Library Bingo

Planning

• Discuss and decide on a day to kick off Library Bingo with the administration (should be at the beginning of the school year.
• Develop a plan and delegate who will be responsible for the following:
• Creating & printing monthly bingo boards
• Creating & printing promotional flyers
• Promoting the programming on social media
• Promoting the program among students
• Develop a procedure for turning in monthly bingo boards and getting a new one
• Develop a plan for keeping track of those who have participated monthly
• Develop a plan to celebrate monthly and yearly participants
• Monthly:
• How will students who participate monthly be recognized?
• Students' names may be announced on morning announcements
• Students' names may be placed in a drawing for free books or gift cards to book retailers
• If free books will be provided to those whose names are drawn each month, where will those books come from? Will the books have to be purchased? How will you guarantee the books will be age appropriate?
• Yearly:
• How will students who participate each month for the entire year be recognized? Will students receive the same recognition as those who participated monthly?
• Students may possibly receive the same monthly recognition along with being entered in for a drawing to receive free books or gift cards to book retailers.
• Students who participate yearly could receive an additional incentive for their efforts. This may include a pizza party or other celebration. 

Promotion

• Verbal promotion among teachers 

• Verbal promotion among students 

• Create a flyer 

• Add information to social media websites

Preparations

• Generate a promotional letter, email, or flyer to generate interest among students and encourages them to participate in the year-long event.

• Generate announcement for morning announcements to get students interested and excited about participating 

• Secure bingo rewards and store them for the event. 

• Create and print bingo materials. 

• This will include:

• monthly bingo boards

• promotional flyers

• Promotional information for social media

• Promotional information for students to be announced on the morning announcements 

Procedures

• Announce to students (via morning announcements) that the library will be hosting a library bingo event for the school year. Share the following details: 

• Each month, students will receive a new bingo board. 

• Each bingo board is filled with various squares that will be changed monthly.

• Students are encouraged to participate each month as a way to enhance their reading skills and have fun!

• Students who complete a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally will: 

• Receive a cool new bookmark (changes each month so students can collect them

• Students who complete a blackout each month will:

• Be entered into a drawing for free books each month

• Be entered into a drawing for a gift card for a book retailer if they complete a blackout bingo board EACH month

• Be invited to a pizza party at the end of the year

• Receive a cool new bookmark (changes each month so students can collect them. 

• Students may turn in completed bingo boards any time during the month once they are completed. 

• Students do not have to complete a blackout. If they want to participate in the end-of-year pizza party they have to complete a blackout board each month. 

• Students will not receive a new monthly bingo board until the beginning of each month. 

• Bingo boards turned in past the due date will not be honored. 

• After sharing the details of the year-long bingo event, be sure to post information on social media websites and pass out fliers for students. 

• Include information in library and school newsletters. 

• Each month, provide a different bingo board to students. 

• Collect completed boards, ensuring to have the student’s name and homeroom teacher’s name on them. 

• Create a spreadsheet to keep track of students who have participated and how they have participated. This will come in handy at the end of each month and at the end of the year. 

• At the end of each month, announce each student’s name for the two bingo categories (completing a bingo row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally and blackout).

• Students should receive monthly bookmarks and those who qualify be entered into the drawing for free books. The drawing for the free books should take place to close out each month. 

• At the end of the year, announce the students' names of those who have participated all year and those who have completed a blackout board each month. 

• Determine the date of the blackout bingo board pizza party

• Complete the drawing for free books for the month, along with another drawing for those students who completed a blackout each month. Those students will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to a book retailer. Draw for the winner. 

Payoff

• Provides an opportunity and motivation for students to broaden their reading repertoire

• Provides an opportunity to promote reading and the library program and resources. 

Sample bingo board

Library Bingo

September

Check out a book that has recipes and try one!	Read a Mystery Book	Read a book that was made into a movie	Read a book with a one-word title	Read a book based on a true story
Read a book with more than 300 pages	Read a nonfiction book	Read a book with a color in the title	Read a book recommended by a friend	Read a book that has a setting in a different country
Read a book that has a cat as its main character	Read a book written by a male author	FREE SPACE	Read a book from Mrs. Clifton’s favorites	Read a book about a sport
Read a picture book to a friend	Read a Marvel graphic novel	Read a book with a number in the title	Read a book that has less than 150 pages	Read a book whose character is close to your age
Read a book whose author’s last name starts with an “S”	Read a book that has a blue cover	Read a book that has a title that starts with a “T”	Read a How-To book	Read a book that has an animal as its main character