Human Bingo Icebreaker

What participants gain

• Participants will get to know several new people in a short amount of time.
• Participants will discover unexpected commonalities with others in the group.
• Participants will feel more comfortable and engaged in the larger group setting.

Materials needed

• Printed "Human Bingo" cards (one per participant) with a 5x5 grid. Each square should contain a different icebreaker-style prompt (e.g., "Has traveled to another continent," "Speaks more than one language," "Loves to cook," "Has a pet," "Is an early bird," "Plays a musical instrument," "Has a birthday in this month," "Enjoys hiking," "Prefers coffee over tea," "Has read more than 3 books this year.").
• Pens or markers (one per participant).
• Optional: Small prizes for bingo winners.

How to run Human Bingo Icebreaker, step by step

1. Prepare "Human Bingo" cards beforehand. Ensure a variety of prompts that encourage interaction and discovery.
2. Distribute one "Human Bingo" card and a pen to each participant as they arrive or at the start of the activity.
3. Explain the rules: "Your goal is to fill in a row, column, or diagonal on your bingo card by finding people who match the descriptions in each square. When you find someone who fits a description, they sign that square. One person can only sign one square on your card."
4. Set a time limit (e.g., 7-8 minutes) and announce "Go!"
5. Encourage participants to move around, introduce themselves, and ask questions to find matches.
6. When participants get a bingo (a full row, column, or diagonal), they should shout "Bingo!" and come to the facilitator.
7. Optionally, verify the completed bingo row and award a small prize.
8. After the time limit, call everyone back together. You can ask a few people to share an interesting discovery they made or a person they met.

Facilitator tips

• Ensure the bingo prompts are inclusive and accessible to everyone in the group.
• Have a few extra pens on hand.
• Circulate among the participants to encourage interaction and answer any questions.
• Consider having a "free space" in the middle of the bingo card to make it easier to get a bingo and reduce pressure.
• For very large groups, consider breaking them into smaller subgroups to reduce chaos and allow for more individual interaction.

Common challenges

• Some participants may be shy and hesitant to approach strangers. The facilitator can model initial interactions.
• Participants may try to get one person to sign multiple squares, so reiterate the "one signature per card" rule clearly.
• The room might get noisy; be prepared to project your voice to call time or announce winners.
• Some prompts might be too niche or too general, making it hard or too easy to find matches.

Running it virtually

This method is challenging to adapt directly to a purely virtual setting due to the need for physical mingling and signatures. However, a modified version could involve using breakout rooms in a video conferencing tool. Participants could be given digital bingo cards (e.g., a shared Google Doc or Jamboard) and sent into small, rotating breakout rooms to discover commonalities and virtually "sign" each other's cards by typing names. The facilitator would need to manage the rotation of breakout rooms and ensure clear instructions on how to mark the digital cards.

Expected results

Participants will have mingled extensively, collected multiple signatures on their bingo cards, and will have created a more energetic and connected group atmosphere for the session ahead.

Build a session around Human Bingo Icebreaker

METODIC drops Human Bingo Icebreaker into a complete session plan with timing, materials, worksheets, and a facilitator guide — for any workshop, meeting, or team session.

Try METODIC free