Thanksgiving Family Bingo

 I am so excited for Thanksgiving evening to play this game!  My old homemade thanksgiving bingo cards were outdated and falling apart so I made some new ones!  We play this "white elephant" style.  I'll explain that later...

 The categories for these cards are:  Sibling Nicknames, Favorite Meals (mom's cooking), Traditions, Favorite Youtube Videos, and Relatives.  I collaborated with the kids to get a list of 12 for each category.  Then I pulled up a table in windows and began to make the cards.  I needed to make 10.  I started by using the top 5 on the lists and then the next card I used the bottom 5 of each list and the following card I used every other one and so on.  By the time I started working on the #7-10 cards I was just looking to see which things on the list hadn't been used as often and really randomized the cards.  Mike said I could use some spreadsheet thingamajig and write a randomizer program for the computer.  I stared at him with a blank face for a  minute and said, "Yeah, okayyy...???"  and then proceeded with my table and very non-high tech method. 

 Sorry for the glare!  The containers on the left have the category titles.  Each of the items in the categories was printed off, cut apart, folded and all together placed into another container for drawing out during the game.  After each slip is read it will go into the labeled container.  Then when someone calls, "bingo!" we can go back through each category to double check.  I bought the colored stones that have a flat bottom at the dollar store to use as the markers.

 Round 2:  Yes, I know they are backwards, sorry!  This round is if we have so much fun that everyone wants to play again.  This game can take well over and hour to play so I like to start with the big stuff first just in case we decide to play only once.  Round 2 is the Ultimate Supreme Round.  Skip down to the next picture and I'll explain.

This is the prize basket for Round 1, aka the Ultimate Grand Supreme Round.  These are the big candy prizes.  Okay, I said we play this "white elephant" style.  Here's what that means:  The first bingo winner takes a bag of candy from the basket.  The second winner has a choice.  Take from the first player his candy or take from the basket.  If he/she takes #1's candy, then #1 takes from the basket.  #3 can take from #2, #1 or the basket.  If he/she does, then that player can take from another winner or the basket and so on until everyone that has won so far has a bag of candy.  Each bag can only be taken ONCE per round.  After it has been taken once in a round, it stays with that person until the winner of the next round decides what to do.  This is a little tricky with kids...and let's face it, some adults!  I stocked the basket with candy that is all approximately the same size and there are 14 bags, even though only 10 people will be playing so hopefully there will be lots of kinds everyone will want!  My family is VERY competetive though and like sharks, they smell blood in the water!  If someone really has their heart set on a particular kind, the other kids all end up wanting that kind and sometimes we have to stop the games to dry the tears and remind everyone how much fun we are having! lol!  After a little pep talk we can usually resume game playing.  This goes for almost any game.  This bingo really is fun and I laminated this set so we can use it for many years to come.  There is still time for you to make one!  :)