It’s easy to organise a game of bingo to take place in your own home, and it can be a great way to get your friends and family together and have fun relaxing and maybe winning a bit of cash. Bingo is easy to set up and is popular with all ages. Here are a few things you need to remember if you want to plan a bingo night to remember for all the right reasons.
- Find a Place with Enough Space
If you have a large house you are fine to be able to organise a bingo event but if your place is smaller, consider hiring a hall or a social centre in order to fit everyone in. You need enough space for tables and chairs and for the bingo caller to stand and announce the numbers. If it’s summer you could consider hosting a bingo event outside, or check to see if the town or village hall is available if you want extra space. Of course, you can play bingo with just a few people but the more you can find, the better.
- Consider a Dress Code
Bingo is the perfect occasion to dress up. Host Bingo nights with a dress code like a casino, or beachwear. You could tell people to dress up and have a fancy dress theme, or simply tell people to dress smartly or wear whatever is comfortable. Whatever you decide, make sure you communicate the dress code to everyone as far in advance as possible so people have the chance to get their costumes sorted out in time.
- Find the Food and Drink
You’re going to need some refreshments if you are hosting bingo night, particularly if you are having a lot of people join in. Serve a selection of soft drinks and you could add something stronger if you are having mainly adults play. If you want to save on costs, have everyone bring their own drinks and provide snacks and light refreshments to take away any hunger pangs. A barbecue is a good option in the summer or you could go for plates of sandwiches and the traditional chips and dips.
- Set up the Bingo Games
Make sure you are well organised with all the bingo cards you need plus markers or dotters to check off the numbers as they are called. You could hire a bingo machine, put a lot of ping pong balls in a bucket with different numbers, or even just draw different numbered papers from a box. You can also have the numbers called through an online bingo game. Make sure that the caller has a good, loud voice and can be amusing and funny, in order to make people enjoy the game more. And then, you need some prizes. You don’t have to play for cash, and many people decide that they want to play for raffle-type prizes or small gifts. It is up to you, and it helps if you have some interesting and valuable prizes to encourage people to take part.