Quick answer
The kite bingo pattern is a 2x2 postage stamp in the top left corner (the kite) with a diagonal tail running through the free space to the bottom right corner. It covers 7 squares and needs 6 numbers. One card has a 25% chance by call 60, and with 500 cards in play the first kite usually comes around call 28; a crazy kite, flown from any corner, comes about five calls sooner.
Which squares make the kite?
Picture a kite in the top left corner of the sky with its string trailing down to the bottom right:
- Kite (a postage stamp): B1, I1, B2, I2
- Tail: free space, G4, O5
7 squares, 6 numbers. I2 does double duty: it’s part of the stamp and the start of the diagonal tail. The whole tail is the top-left-to-bottom-right diagonal.
Halls draw kites in different ways, including bigger diamond-shaped kites. The version here is the compact stamp-and-tail kite, so check your hall’s board.
Kite odds by call
Exact single-card figures:
| Calls made | Regular kite | Crazy kite (any corner) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1.9% | 6.6% |
| 50 | 7.9% | 24% |
| 60 | 25% | 58% |
| 70 | 65% | 95% |
A single card finishes a regular kite by call 68 half the time and a crazy kite by call 58. In a room, our simulation puts the first regular kite at about call 39 with 50 cards and call 28 with 500 cards; for a crazy kite it’s about call 32 and call 23.
Tips for players
- Combine two smaller patterns. A kite is a postage stamp plus most of a diagonal. If you’re close on either, you’re close on the kite.
- In a crazy kite, check all four stamps. Each corner stamp has its own tail, so the best stamp might not be the one you’d guess.
- Only two tail numbers. After the stamp, you need just G4 and O5.
Tips for callers and hosts
The kite is a cheerful spring and summer pattern that fits windy-month events, kids’ days and outdoor festivals. At 6 numbers it’s a quick game for a small prize, and the crazy version is quicker still.
Make the shape clear on your board, since “kite” means different things in different halls. Announce whether it’s a fixed kite or crazy kite before the first ball.
Variations
- Crazy kite: stamp in any corner, tail to the opposite corner.
- Large kite: a 3x3 nine pack block with a tail to the opposite corner, a longer game if your board shows one.
- Arrow: a pointed head instead of a block. See the arrow.
Frequently asked questions
What is a crazy kite in bingo?
A crazy kite can fly from any of the four corners: a postage stamp in any corner with its tail running diagonally to the opposite corner. That gives four ways to win.
How many numbers are in a kite bingo pattern?
Six: the four stamp squares (B1, I1, B2, I2) and the two tail squares G4 and O5. The free space is the middle of the tail.
Is the kite pattern hard?
No, it's one of the quicker shape games because it needs only 6 numbers and uses the free space.
Keep reading
Postage Stamp Bingo Pattern: Rules, Odds & Tips
Postage stamp bingo is a 2x2 block of four squares in any corner of the card. See all four positions, the exact odds by call, and tips for hosts.
Arrow Bingo Pattern: Rules, Odds & Tips
The arrow bingo pattern is a diagonal shaft through the free space with an arrowhead in the top right corner: 9 squares, 8 numbers. See exact odds.
Any Diagonal Bingo Pattern: Rules, Odds & Tips
Diagonal bingo counts only corner-to-corner lines through the free space. See both winning diagonals, the 4 numbers each needs, and the exact odds.
Bingo Patterns
Every bingo pattern with a picture, rules and how many numbers you need.