Ten Loves (#5: Graduation Bingo)

For the last ten days until graduation, ten things for which I am super thankful.

#1: Family
#2: Doodling
#3: The Farmers' Market
#4: Thursday Afternoon Playdates

#5: Graduation Bingo

Oh graduation, you tease. You start out all fun, with the pomp and the circumstance and the silly hats, but somewhere after the first hour this big special ceremony becomes, well, boring.

How to pass the time while appearing interested? May I suggest Graduation Bingo? You'll have to make the cards ahead of time, so if you even think you might be bored, you should probably whip up a few to stash in your pocket, plus a some extras for anyone who might want to play along.

Start with a list of at least 24 things you might see at a graduation ceremony (the 25th can be a free space). This works best if you have a mixture of easy and hard things. Here, I'll give you a start. Feel free to leave other ideas in the comments.

a copy of Oh the Places You'll Go
flowers in school colors
mortarboard reading "Thanks Mom & Dad"
beach ball
shoes that belong at a night club
shoes that belong in a trash can
air drumming
monkey (real or inflatable)
a gown with plaid on it
someone doing a handstand or cartwheel
a crying child
a sleeping child
a crying adult
a sleeping adult
pizza being eaten
a dog in a purse
a heated discussion about where to eat
a bug

Or if you're really bored, try words in the graduation speech, like:

congratulations
parents
class of
journey (the trip)
Journey (the band)
success
loans
Lady Gaga
Jon Stewart
economy
occasion
today
lives
honor
shame
underpants
cats (the animal or the musical)
future

Then go to a free bingo card generator. There are lots online. Type in your terms, print them off individually so the spaces are scrambled, and you've got yourself a good 2 hours of fun, not including parking time! If you're playing against yourself and you make a row, you can choose to repress those happy feelings and reward yourself later. But if you're playing against someone, you have to say "bingo" to win the game and therefore their lifelong admiration, and you have to say it loud enough so others can hear. You can, however, pretend that you are saying it in response to something in the ceremony, as in "Bingo! This is the best graduating class ever!"

Have fun!

With special thanks to Matthew, who sat through so many graduation ceremonies, and to the work friends who played so many games of bingo with me.