Bingo is a classic activity that can be both fun and educational. When you make bingo cards with alphabet letters in the spaces, a game of bingo can entertain your child and help build letter knowledge.
- blank, preferably unlined paper
- pencils, crayons, and/or markers
- place markers, or small items like buttons, plastic bottle caps, or beans
- Optional: ruler, scissors, cup or bowl for the individual letters
Preparation
Step 1: On a sheet of paper create a bingo game sheet that has 9 squares; 3 squares across the top, 3 squares in the middle and 3 squares across the bottom, just like the picture.
Step 2: Draw a happy face in the center square to make it a free space. In the remaining squares write an uppercase or lowercase letter.
Step 3: On another sheet of paper, write a variety of uppercase and lowercase letters, making sure that the same letters on the game sheet are included. Cut out the letters or tear the letters apart so that each letter is an individual piece of paper.
Step 4: Gather items to use as space markers such as buttons, colored pieces of paper or plastic bottle caps.
Activity
Step 1: Now it’s time to play! Start off by showing your child how to use the space markers by putting one on the free space. Explain that in bingo, this space is a free space for players.
Step 2: Mix up the individual letters and place them in a cup or bowl. Choose a letter and show your child. Ask him if he knows what the name of the letter is; if he doesn’t, tell him. Now, ask him to look for the same letter on his game sheet. If he sees the letter, show him how to mark the letter with one of the space markers.
Step 3: Continue pulling letters until he has spaces marked in either a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line. Tell him that when you have three letters in a row, you call out “Bingo!”
Step 4: If your child is having fun, collect the letters and play another round. You can even make a game sheet for yourself and play with your child.
Instead of a game sheet of 9 squares, make one with fewer squares: one vertical line in the center of a page and one horizontal line crossing it would give you 4 squares. You can also color code the letter pieces and the letters on the game sheet, so that it‘s easier for your child to identify the letters.
Instead of calling out the letter name, call out the letter sound. You can also make game sheets with letters and numbers, or words and names your child knows.
