Remember the 1950s Bingo (Free Large Print Cards)

The word list

Every square is something people actually owned, wore, ate or did in the 1950s, written in two or three words so it prints big. Add local flavor: the name of the diner in town, the local dance hall, or the radio station everyone listened to.

How to run 1950s bingo with residents

This game is half bingo and half conversation. The squares are the everyday things of the fifties, so each call is a chance to ask the room a question before anyone looks for the word. A round takes longer than a numbers game, and that is the point.

1. Print one card per resident plus a few spares, and print the caller sheet so you have every square on one list.
2. Give out bingo daubers or large buttons. Pens are hard to grip for some hands, and daubers show up from across the table.
3. Call a square, then pause and ask: "Who had a party line? Did anyone ever listen in?" Let two or three people answer before you move on.
4. Say the square again slowly before the next call, so anyone who was busy talking can find it.
5. When somebody fills a line, check their card against the caller sheet, hand out the prize, and keep going for a second or third winner.

Ways to change the game

Story bingo

Before each call, read the square and ask for one memory. The person who shares gets to pick the next square from the caller sheet instead of leaving it to chance.

Soundtrack round

Play a few seconds of a song from the decade between calls. Residents who remember dancing to it often start talking on their own, and the music helps people who find words harder to find.

Decade mix

Shuffle in cards from the 1960s and 1970s lists and call from all three. Ask the room to guess which decade each square belongs to.

Tips for memory loss and mixed abilities

Use the 4 by 4 grid, which is the default here. Sixteen squares are enough for a game, and the words come out larger than on a 5 by 5 card. Switch to 3 by 3 for memory care, as our bingo for seniors guide explains. The free square only appears on 3 by 3 and 5 by 5 cards, so pick 5 by 5 if your group is used to one.

The Alzheimer's Association advises focusing on enjoyment rather than achievement when planning activities for people living with dementia. Nobody needs to win. If a resident covers the wrong square, let it go and keep the story going.

Keep the calls short and the pace slow. One square every minute or two is fine when people are talking. Have enough small prizes for everyone who got a line, and drop any square that does not suit your group before you print.

Printing large print cards

The Large print box in Options is ticked on this page. It locks the cards to one per page, prints the biggest text the generator can make, and draws the grid in heavy black lines.

Print on plain white or cream paper, never gray or colored paper with a pattern, and leave the ink saver box unticked so the words stay solid black. Thirty cards is the maximum per run; generate a second batch for a bigger room.

If the caller sheet is too small to read in a dim room, load this list in the online bingo caller and show each square on a TV.