How to play holiday Find Someone Who bingo
Find Someone Who bingo, also called people bingo or human bingo, gets a room talking in minutes. This holiday version swaps the everyday prompts for winter travel, traditions, food and the year that's ending. Each player gets a 5x5 card of prompts, like "Has eaten 12 grapes at midnight" or "Wraps gifts at the very last minute." Every prompt finishes the phrase "Find someone who…". Players walk around, ask each other questions and write the name of someone who fits in each square. The first player to fill a full row wins.
- 1Give each player a card and a pen. Everyone writes their own name in the FREE square in the center.
- 2On "go," everyone gets up and mingles.
- 3Find a person and ask about one square, such as "Have you ever been in a snowball fight?"
- 4If they say yes, write their name in that square. If not, thank them and ask someone else.
- 5Write a different person's name in each square.
- 6The first player with five names in a row, across, down or diagonally, calls "Bingo!" and reads the row out loud.
When a player reads their row, ask the people named to share a quick story about their square. Who really slept in an airport? Whose pet wears a sweater? Those stories are often the best part of the party.
House rules that keep it fair
A few simple rules keep everyone moving, mix up the usual groups and make sure nobody gets stuck by the snack table all game.
- No name twice. Each person's name can go on your card only once, even if they fit five squares. It pushes players to meet more people. In a small group of under 10, you can allow each name twice.
- One question, then move on. Ask a person about one square, then find someone new.
- Ask, don't show. Read the question out loud instead of handing over your card.
- Anyone can pass. Nobody has to explain an answer, and "pass" is always fine.
- Your own name goes only in the FREE square.
What's on the cards
The cards draw from 72 holiday prompts, all written for this page. They cover travel ("Has slept in an airport"), traditions ("Has a New Year's Eve tradition"), food ("Has made tamales"), winter ("Has made a snow angel"), the year that's ending ("Learned a new skill this year") and cozy hobbies ("Does a jigsaw puzzle every winter"). Each card picks 24 of them in a random order, so neighbors cannot just copy each other.
Every prompt is meant to work in a classroom, at an office party and at a family gathering at once, and none of them puts one person on the spot. Snowy holidays and beach holidays both get prompts, so the game works in either hemisphere. Each square has a line to write a name on.
Add your own title, such as "Team Holiday Party Bingo" or "Winter Break Bingo", and it prints on every card. Choose 1 big card per page for more writing room, or 2 per page to save paper. Both fit US Letter and A4 paper.
Tips for running it at a holiday party
- Start it as people arrive. It gives early guests something to do and pulls latecomers straight into the room.
- Print on cardstock, or hand out clipboards, so players can write while standing with a plate in one hand.
- Set a time limit, such as 10 or 15 minutes, and play for the first row, then keep going toward a full card until time runs out.
- At an office party, mix teams on purpose: hand cards out at the door instead of leaving them on tables where teams already sit together.
- On the last day of class before break, play it after lunch, when everyone is too excited for a regular lesson.
- Have a few small prizes ready, like candy canes, hot cocoa packets or first pick at a gift exchange.
Holiday bingo variations
Blackout
Instead of one row, the goal is a name in every square. It takes longer and works well for a long party or a family day.
Seated version
At a dinner table or on a video call, the host reads a prompt and everyone it fits raises a hand. Players write the name of one person with a raised hand.
Story round
To win, a player must share one fact they learned for each name in the row.
Gift exchange warm-up
Play right before a gift swap. The winner picks first, and the next two finishers pick second and third.
Running a gift swap too? Hand out the Secret Santa questionnaire or draw names with our Secret Santa generator. For a regular called-out bingo, print Christmas bingo cards.
Who holiday Find Someone Who bingo is for
It is a ready-made icebreaker for an office holiday party, where people from different teams may only know each other from email. It works for the last day of class before winter break, because students talk and laugh without anyone being put on the spot. It also fits a big family gathering, where cousins, in-laws and friends who only meet once a year can catch up, and teens and grandparents end up talking to each other.
Want more for the same party? See our office holiday party games and Christmas games, or put Christmas Most Likely To questions up on one phone. For the everyday version of this game, print the original Find Someone Who bingo.
Questions
What is holiday Find Someone Who bingo?
It is people bingo, also called human bingo, with holiday prompts like "Has been in a gift exchange." Players mingle and write the name of someone who fits in each square. The first full row wins.
Are the prompts OK for work and school?
Yes. The 72 prompts are about holiday travel, traditions, food, winter and the year that's ending. They avoid money, health, bodies, relationships and religious beliefs, so they work at an office party, in a classroom or at a family gathering.
Does it work if we don't get snow?
Yes. Some prompts are about snow, and others fit warm holidays, like "Has spent a holiday at the beach" and "Has never seen snow." In a warm place, the snow squares just take longer to fill, which makes them fun to hunt for.
Can you write the same name twice?
We suggest a "no name twice" rule: each name goes on a card only once, so players talk to more people. In a small group, you can allow each name twice.
How many people do you need?
It works best with about 10 people or more, so filling a row takes some mingling. You can make up to 60 different cards at a time, enough for a large office party or a whole grade.
How long does a game take?
You decide. Set a time limit, such as 10 or 15 minutes, and stop when someone gets a row or when time runs out.
How do I get the cards as a PDF?
Tap Download PDF to save the cards as a file you can print later or send to someone else. You can also press Print and choose "Save as PDF" in the print dialog. Both work from a phone or a computer.