Safari Animal Bingo

Safari Quest Bingo is a picture bingo game built around 25 things you might spot on an African safari: 21 animals, two trees and two pieces of safari gear. The Big Five are all here (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo), along with smaller finds like a meerkat, a chameleon and a lilac-breasted roller.

How the cards work

Each card is a five-by-five grid with a free square in the middle, so it shows 24 of the 25 pictures. That missing picture changes from card to card, which means every call leaves someone waiting. It keeps the game close to the end.

Cut the calling cards apart, drop them in a bag and draw one at a time. Players cover the matching picture with one of the paper markers, or with candy, buttons or coins. The how-to-play page suggests three winning patterns: a line, four corners or a full card.

Two sets, two styles

The 30-card set suits a classroom or a birthday party. The 50-card set is for bigger groups, or for families who want fresh cards for a second round. Both sets come with animal names printed under the pictures, and again without them. The labeled cards work for early readers practicing animal words, and the picture-only cards work for preschoolers.

Printing

The cards print one per page. Cardstock holds up better if you plan to reuse them, and plain paper is fine for a one-time party. Print at 100% so the grid stays square.

Questions

Can kids who can't read yet play?

Yes. Print the picture-only cards. The caller can hold up each calling card so players match the picture instead of the word.

How many people can play at once?

One card per player. The 50-card set covers up to 50 players with no repeated cards, and the 30-card set covers up to 30.