Free Printable Team Building Bingo Cards (Get to Know You Icebreaker)

Most icebreakers involve standing in a circle and sharing a “fun fact,” which half the room dreads. Team building bingo is the better version. Everyone moves around and has real one-on-one conversations, and they find out that the quiet person in accounting ran the Chicago Marathon or that the new hire grew up on a dairy farm. It’s ideal for onboarding, new project teams, conferences and company offsites.

How do you play team building bingo?

Each square describes a person. Players find a coworker who matches and write that person’s name in the square.

1. Print one card per participant using the generator at the top of this page.
2. Give everyone a pen and set a timer for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Players mingle and ask questions: “Do you play music?” If the answer is yes, they write that person’s name in the square.
4. Each coworker’s name can be used only once per card.
5. The first player to complete a row, column or diagonal shouts “Bingo!” and reads out the names. Each named person confirms.
6. Keep playing until the timer runs out for second and third place.

The center square is free.

How many team building bingo cards do I need?

One per participant. Every card from the generator has a different mix of prompts, so people end up asking each other different questions, which makes for more varied conversations. For groups under 10, use the custom bingo card generator to swap in prompts that fit your team, since some squares may not match anyone.

Tips for facilitators

• Keep prompts inclusive. The squares here avoid sensitive topics like health, religion, income and family status. If you add your own, keep them light and optional.
• Allow passes. Anyone can decline to answer a question, no explanation needed.
• Debrief. After the game, ask a few people to share the most surprising thing they learned. That’s where the bonding happens.
• Mix the room. Encourage people to talk to coworkers outside their department.

Variations

• Remote edition. Run the game on a video call using breakout rooms of three or four. Rotate rooms every five minutes. Our virtual bingo on Zoom guide covers the logistics.
• Two truths bingo. Collect one surprising fact from every employee ahead of time and use those facts as the squares.
• Department mixer. Require each row to include names from at least three different teams.
• Meeting comedy break. Pair this card with our meeting buzzword bingo for a lighter all-hands.
• Conference icebreaker. Print cards in attendee welcome packets and award prizes at the closing session.

Prize ideas for team building bingo

Company swag, coffee gift cards, a team lunch, an extra-long lunch break, a desk plant, a “wildcard” PTO hour (if your company allows it) or picking the next team outing activity. Our bingo prize ideas has more.

Why it works

Team building bingo gives people a structured reason to start conversations, so introverts don’t have to invent small talk. Every conversation is short and specific. And when the game ends, everyone has a list of names with a fact attached, which makes the next hallway chat easier. For hosting bigger events, see how to host a bingo night.