Hosting a Bingo Party - Some Big Ideas to inspire you
Are you fed up with attending parties which are virtually the same every time? With a lot of social meetups, it’s the same group of friends, talking about the same things, only in a different location with different food each time. Why not break the mould and try something new every now and then? If you’re planning on hosting a party in the near future, you could try and go for something a bit more memorable than the traditional dinner party. In fact, a bingo night with friends could be a wild and exciting idea that will get your friends talking for weeks after.
Free Bingo – Prizes
Before you start planning how you’re going to run your bingo party, you need to procure all the essentials. This includes an electrically operated blower machine if you can get hold of one. Otherwise, you could simply mix the numbered balls in a bag and have the bingo caller pick them out at random. This wouldn’t be nearly as spectacular, though. You should also print off some bingo cards and provide daubers for each person.
When you play virtual bingo or at a bingo hall, you’re normally competing for cold hard cash prizes. There are opportunities to play free bingo for fun online, though, and some people enjoy these games because they can be more sociable. When it comes to hosting a bingo party, it’s probably a good idea to go down the bingo games route as well. Otherwise, you could end up out of pocket if you have to fund all the prizes for the winners.
To up the excitement levels, you could choose to offer prizes for winning bingo tickets rather than cash. One way to go about this would be to ask every guest to bring a prize which is worth a certain amount, kind of like playing secret Santa. Then, put all the prizes on a table at the front and let the winners choose their own if they manage to get a full scorecard.
Entertainment at a Bingo Party
The games of free bingo will be the main form of entertainment at your party. But some additions can add to the thrills. For instance, it would really help to get someone with experience as a bingo caller to pick out the numbers. Having them refer to the numbers using the correct bingo lingo will make the party so much more credible. Let’s face it, would you rather be told the number is eighty-eight, or would you prefer to hear an exuberant voice declare two fat ladies? It’s little things like this which can totally change your bingo party night from being an average one to being something truly special.
A lot of modern bingo halls now have bingo assistants who walk around and help players, along with introducing some other little games and challenges. You could have a couple of mates do this job, as it would really help to boost the atmosphere in the room. If it’s a big party, bingo assistants are arguably essential.
There might be a number of guests who are unfamiliar with each other, so these helpers could mix and match tables to get everyone mingling properly. They may even end up sparking a budding romance between two of the guests. One of the other added benefits of these bingo elves is that they can help newbies get to grips with the rules of the game.
Once everyone has had their fill of bingo, you could introduce some other fun games to get everyone having a good old laugh. At online bingo sites, there are slot games for this purpose, but at a live house party, you could organise a balloon race to encourage similar thrill levels.
Bingo Party - Food and Drink
Let’s face it, it wouldn’t be a proper party without alcohol, would it? But the big question is, what drinks do you need? That all depends on the number of guests really, but beer and wine is usually a winning combination. You could also consider putting on some cocktails and smoothies for non-drinkers to enjoy.
With regards to food, it’s best not to go overboard. People are going to be busy with their bingo cards so they won’t want to have much on the table in front of them. You could organise a load of nibbles and light snacks and arrange them in a buffet format on some tables at the side. Partygoers will just grab a paper plate and load it up with whatever they need. It makes for a nice, relaxed vibe and allows your guests to get chatting over the food.
Organising a free bingo party or game night is far from strenuous, and it is likely to be a memorable event for many years to come. So what are you waiting for? Give it a go!