Free Multiplication Bingo Game

Math concepts: multiplication, mental calculation, times table
Number of players: one leader (teacher) and two or more players
Equipment: free MINGO number cards and boards; bingo chips, pennies, or other tokens to cover numbers

Set Up

To download a file, right-click the link and choose “Save” from the drop-down menu. You will need the MINGO game boards appropriate for your students. Print pages, turn face down, and let each player draw one:

• Mini Mingo (pdf)
  For beginners. Multiplication problems are represented as a rectangular array of blocks.
• Midi Mingo (pdf)
  For intermediate students. Multiplication problems are represented as a collection of “Smarties” with a numerical value on each.
• Advanced Mingo (pdf)
  For students who have nearly mastered their times table. Multiplication problems are represented as “number x number.” The blank rectangle in the middle of the board is a free space.

The game leader will need the following number cards. Print, cut apart, and place the cards (color-coded by game level) into a small paper bag or bowl:

• Mingo Number Cards (pdf)

Printable instructions are available in three languages:

• Mingo Instructions — English (doc)
• Mingo Instructions — Russian (doc)
• Mingo Instructions — French (doc)

Finally, make sure there is a good supply of tokens (bingo chips, pennies, dried beans, etc.) within reach of all players.

How to Play

• The leader mixes the number cards and draws one. He reads the number out loud, shows the card to the players, and then sets it aside for later reference.
• Each player then has to check his game board and look for fields that correspond to the given number — the rectangle has that amount of little squares; the sum of the “Smarties” is that number; or the result of the expression is the given number.
• If a player finds one (or more!) such field, he marks it with a token.
• In the beginning, the leader must give players enough time to count the little squares (or use the multiplication table). As students become more familiar with the math facts, shorten this time period.

Endgame

The first player to complete a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row on his card shouts, “MINGO!” If his row is verified, this player wins the game.

Verification is a very important part of the game, both to avoid cheating and to reinforce the multiplication facts. The player must say the mathematical expressions that correspond to the fields of his winning row and the correct answer to each. The leader checks each answer and refers to the set-aside numbers to make sure that the number has been said.

Comments

This game was created by Elena Polotskaia, MEd. She writes:

I’d like to share with you and your friends a multiplication game that I constructed for my students.

Some rectangles were coloured by students. So I decided to keep them as is for experimental purpose. I’d like to know if kids like more mono- or multi-color pictures, and which one is easier to play.

Some pictures are specially coloured to represent the distributive law of multiplication, so this topic could be discussed with students.

I’ll be very interested to receive comments and suggestions about the game. There is a reference and my e-mail on each page.

Thank you for your interest