Bingo Catcher

Bingo Catcher is a playful form of endurance training that also challenges tactics, spatial awareness, and memory.

Beforehand, place 20 cones marked with numbers 1–20, ten on each side of the playing field. The numbers should not be in sequence. Feel free to mix even and odd numbers on both sides. Distribute one bingo card and a pencil to each child. They use these to mark off the numbers they visit.

At the start, everyone runs to a random cone and marks off the number they are standing on on their bingo card. Then, they should move on to cones in ascending order (for example, 3–4–5–6, etc.).

One participant is the 'catcher' and tries to tag the others. The catcher does not have their own bingo card but takes over the card of the person who gets tagged. The person who is tagged becomes the new catcher.

You are only 'safe' when standing with one foot on the cone whose number you are supposed to mark off. When a participant has marked off all the numbers on their card, they run to the supervisor and hand in the card.

Download bingo card: Bingo card for Bingo Catcher (PDF)

It is decided beforehand whether the game ends when:

• the first participant has a full card
• the first three are finished
• or everyone has completed it.

Since bingo cards are swapped during the game, it is partly random who wins.

Variation

• Vary the size of the playing field.
• Change the number of cones, and whether they should be:
• only even numbers
• only odd numbers
• answers to various arithmetic operations (for example 3·4, 5+7, etc.).
• Vary the number of catchers.

The activity can also be carried out on skis (without poles) or skates.