Number bingo 1–20

A quick game for learning to recognize the numbers 1 to 20. Each child gets a board, the grown-up reads numbers out loud, and the children cover the number they hear. The first one to cover a full row, column or diagonal calls out "Bingo!"

How to play

1. Print the boards. Each player takes one board and writes their name at the top.
2. Print the last page, cut out the 20 caller cards and put them in a bag or a bowl.
3. Pick a card and read the number. Show the card too, so children can match the shape of the number.
4. Children cover that number with a counter, a cereal piece or a small paper square.
5. Four in a row, a column or a diagonal wins. Check the covered numbers against the cards you called.

Ways to play

For a short game, play until one board has a covered row. For a long game, play "blackout": the winner covers all 16 numbers. Children who already know their numbers can be the caller. To practice counting, the caller can clap or tap the number instead of saying it. The boards are all different, and no two boards share the same row, column or diagonal, so two players never win on the same call.

Tip: print the boards on card stock or put them in sheet protectors and play with dry-erase markers. Black and white ink saves color toner; the numbers stay big and clear.