In my school(the best of the three I'm involved with)we do Family Bingo on one of our 1/2 days. We charge $5.00 per person this includes hot dogs, chips, soda, mud pudding cups & cookies and 2 bingo cards per person. It's held from 12:30 - 3:00pm
Our Principal is the caller. We have a huge prize table so the winners get a large selection to pick from. At the end, whether you won or not, every child gets to pick a prize before they leave. No child leaves empty handed. And everyone has a great time. It's one of our most requested programs, and it's always a sell-out!
One idea for you, go to the dollar store and buy bingo daubers, they are 2 for a dollar or sometimes you can even find them for 3 for a dollar. We sold these for $1.00 a piece and they were a huge hit, we sold out very quickly. We also used crayons and covered the tables in paper so the little kids if they got bored could color.
Thank you for the great information. I will start looking into the regulations asap. The crayons are a great idea for markers. Any suggestions on prizes? Anything else I should know about? Look forward to your responses. Thanks again.
In my area, there's an organization for the elderly (The Council on Aging)and they play bingo often and have their own cards. Whenever I'm doing a fundraiser that requires bingo cards, I ask to borrow theirs. As long as they are not using them, I can borrow the cards, the cage, and everything I need to play! Maybe you can try the local churches or organizations in your area and borrow their bingo stuff.
Regarding Bingo - your number one concern should be to investigate the regulations in your state. Bingo is considered a form of gambling and heavily regulated. (In Texas, you are required to get a license even if you have the game for free and no one pays a dime! Strange, but true.)
As for supplies, we use a bingo game with a small cagethat turns and little ball numbers the operator pulls out. (Like a $20 party game type.) We order state-sanctioned disposable bingo cards in mulitiple colors. So we play a "green game", then a "blue", then an "orange", etc. We put out cups of crayons to mark the cards. We create a master board on an overhead transparency and use a projector to display what's been called. The operator will probably need a microphone to be heard over the din. Then, of course, you need prizes. Oh - and we post the bingo rules at each table.
As far as people - it probably depends on your setup and number of people. We have a caller and helper on stage and about 4 people in the crowd selling bingo cards and organizing for each new game.
I am also planning my first Bingo/Ice Cream Sundae Family Night. I have no idea how to even get started (not to mention I haven't played Bingo in many, many years.) My school is an elementary K-4. We are inviting the parents to participate with the children. Can anyone out there help me? Where do I begin? What supplies do I need? How much time is needed? We have scheduled this event for Wednesday, March 2nd. I am also not sure how many volunteers I need to pull this off. I would appreciate any input.
