Free Winter Bingo Printable for Kids: Picture Boards, Ages 3 to 8

Print the boards, snip a handful of paper snowflakes (or small squares torn from scrap paper) and give each player their own pile. Cover a picture when it is called. Paper markers are the safer choice for any house with a child under 3 in it, because they cannot roll into a mouth or under the couch like plastic chips. They also make the game feel like winter, and cleaning up is one sweep of the table.

Ages: 3 to 8.

Prep: 3 minutes to print, cut the cards and fold them.

Mess: low. Paper scraps end up on the table.

Supplies: boards, scissors, scrap paper, a bowl.

Safety: stay at the table with children under 3 and keep the scissors yourself. Never use small chips, buttons or beads as markers.

This is the main game from the rules above. One caller, one bowl, a small board for the young player and a larger board for the older one. It works for siblings, for a cousin visit and for a grandparent who wants one game that suits everyone. If the older child is 7 or 8, ask them to hold up the card and say the word before the little one finds it, which turns them into a helper instead of a rival.

Ages: 3 to 8 together.

Prep: 3 minutes.

Mess: low.

Supplies: both boards, markers, a bowl of caller cards.

Safety: the small board stays picture-only. Keep a spare marker pile for the toddler so they do not grab the older child's.

Slide each board into a clear dry-erase pocket and play with a washable marker. A tick or a dot wipes off, so the same board lasts through a whole winter break, a road trip or a waiting room. It also means no markers to lose. Use a fine tip marker and wipe with a tissue after each round. Test the marker on one pocket first, because some old markers stain the paper behind the plastic.

Ages: 4 to 8.

Prep: 2 minutes to slide the sheets in.

Mess: low to medium. Marker on hands is common, so use washable ones.

Supplies: boards, dry-erase pockets, washable fine-tip markers, tissues.

Safety: for ages 3 and under, skip markers and use a finger-sized sticker instead. Uncap markers only at the table.

Instead of covering a picture, send players around the house to find the real thing. A mug for hot cocoa, a scarf, a mitten, a star on the tree, a snow boot by the door. Lay the board on a clipboard and let the child tick each picture when they find it. Some pictures will not be in your house (a sled, a snowman). Skip them or find a book or a toy that shows one. It turns 10 minutes of bingo into 25 minutes of walking around.

Ages: 3 to 7.

Prep: 5 minutes, plus a quick walk through the house.

Mess: low.

Supplies: a board, a clipboard, a crayon.

Safety: stay with children under 3. Point and name objects, do not pull things off shelves or out of cupboards.

On a snow day, sit by a window with a blanket and a board and watch the weather. Cover the picture for anything you can see outside that matches: a tree, a bird, a snowflake, a boot print. It will not fill a whole board, so give a small prize when a row is done, such as an extra story or a mug of cocoa. It gives an overexcited child something calm to look for when the snow is too deep or too cold to go out.

Ages: 3 to 8.

Prep: none.

Mess: none.

Supplies: a board, a pencil or crayon, a blanket.

Safety: keep children away from window latches and blind cords. Hold the board flat on a tray so it cannot slip.

Make bingo the main event of a cozy evening: cocoa, popcorn and a blanket. The grown-up calls the cards in a funny voice and the winner picks the next family movie or the next cocoa topping. A plate of clementine segments or soft fruit alongside the popcorn gives a snack that is easier for little ones. This one is a nice end to a winter break day.

Ages: 3 to 8.

Prep: 10 minutes to make cocoa and set the tray.

Mess: low to medium. Popcorn crumbs and a cocoa drip are likely.

Supplies: boards, a bowl of paper markers, a snack tray, mugs.

Safety: popcorn and whole nuts are a choking risk for children under 4, so skip popcorn for the youngest and offer soft fruit. Let cocoa cool before serving.

Print one board per child, clip each to a clipboard and use a crayon to tick the picture when it is called. A teacher can use the 4 by 4 board for the whole class and keep the 3 by 3 for the youngest or for a child who needs a shorter game. The caller sheet is easy to hold up for the class to see, and the pictures-with-words board is a quiet way to practice reading winter words. Pages are free for classroom use.

Ages: 4 to 8.

Prep: 5 minutes to print and cut.

Mess: low.

Supplies: one board per child, clipboards or books to lean on, crayons, a bowl.

Safety: check for allergies before any food prize. A sticker or a pencil is a safe winner's prize.

If your printer ink is low, print in grayscale on plain paper. The thick outlines hold up well, and children can color the pictures first, then play. Coloring takes 10 minutes and doubles the activity. Use crayons instead of markers so the colors do not bleed through, and print a spare page of the board in case a child scribbles too hard.

Ages: 3 to 8.

Prep: 3 minutes to print, plus a coloring session.

Mess: low to medium. Crayon bits end up on the table.

Supplies: black and white printout, crayons.

Safety: use crayons, not markers, for children under 3. Do not let small crayon pieces go in mouths.