Reading Bingo & Book Bingo Generator

Book bingo is a reading challenge in which each square on a card names a kind of book or reading task, and a reader marks a square each time they finish a book that fits it. This free bingo card generator makes those cards for you. It runs in your web browser, needs no sign-up, and makes the cards on your own device without uploading anything.

The page opens with the Reading (kids) list of 36 challenges loaded, and one click switches to the Reading challenge (adults) or Summer reading list, so you can print a working board straight away. You can change the title, edit the squares, and choose how many cards you need. Whether you are planning a classroom reading unit, a library summer programme, a book club year, or your own goals, you can adapt the board to suit your readers.

How to make a book bingo card

1. Open the card generator on this page. It starts in My words mode with the Reading (kids) list loaded.
2. Change the card title if you want, for example to READING BINGO or SUMMER READING 2026.
3. Choose a grid size: 3 × 3, 4 × 4 or 5 × 5.
4. Switch the free space on or off. It is available on 3 × 3 and 5 × 5 grids, and you can change its text from the default FREE. A 4 × 4 grid has no free space.
5. Edit the word list, with one challenge per line. Check you have enough items: 24 for a 5 × 5 grid with a free space (25 without), 16 for 4 × 4, and 8 for 3 × 3 with a free space (9 without). If the list is short, the tool tells you how many more you need.
6. Set the number of cards, from 1 to 500 (the default is 10). Every card in the set will be different. Set it to 1 if every reader should use the same board.
7. Use Previous and Next to check each card in the preview.
8. Choose your print options: 1, 2 or 4 cards per page, US Letter or A4 paper, a colour, and optional letters or card numbers.
9. Click Print cards. To keep a file instead, choose Save as PDF as the printer and set the scale to 100%.

Click Copy link to share the exact cards, including your word list. Click New set for new random cards with a new game code. The Print call list and Use with the online caller buttons are for called games, so you can ignore them for a reading challenge.

What is book bingo?

Book bingo, also called a reading bingo challenge, is a reading game played on a grid of squares. Each square is a challenge, such as “A book in translation” or “A book over 500 pages”. When a reader finishes a book that fits a square, they mark it and often write the title inside it. Getting a full line, or filling the whole card (a blackout), earns a prize or a certificate.

It is not a called game like the bingo played in a hall. Nobody calls out numbers. Each reader works through the challenges at their own pace, so the card works more like a reading board than a ticket. Libraries and schools usually run it over a summer or a term, and book clubs often run it over a year.

Can I write my own reading challenges?

Yes. Type your own challenges into the word list, one per line, for example “A book set in our town”. The tool uses whatever you enter, so you are not limited to the preset lists. Match the grid size to the number of challenges you have. A 3 × 3 board suits a shorter challenge, with 8 or 9 squares depending on the free space. A 4 × 4 board needs 16 squares, and a 5 × 5 board needs 24 or 25.

The preset lists also give plenty of variety. With 36 prompts and a 5 × 5 card with a free space, there are 1,251,677,700 different sets of 24 squares. The tool also checks that no two cards in a set are the same, so every reader in a group can have their own board.

How do I run reading bingo for a class or library?

Hand out one card per reader at the start, and agree on the goal: a line, or the whole card. Readers write the title of each book in the square it fits. Set a check-in date, for example every two weeks, so readers can show their cards. At the end, a full line or a blackout earns the agreed prize or certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Is book bingo free to make?

Yes. The card generator is free and needs no sign-up. The cards are made in your browser on your own device, and nothing is uploaded.

How many squares does a book bingo card need?

It depends on the grid. A 5 × 5 card needs 24 different items with a free space, or 25 without one. A 4 × 4 card needs 16, and a 3 × 3 card needs 8 with a free space or 9 without.

Can every reader get a different card?

Yes. Every card in a set is different, with no two cards having the same squares. If you want everyone to share one board, set the number of cards to 1 and print copies.

How do I save my book bingo cards as a PDF?

Click Print cards, then choose Save as PDF as the printer in the print dialog. Set the scale to 100%, not “fit to page”, so the cards print at full size.

Can I share my book bingo cards with someone else?

Yes. Click Copy link. The link opens exactly the same cards again, including your word list, so the other person sees what you see.

Can adults use reading bingo for a book club?

Yes. Load the Reading challenge (adults) list, print one board per member, and compare cards at each meeting.

Related tools

• Bingo card generator: use it for any kind of bingo, with your own word list or numbers.
• Classroom bingo: use it for lessons, quizzes or review games in class.
• Kindness bingo: use it for a class or family challenge built around small acts of kindness.
• New Year’s bingo: use it for a New Year’s party game or a set of yearly goals.
• Blank bingo cards: use them when you want empty squares to fill in by hand.
• Bingo card template: use it when you want to type each challenge into a chosen square of one board.
• Printable bingo cards: use them for a set of cards numbered 1 to 75.