Bingo as an Educational Game

1. BINGO IS EASY TO MAKE. I have Bingo playing cards already printed out so that I can quickly grab them, add the information and we can be ready to play in no time at all. Several web sites have printable Bingo playing cards. However, I have found that I prefer my own. I make them in three forms:

a. The traditional 25 space card that we are all familiar with. This is good for times when the information being put on the spaces is not too large.

b. A 16 space card (four rows of four spaces in each row). This is a form to use when there is more information to be placed in each space or when larger pictures are being put in the spaces.

c. A 9 space card (three rows of three spaces in each row). This is a good form for introducing young children to Bingo. Since the card is simpler it is easier for them to find the proper space to mark.

And yes, I do on some games make a FREE SPACE in the center. Again, this depends on how much information I have to put on the card and how many spaces I need to use.

2. BINGO CAN BE PLAYED WITH ANY NUMBER OF PLAYERS. Bingo works wonderful in large and small groups, so it is good for the home school family as well as for use in a classroom. Just create enough playing cards (each one should have the information arranged differently on the cards) and away you go.

3. THE WINNER IS BASED ON LUCK, NOT ABILITY. Since the luck of having the right spaces on the playing card determines the winner rather than a greater ability, or knowledge, players of differing abilities can all play together. This is especially good for the home school family. The whole family can play together and the three year old (who gets assistance) has just as much chance of winning the game as his 13 year old sibling. Older children can play for the review of a skill, the middle child is getting the drill he needs to master the skill and the younger children are getting introduced to the skill.

4. ALMOST ANY SKILL CAN BE PUT ON A BINGO GAME. From beginning phonics and counting to telling time, counting coins, identifying dog breeds, drilling Spanish words, math facts, history, geography, and on and on.

5. BINGO IS GREAT FOR EXPOSING CHILDREN TO INFORMATION. I know that it is not necessary as part of a child's education to know the different breeds of dogs, rarely would they be tested on such information. However, for a well-rounded education, I like to expose them to as much information as I can. By using a Bingo game with pictures of different dogs on each of the playing spaces, the children were introduced to a number of the most common breeds. Since Bingo is not a fast-paced game, we were able to talk about the different breeds as we played. Each of us would share things we knew about them. Then since their interest was captured, I got a number of books on dog breeds on our next trip to the library. The children were excited about getting new information that they could share for the next time we played.

I hope that Bingo is enjoyed in each of your homes or classrooms as much as we enjoyed it.