini lesson while you play.

Print free cards Play on your TV: coming soon

How to play

With printed cards

Print as many cards as you need (up to 30) and the caller sheet. Every card is different.
The caller reads the squares from the caller sheet, one at a time, and ticks each one. Read the fun fact too, if you like.
Players mark a square when it is called. Coins, cereal, buttons or a crayon all work. The star in the middle is free.
The first player to fill a whole row, column or diagonal shouts "Bingo!" The caller checks that line against the ticks on the caller sheet.

Ways to win

Any line: a full row, column or diagonal. Quick games of about ten minutes.
Four corners: the four corner squares.
Blackout: every square on the card. Longer games, good for a big group.

With a TV and phones

Coming soon: the live game puts the caller on your TV. It calls the squares, reads them aloud and checks every "Bingo!", and each player gets their own card on their phone with a four-letter room code, the same way Room Trivia works.

All 48 squares, with fun facts

SnowflakeIn 1885, Wilson Bentley of Vermont took the first photo of a single snowflake.
SnowmanSnow packs best for building when it is close to freezing and a little wet.
IcicleIcicles grow when a thin film of dripping water freezes on the outside, making them longer and thicker.
SledThe word toboggan comes from an Algonquian language of eastern Canada.
Ice SkatesSome of the oldest ice skates ever found were made from animal bones.
MittensMittens keep hands warmer than gloves because your fingers share their heat.
Warm HatYour head doesn't lose most of your body heat; it loses about as much as any other bare skin of the same size.
ScarfWool can soak up a lot of moisture before it feels damp, and it gives off a little heat as it does.
Snow BootsSnow squeaks under your boots when it is very cold, below about 14°F (−10°C).
Puffy CoatA puffy coat keeps you warm by trapping air between its feathers or fibers.
EarmuffsChester Greenwood of Maine patented his earmuffs in 1877, when he was 18.
SnowshoesSnowshoes spread your weight over a bigger area, so you sink less into deep snow.
Hot CocoaCocoa beans grow in pods on cacao trees, in warm places near the equator.
Hibernating BearA hibernating black bear can go for months without eating or drinking.
Polar BearA polar bear's fur looks white, but the skin underneath is black.
PenguinEmperor penguin dads keep their egg warm on their feet through the Antarctic winter.
Snowy OwlUnlike most owls, snowy owls often hunt in the daytime.
Arctic FoxThe arctic fox's coat changes from brown in summer to white in winter.
CardinalNorthern cardinals don't fly south, so their red feathers brighten winter yards.
ReindeerA reindeer's nose warms icy air before it reaches the lungs.
Evergreen TreePine needles have a waxy coating that helps them hold on to water all winter.
Pine ConePine cones close up in wet weather and open again when it's dry.
FrostFrost is a coating of tiny ice crystals that forms on cold surfaces, often when water vapor turns straight into ice.
IglooPacked snow holds in heat, so an igloo can be much warmer inside than the air outside.
Snow DayFresh, fluffy snow can be more than 90 percent air.
BlizzardA blizzard is strong wind with blowing snow that makes it hard to see, lasting three hours or more.
SnowplowRoad salt melts ice because salty water freezes at a lower temperature than plain water.
ThermometerWater freezes at 32 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale and at 0 degrees on the Celsius scale.
Frozen PondFish survive under a frozen pond because ice floats, and the water below stays liquid.
Northern LightsThe northern lights glow when particles from the Sun hit gases high in our atmosphere.
Winter SolsticeNorth of the equator, the winter solstice, around December 21, is the shortest day of the year.
Ice HockeyHockey pucks are frozen before a game so they bounce less on the ice.
SkiingPeople have used skis to get around in snowy lands for thousands of years.
GroundhogGroundhog Day folklore says that if the groundhog sees its shadow on February 2, winter lasts six more weeks.
MenorahA Hanukkah menorah has a helper candle, called the shamash, that is used to light the others.
DreidelA dreidel is a spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each of its four sides, played with at Hanukkah.
LatkesAt Hanukkah, fried foods like potato latkes recall the oil that, in Jewish tradition, lasted eight days.
KinaraDuring Kwanzaa, families light one candle each night on a kinara, which holds seven candles.
KwanzaaKwanzaa, first held in 1966, runs from December 26 to January 1; its name comes from Swahili words for 'first fruits'.
Christmas TreePeople in German-speaking towns were bringing evergreen trees indoors at Christmas by the 1500s.
Las PosadasLas Posadas, held in Mexico from December 16 to 24, retells Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay.
St. Lucia DaySt. Lucia Day, December 13, is celebrated in Sweden with songs and saffron buns.
Three Kings DayOn Three Kings Day, January 6, families in Spain and Mexico share a big, round or oval sweet bread.
Boxing DayBoxing Day, December 26, is a holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Lunar New YearLunar New Year begins with a new moon, on a date between January 21 and February 20.
Dragon DanceIn a dragon dance, a team of dancers holds a long dragon up on poles and makes it twist and leap.
New Year's EveAt midnight on New Year's Eve, towns around the world welcome the new year with fireworks, bells and cheering.
CandlesMany winter holidays use candles and lights to brighten the longest nights of the year.

Print the cards

Cards print two to a US Letter page, each with its own card number in the corner, plus a one-page caller sheet that lists the squares in a random calling order. Everything is made in your browser: nothing to sign up for, nothing sent anywhere.

More to play

Christmas Bingo
Holidays around the world trivia (Room Trivia)
Animal trivia questions (Room Trivia)