State Capitals Game: Bingo Cards

One theme for teaching citizenship is the  Fifty Great States theme.  This state capitals game with bingo would be a fun game or gathering activity to go with this theme.  You can play this game with states or capitals on the bingo cards or the call cards. You can choose which combination of bingo cards and call cards you would like to use.

For a pack meeting, you could let the younger Cub Scouts have cards have states, for example, but give the Webelos cards with capitals and use the state call cards for the whole group. That would make it a little more challenging for the older Scouts.

1. Choose which cards to use. There are several options:
   • Use the state bingo cards and the state call cards (easiest)
   • Use the capital bingo cards and the capital call cards (still pretty easy)
   • Use the capital bingo cards and the state call cards (harder)
   • Use the state bingo cards and the capital call cards (also harder)
2. Cut the call cards apart
3. Give each player one of the bingo cards.
4. Distribute daubers or some other way to mark the cards. If you use something like pennies or small pieces of candy as markers you can reuse the cards.
5. Place the call cards in a paper bag.
6. Randomly pull a call card from the bag and say the name of the state or capital on the card.
7. If the player has the matching state or capital on his card, he marks it.
8. Continue drawing call cards and having the players mark their cards.
9. When a player has a whole row covered (across, down, or diagonal) she yells BINGO!
10. Check the player’s card against the states or capitals which has been named so far. If he really has a full row covered, he wins that round.
11. Continue playing rounds until you are out of time.

Other popular variations are Four Corners (cover the four corner spaces) and Cover All (cover every space on the card).

State Capitals Bingo Game instructions

State Capitals Game bingo cards with the states

State Capitals Game bingo cards with the capitals

State Capitals Game call cards with the states

State Capitals Game call cards with the capitals

Video Instructions

Fifty Great States Theme

BSA has a Cub Scout pack meeting plan called Fifty Great States related to citizenship. The Fifty Great States meeting plan features games, group activities, songs, and more to help Cub Scouts become good citizens in their Packs and communities.

Citizenship Football Game

Citizenship Football Game is a fun way to help Webelos and Scouts BSA work on citizenship requirements.

History of the United States Flag Cootie Catcher

Barb sent in this template and instructions for making a cootie catcher to help Cub Scouts learn the history of the US flag. A cootie catcher, also called a fortune teller, is an orgami construct which can be used to ask and answer questions.

More Citizenship Meeting Themes

• Your Vote Counts
• USA
• Hometown Heroes
• Stars and Stripes
• General Citizenship Ideas
• More Citizenship Ideas