Bingo ideas / For grounding & self-care

Trauma Grounding & Self-Care Bingo

A soft, supportive card of grounding and self-care tools for trauma recovery — small ways to come back to the present and treat yourself with care.

Free to design and print · edit any square · 3×3, 4×4, or 5×5

When the past feels close, grounding tools help bring you back to the here and now: noticing what you can see and touch, breathing slowly, or picturing a place where you feel safe. This card collects those gentle practices into squares you can mark, turning the brave, quiet work of feeling steady again into something you can see and be proud of.

It is designed to be soothing and never to make light of what trauma feels like. Keep the tools below or swap in the ones that help you most, and use it at whatever pace feels right — alone, with someone you trust, or alongside a trauma-informed professional.

Grounding & self-care squares
  • Did the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding
  • Pictured a safe space
  • Named a feeling
  • Took ten slow breaths
  • Felt your feet on the floor
  • Reached out for support
  • Held a comforting object
  • Reminded yourself you are safe now
  • Drank some cold water
  • Stepped outside for air
  • Set a gentle boundary
  • Let a wave of feeling pass
  • Practiced a soothing routine
  • Was patient with yourself
  • Noticed five things you can see
  • Talked to someone you trust
  • Rested without guilt
  • Wrote in a journal
  • Asked for what you needed
  • Stretched gently
  • Listened to calming music
  • Showed yourself compassion
  • Stayed present for a moment
  • Made it through a hard moment

These are just a starting point — swap in your own words in the editor before you print.

Ideas for your game

  • Make it a calm-down kit on paper

    Fill the squares with the grounding tools that actually settle you, so the card doubles as a reminder list for the moments when it is hard to think of what helps.

  • Keep every square gentle

    Use soothing, present-focused actions only, never anything that points back at the trauma itself. If a square feels activating, swap it for something that helps you feel safe instead.

  • There is no finish line

    Marking one grounding tool on a hard day is a real win. Recovery is not a race, so let the card be an encouragement rather than another thing you have to complete.

Editable and printable

Edit every square. Open the card in the editor, keep the suggested squares or replace them with your own words, emoji, or photos, and pick a theme that fits the day.

Print a whole set at once. Each card is shuffled from the same square list, so every player gets a unique grid. Print to standard letter or A4 paper on any home printer — or order professionally printed cards shipped to your door.

Or play live. Share one link and a QR code and the whole room plays from their phones, in person or over video.

Questions

Is this trauma bingo a treatment for trauma?

No. This is a supportive grounding and self-care activity, not medical advice or a diagnostic tool. Trauma is best worked through with a qualified, trauma-informed professional. Use this gently alongside real care, and please reach out for help if you are struggling.

How do I make a grounding card that fits me?

Open the editor, pick a calm theme, and replace any square with the grounding and self-care tools that genuinely soothe you. You can print one for yourself or a set to share with a group, all in a couple of minutes.

Could this card be activating?

It is built to avoid that by focusing only on calming, present-focused tools. Still, you know yourself best, so change or skip any square that does not feel safe. You are always in control of what the card holds and how often you use it.

Can I use this with a therapist or loved one?

Yes. A trauma-informed therapist, support group, or trusted friend can use a gentle card like this to practice grounding together. It is meant to support recovery, never to replace the care of a qualified professional.

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