Birthday bingo is a party game about the guest of honor. Fill the squares with the birthday star’s favorite food, dream holiday, nickname and hobbies, then ask the guests questions and let them mark the answers they know. You can print up to 200 free personalized birthday bingo cards, or play online on phones, and the starter squares make a good party game for adults at a 40th, 50th or 60th birthday.
Birthday bingo to print (PDF)
These four pages show a birthday bingo set for a 40th birthday: a page of two 5 by 5 cards, a page of quick 4 by 4 cards, the caller list with every answer to tick off, and the one-page rules. Click any picture for the PDF, or use the generator at the top of the page to change the squares, the title and the party name.
What is on the birthday bingo cards
The generator starts with 30 example squares. Replace them with facts about your own birthday star. Every square is the answer to a question that the host will ask, and the table shows a sample question for each of the 30 starter squares.
| Square | Question the host asks |
|---|---|
| Pani puri | What is the birthday star’s favorite street snack? |
| Goa | Where was their best holiday? |
| Pinky (nickname) | What did the family call them as a child? |
| Dancing | Which hobby makes them lose track of time? |
| Blue | What is their favorite color? |
| Shah Rukh Khan | Which film star do they love? |
| Chocolate cake | What is their favorite birthday cake? |
| Paris | Which city is top of their travel list? |
| Gardening | What do they do on weekends? |
| Masala dosa | What is their breakfast order? |
| Monday blues | What do they dislike most about the week? |
| Diwali | Which festival do they enjoy most? |
| Cats | Which pet do they love? |
| Mango | What is their favorite fruit? |
| Old songs | What music do they play at home? |
| Road trips | How do they like to travel? |
| Sarees | What do they love to wear? |
| Crime shows | What do they binge-watch? |
| Coffee | What is their first drink of the day? |
| Sunflowers | Which flower makes them smile? |
| Yoga | How do they stay fit? |
| Cricket | Which sport do they follow? |
| Rainy days | What kind of weather do they like? |
| Jalebi | Which sweet can they never refuse? |
| Mountains | Do they prefer mountains or beaches? |
| Sudoku | What puzzle do they solve? |
| Pink | Which color do they wear most? |
| Painting | What creative hobby do they have? |
| Beaches | Where do they go to relax? |
| Ice cream | What dessert do they pick? |
How to play birthday bingo
- Collect facts. Ask two or three family members to list the birthday star’s favorites, nicknames and habits, in secret so that even the birthday star is surprised.
- Type the squares. Put one fact per line in the generator, then add the title and the party name.
- Print the cards. Choose 5 by 5 for a longer game or 4 by 4 for a quick one, and print one card for each guest.
- Ask the questions. The host asks a question, such as “Where does she want to travel next?”, and tick the answer on the caller list.
- Mark the answers. Players who have the answer on their card mark it, and the guests who know the star best win the most squares.
- Shout bingo. The first line, four corners or full card wins, and the host checks the squares against the caller list.
How long does birthday bingo last?
A game of birthday bingo ends when a player completes a line, the four corners or the whole card. The 30 starter squares are a small list, and each 5 by 5 card holds 24 of them, so lines arrive quickly. This simulation uses the starter list with 10, 20 and 40 players, and it counts questions asked.
| Card | Players | First line (call) | Four corners (call) | Full card (call) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 by 5 | 10 players | 11 (10 to 13) | 16 (14 to 19) | 29 (28 to 29) |
| 5 by 5 | 20 players | 10 (9 to 11) | 14 (12 to 16) | 29 (28 to 29) |
| 5 by 5 | 40 players | 9 (8 to 10) | 12 (10 to 14) | 28 (28 to 29) |
| 4 by 4 | 10 players | 10 (9 to 12) | 17 (14 to 19) | 27 (26 to 28) |
| 4 by 4 | 20 players | 9 (8 to 10) | 14 (12 to 16) | 26 (25 to 27) |
| 3 by 3 | 10 players | 8 (6 to 9) | 16 (14 to 19) | 24 (22 to 25) |
| 3 by 3 | 20 players | 6 (5 to 8) | 14 (12 to 16) | 22 (21 to 24) |
With 30 squares, a first line comes after about 10 questions and the full card after about 29, which is about 5 minutes for a line and 15 minutes for the full card at 30 seconds a question. A longer list makes a longer game, as the next table shows.
How many squares should birthday bingo have?
The number of squares controls the length of the party game. The simulation below uses a 5 by 5 card and 20 players, and the squares are drawn from lists of different sizes.
| Squares on the list | First line | Four corners | Full card |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 squares | question 10 (9 to 11) | question 14 (12 to 17) | question 29 (28 to 29) |
| 45 squares | question 14 (12 to 16) | question 21 (17 to 24) | question 41 (40 to 42) |
| 60 squares | question 18 (15 to 21) | question 27 (23 to 32) | question 54 (53 to 55) |
| 90 squares | question 26 (22 to 30) | question 41 (33 to 47) | question 80 (78 to 82) |
For a game of about 15 minutes, aim for 45 to 60 squares. Ask your guests to send their own facts about the birthday star in advance, and add the best ones to the list.
Birthday party games for adults: why birthday bingo works
Many birthday party games for adults ask people to perform, which some guests dread. Birthday bingo needs only attention and memory, and it makes the birthday star the center of the story. Old friends compete to show how well they know the star, and new friends learn something about them. It is also a good way to connect generations, because a cousin who has known the star for 40 years can compete with a colleague who has known them for four.
50th birthday games and 60th birthday games
For 50th birthday games and 60th birthday games, the squares can follow the decades: the school years, the first job, the wedding, the first child, a favorite trip. A square such as “Bell-bottoms” or “First scooter” triggers a story from the 1970s, and the host can ask the birthday star to add one memory after each answer. Print the cards on thick paper and the guests can keep them as a souvenir.
Personalised birthday bingo for any age
Personalised birthday bingo, spelled personalized in the US, is not only for adults. For a child’s party use the 3 by 3 size, a picture or a favorite character on each square, and a simple question such as “What is my favorite animal?” For a surprise party, make the squares about the secret plans, such as “Cake”, “Balloons” and “Surprise!”.
Birthday games to play with the bingo
Birthday games work best as a short series. Start with bingo, move to birthday tambola for a game of luck, and finish with charades or would you rather questions.
Plan the party: birthday bingo in six steps
- Two weeks before: ask friends and family for facts about the birthday star, and aim for 45 or more squares.
- One week before: type the squares into the generator and print one card for each guest, plus a few spares.
- Set up: put a card, a pen and a few markers at each place, and keep the caller list with the host.
- Start: read the rules and tell guests how many prizes there are: line, four corners and full card.
- Play: ask a question every 30 seconds, tick the answer on the caller list and let guests guess before you reveal it.
- Finish: check winning cards, give out the prizes and ask the birthday star to say which answer surprised them most.
Prize ideas for the birthday bingo winners
- A small box of chocolates or mithai for the first line
- A photo frame with a photo of the birthday star for the four corners
- A bigger gift, such as a book or a gift card, for the full card
- A sash or a funny badge for the guest who knew the most answers
- A pen set for all players as party favors
Host tips for birthday bingo
- Keep the questions short and cheerful, and avoid anything that might embarrass the birthday star.
- Ask a guest to be the scorer, so that the host can enjoy the stories.
- For a mixed group, add a few easy squares, such as “Cake” or “Balloons”, so everyone can mark something.
- If one player knows the star far better than anyone else, give each guest a different card size so the game is fair.
Wikipedia’s birthday article describes how birthdays are celebrated in different cultures, which can give you ideas for squares.
Play birthday bingo online
Press Create game and share one link on WhatsApp. Every guest gets a different card on their phone, and you check winners by card number on your screen. You can personalize the squares before you start, and Download these cards (PDF) prints the same cards for guests who prefer paper.
Birthday bingo: frequently asked questions
Which birthdays suit birthday bingo?
Milestones such as 40th, 50th and 60th birthdays work best, because there are many years of stories to draw on. Children’s parties work too, with the 3 by 3 size and simple questions.
How many guests can play birthday bingo?
As many as you like. Every card is different, so a party of 10 or a hall of 100 can play the same game, and you can print up to 200 cards at once.
Can I make birthday bingo personalized?
Yes. Type your own facts, names and inside jokes into the squares, add the name of the birthday star in the title box, and the cards, the caller list and the online game all use your version.
Can I change the squares?
Yes. Every square is editable in the generator: add names, inside jokes or your own list, and the cards, the caller list and the online game all use your version.
Is it free to download and play?
Yes. Printable cards, the PDF download and the online game are all free, with no app and no sign-up.