Back To School JINGO

A bingo game that will make you think.

JINGO is bingo, but a little more sophisticated than your ordinary call-a-number bingo. JINGO cards show pictures, but instead of calling for the picture to be covered you give clues as to what should be covered. Back to School JINGO playing cards have pictures of things that could be found in a school. Here is a sampling from the clues:

• Use me and you won't need to bend the pages to find your place (bookmark).
• I am called a pair even though you just need one of me (scissors).
• I have a foot but no leg (ruler).
• I am at school for you if you get hurt or sick (nurse).

All cards to this game are heavyweight paper. Laminating all cards right away would be a good idea. The JINGO card measures 8.5 x 11, it is a 5 x 5 grid, and there is a free space in the middle.  The clue cards show the clue and the picture that should be covered on one side and the words Back To School JINGO on the other side. The clue cards come 10 on a sheet, are perforated, and will need to be cut or torn apart before playing. No chips or markers for covering are included.

I have blogged about three other JINGO games - Thanksgiving JINGO, Community JINGO and Money JINGO. 

A colorful playing card, clue cards with pictures, instruction page with examples of BINGO patterns.

Object:

Be the first player to cover the squares on your card that match a predetermined design such as diagonal, horizontal, vertical, four corners, letter "T", border etc.

Set Up:

Give each player one JINGO playing card and 25-30 tokens to cover spaces. If you don't have bingo chips you could try dry beans, dry pasta, pennies, etc.

Play:

Give one clue at a time. Each player searches his card for the answer. Show the picture on the clue card after everyone is done covering, just in case someone covered the wrong thing - they can uncover it right away. Keep giving clues until someone has a JINGO (has covered all the squares needed to match the predetermined design).

To see other fall-themed games, click here.

Try this:

• Hold several tokens in the hand, bringing them to the fingertips one at a time to cover the squares.
• When cleaning up, pick up the tokens one at a time and squirrel them in the palm without dropping. How many can you hold?
• Make a copy of the black and white card (comes with the game) which shows the different bingo patterns (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, four corners). Cut them out and display the one you are using for each game for all to see.
• Let anyone in the group answer the questions aloud as you read the cards. Once all answers have been given, let players play independently and see if they can remember the answers.
• For non-readers, turn the question over and let them see the picture. They can match the picture.
• Use letters as your patterns. You can play for O (border), X, N, L, P, C, E, F, G, H, I, S, T, U, Y and Z.
• Visualize the letter you are going for as a bingo and do not mark pictures that aren't part of the letter.
• Pick the pieces off the card after each game, squirreling them in the palm. How many can you hold without dropping any?
• Stop occasionally and check the player's card. Ask them to point out places where they only need one more to win a bingo. Or point out possible bingos and ask how many more will be needed to win or which squares will need markers to win in that direction etc.
• Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, spatial relations, figure ground, visual scanning, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, fine motor control, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
  

In the box: 30 JINGO cards, 46 clue cards

 

If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the image below.

Tricky Hands

Tricky Hands - Five finger fun.

 

The goal of Tricky Hands is to use the bands to recreate the pattern from the card on your own hand(s). Great for working on spatial relations and hand skills.

The Tricky Hands bands are the small type hair bands that you might find at a dollar store. They fit snug enough not to fall off but are not tight. The pattern cards are not laminated but are a card stock. They start easy (one band per finger) and get more difficult as you go (multiple bands/colors per finger and then bands stretched across two fingers). However, the cards are not numbered or color coded for difficulty, so I sort through ahead of time and stack them. You could also number them yourself.  

Try this:

• Model putting the bands on your own fingers, especially the 2-finger wide. Ask the individual to imitate you.
• Suggest for 2-finger bands putting it on the longest finger first so it doesn't come off as you go to the shorter finger.
• Start with the 1-finger band challenges before moving to the 2-finger challenges. 
• Follow a card pattern and put the bands on your own hand. Then show the individual two cards, one being the card you followed, and ask them to identify the card that matches your hand. Keep adding cards to pick from as the individual improves. Try showing your hand backward, and see if they can still recognize the right card.
• Use consistent positional language when working such as under, on top of, next to, to the right of, etc.
• Use a piece of white paper to cover the bands you are not to yet. I have found some have trouble starting at the bottom and working up, so if I cover the upper bands, it is clearer where they should be working.
• Put the bands on your own hand first and then ask the individual to put them on his hand in the same pattern. It may be easier to work from a 3D pattern than a 2D pattern.
• Ask the individual to compare his hand to yours or the pattern card if he makes a mistake. Can he find it and fix it?
• Grade for difficulty and work on all right hand cards. Then do the same for all left hand challenges. Then mix right and left.
• Ask the individual to put the bands on his fingers by following the colors that you call.
• Show the individual a card. Ask him to look at the card and memorize the colors and the order. Hide the card. Can the player put the bands on his hand in the correct order?
• Place a right hand and a left hand card in front of the individual.  Give them one band at a time and ask them to put it on their hand. Give a band that would be out of order on one hand but in order on the other. Can they figure out which hand to put it on?
• Hold up one card at a time and use your thumb to cover the word at the bottom. Ask the individual to determine if they are looking at a right hand or a left hand.
• Use a pattern card and place the bands on your fingers correctly. Place several cards in a line in front of the individual, one of them being the correct card. Flip your hand palm up. Can the individual identify the pattern on your hand from the line of cards?
• Choose a pattern card. Ask the individual to turn his hand palm up and place the bands on is fingers according to the pattern on the card. Turn the hand over and check to see if the pattern is correct.
• Ask the individual to make a pattern from an easier card. Now place a more difficulty card in front of them. Can they move the bands that are on their hand to the new positions without taking any of them off? Additional bands may need to be added.
• Teach the names of the fingers - thumb, index/pointer/second, middle/third, ring/fourth, pinkie/fifth. Line up several rows of cards. Name a finger and a color and ask them to point to all cards that match. For instance, middle finger, orange.
• Shuffle the cards and place them on a face-up pile in front of the individual. Sort them into two piles - right and left. If the top card is a right hand, pick it up with the right hand and put it on a stack on the right side of the pile. If the top card is a left, pick it up with the left hand and place it on a stack on the left side of the pile. Continue until all the cards are sorted.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, visual closure, eye-hand coordination, finger isolation, manual dexterity, coordinated use of both hands, executive functioning skills, socialization skills, process skills, play exploration and participation   
• In the box:  50 small bands, 50 challenge cards

 If you are interested in purchasing this game or just learning more about it, click on the Amazon.com image below.