Harry Potter and the Bingo Game

This is a Harry Potter "board" game but it is also an adaptable one because you can pick and choose your topic. For example, you could create this board game but instead of Harry Potter characters and creatures, you could choose Lord of the Rings, wild flower species or Star Wars characters. Let your imagination flow through you!

This game is played exactly like the normal bingo game with PRIZES (for example, film night, meal out, a bag of sweets etc).

Why not create this as a present? Just simply choose a topic that the person is interested in! To win, a player needs to have five covered squares vertically, horizontally or diagonally. If it is a diagonal win, the winner can choose from any of the prizes on the "board".

Acknowledgements:

All trademarks recognised.

For some of the drawings on the "board", I used "Harry Potter PAGE TO SCREEN THE COMPLETE FILMMAKING JOURNEY" by Bob McCabe for references. For the other drawings, I looked at Google images.

Supplies

1x eraser

1x cm ruler

1x A3 or 2x A4 pieces of paper (for the "board")

1x pencil

1x tube

1x tape dispenser (only if you choose the 2x A4 method)

4x different crayons

4x A4 pieces of paper (to put around the container so you can personalise it)

4x sets of paper squares

4x different coloured ribbons

Step 1: Setting Up

Find your supplies and place them on a table (or on any hard, flat surface), making sure that the table is clear before your start. Remember to remove any liquid away from the work station to avoid any spillages. You wouldn't want any of that....would you?

Step 2: Making the "Board"

If you are using an A3 piece of paper, you can skip this step.

Using the tape dispenser, tape the two A4 pieces of paper together, making sure that they are abutted. This is to create your "board".

Step 3: Flip It Over!

If you are using an A3 piece of paper, you can skip this step.

Turn the newly transformed A3 piece of paper over, made up of the two A4 pieces of paper that you just taped together, in order to hide the tape to make it look more presentable.

Step 4: Beginning the Design

With a ruler and a pencil, measure out 5.5cm (circa. 2 inches) from the left and right as shown in the photograph.

Step 5: Drawing the Bingo Squares on the "Board"

Using the ruler and the pencil again, measure squares of 5.5 x 5.5cm (circa. 2 inches x 2 inches) until you reach the other side just like you shown in the photograph. I realised that I didn't quite draw the squares equally but don't worry if this is the case.

This should make a grid of 36 squares.

Step 6: And Let's Start Creating!

This is where you can choose your topic or choose different Harry Potter characters and creatures depending on what you enjoy.

You can also draw on a score table to keep track on who has won.

This is the basic "board".

Step 7: Think Your "Board" Game Could Do With a Lift? Well. This Is the Step for You

You can skip this step and go onto Step 8 if you are just making the basic version.

Whatever topic you chose in Step 6, the drawing should have something to do with the written word. For example, for Draco, I drew an apple because in many scenes, he is seen eating an apple.

Step 8: Creating the Bingo Pieces

You will need to make the paper squares the same size or slightly smaller than the squares on the "board".

This photograph shows two sets of 25 paper squares but I suggest four sets (I also wrote the names in colours that represent the Hogwarts houses so then players can choose what colour they would like).

Step 9: The Container

You will need a container to put the game into at the end. It needs to be big enough so the "board" can fit when not in use. Wrap the four A4 pieces of paper around the tube and tape it to the container.

To personalise my container, I chose four ribbons that matched the Hogwarts house colours. For the Alohomora (unlocking spell) wand movement, I looked it up on Google to make sure I was drawing it correctly.

Step 10: Instructions to Play the Game

The game is for playing by two people of any age.

Each player selects one set of the bingo pieces (each set is 25 pieces). Turn them upside down (ie. blank side up) and shuffle them. Then, the first player picks up one of their bingo pieces and finds the matching name. If a square has been already taken, that player misses a turn and the next player has their turn. This continues until a player gets five squares vertically, horizontally or diagonally (there are two diagonal columns of five squares in this game).

If it is a vertical win, the player wins that prize for that column.

If it is a horizontal win, the player wins that prize for that row

If it is a diagonal win, the player can choose from any of the prizes on the "board".