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FREE BINGO CARDS PRINTABLE FOR CHRISTMAS
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Christmas Gift Exchange Bingo Directions

With this Christmas gift opening game, you add another layer: holiday bingo! It's a fun holiday game for all ages!
WE HAVE LOTS OF GREAT HOLIDAY IDEAS IN THE POST, SO BE SURE TO SCROLL UP TO READ THEM ALL!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Holidays
Servings: 1
Author: LittleCooksReadingBooks.com

Equipment

  • Festive table for the wrapped gifts

Ingredients

  • Bingo Cards *free bingo printable in post -OR- a Bingo game with cards
  • Bingo calling tickets included in the free holiday printable
  • One wrapped gift for each person attending and playing the game

Instructions

  • On the party invitation, be sure to let everyone know that you will be having a gift exchange.
    Each person participating in the exchange should bring one NEW, WRAPPED gift (with no names or identifying information).
    Be sure to set a maximum gift cost (like no more than $10 or $20).
    You don't want to add extra strain to a stretched holiday budget for some people!

TO PLAY HOLIDAY GIFT SWAP BINGO:

  • IF USING THE FREE BINGO PRINTABLE: Cut apart the bingo calling pieces. This is what will be used for the Caller to call out the Bingo items.
    (For Christmas bingo in the printable, instead of numbers you will be calling out "green Christmas tree" or "red present" or "blue snowflake" etc. It also helps to show everyone the calling piece when playing picture bingo.
  • Pass bingo cards and bingo cover pieces (you can just cut out square pieces of construction paper, but you'll need more than you think for a large group!).
  • Explain the directions to everyone. (Are you doing traditional down and across Bingo, or are you doing four corners, too?)
  • Call Bingo pictures until someone yells BINGO! Each time, the person who wins either gets to pick an unwrapped prize or steal one from another person.
  • Play continues until all prizes are gone!

HOW THE GIFT SWAP PORTION OF THE GAME WORKS:

  • The first person to get a BINGO selects a wrapped gift from the gift table. They (PERSON A) unwraps the gift and keeps it in front of them.
  • Another Bingo Game is started.
    The second person to get a BINGO (PERSON B) can either select an unwrapped gift from the gift table -OR- steal the gift from PERSON A.
    **If a gift is stolen from anyone at any time, that person who has the gift stolen gets to select another unwrapped gift from the gift table, unwrap it and keep it in front of them.
    For example: PERSON C gets a BINGO. PERSON C has 3 choices: choose an unwrapped gift from the table, steal PERSON A's gift, or steal PERSON B's gift. PERSON C decides to steal PERSON B's gift. PERSON C unwraps the gift and keeps it on the table next to them. PERSON B then selects an unwrapped gift from the table, unwraps it, and places it on the table next to them.
  • The game ends when there is one unwrapped gift that is selected and the last person has called BINGO.
    The last person can either choose to unwrap the one remaining gift or "steal" from any of the unwrapped gifts from the entire game.
    **IF the last person (PERSON D) who called BINGO decides to steal from PERSON A, then PERSON D gets the stolen gift and PERSON A gets the unwrapped gift. The game ends.

Notes

ADDITIONAL GAME PLAY INSTRUCTIONS AND NOTES

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF UNWRAPPED GIFTS AS PLAYERS TO START THE GAME. EACH PERSON PLAYING MUST BRING A GIFT. (For example, a family of 4 cannot bring one gift and then have all 4 people play the game.)
It's OK for the caller to also play BINGO so that they have a chance to win, too.
If you have a large group, present swap bingo can take a long time sometimes. If that starts to happen, make easier rules. Instead of a full Bing, they only need to cover a tree and a present (for example) before they can call BINGO!
You can also take a break in the middle and let people eat and mingle before starting Round 2, but you may lose some people if you do this.
*Sometimes I like to through in a really good gift that might be a little over budget just so people will fight for that gift. It makes for a really funny gift exchange game!
Since you're exchanging gifts based on who gets a BINGO, some people may not have a gift at the end (and others may have multiples). So, let them know that life isn't fair at the beginning! :)
PLAY VARIATION: You can also play with where the person who gets a BINGO can pick an unwrapped gift or steal a gift. The person who has a gift stolen now has NO GIFT and has to hope to get a BINGO. (This way to play takes longer!)