Cyber Lotería

Oct 10, 2025

In Cyberchase, Inez’s Mexican American heritage is part of who she and her family are. When she’s not busy outsmarting Hacker and saving Cyberspace, one of Inez’s favorite activities is playing the traditional Mexican card game, lotería, with her hermanita (little sister), Camila!

Much like bingo, lotería is a “game of chance” where players must match colorful cartas (cards) on their tablas (game boards) in straight lines or patterns. Now, you and your family can join the fun with this printable and a few materials at home.

Materials

Cyberchase Loteria Printable (PDF)
Beans, buttons, coins, or any other small items to use as game pieces (Make sure each player has at least 10 items as game pieces. Use what you have on hand; the pieces don’t need to match.)
Scissors

Directions

Print and cut out the boards and cards using the Cyberchase Loteria Printable.

Give at least one board to each player.

Shuffle the cards and place the deck face down in a pile.

Choose a caller. The caller flips over one carta at a time and shows or reads it out loud. The caller does not need to be playing with a board.

Mark your board! If you have that picture on your tabla, put a bean, coin, or other game pieces on it. Continue flipping cards and marking your boards.

Shout “¡Lotería!” The first player to cover four cards in the same row, in the same column, or diagonally across the board must shout “¡Lotería!” to win.

Explore Further

You can change things up by adding different rules for completing a winning board. Along with covering rows and columns, you can try creating a specific pattern, covering just the four corners, or even filling in the whole tabla!

To make the game more fun, the caller can also give a clue or rhyme before showing the card right away. Players can guess what the next card is on their board before it is revealed.

Lotería is a playful way to also introduce core math and critical thinking skills for kids. Here are some ways to help extend your child’s learning during the game:

Counting: Have kids count how many game pieces they’ve placed.
Positions & Spatial Reasoning: Ask them to describe where a picture is (e.g., “top row, in the middle”). Then ask them how far away/which direction another image is on their board.
Shapes: Have your child identify rows, diagonals, or shapes on their tabla.
Addition & subtraction: Add up the number of spaces filled, or figure out how many more are needed to win.

No matter how you play, enjoy playing together—Lotería is about family, laughter, adventure, and learning along the way!