JINGO

Learn while you play bingo.

Bingo is a fun game that most kids are familiar with and that covers a lot of skill areas. A step above bingo, JINGO adds a teaching element to bingo games. Instead of calling letter/number combinations to cover, JINGO games come with clue calling cards that inform and question. Clue cards also include pictures for those who need a visual to match. JINGO now comes in 55 themes. I have blogged about several, but my collection is growing, so I decided to group them here. Just click on the game name to go to my post about that specific game.

Community JINGO - 30 game cards, 50 calling cards, focuses on things found in a community.

Money JINGO - 30 game cards, 40 calling cards, focuses on coin identification and adding coins.

Thanksgiving JINGO - 30 game cards, 36 calling cards, focuses on the history of Thanksgiving.

Back to School JINGO - 30 game cards, 46 calling cards, focuses on items that could be found in a school.

ABCs & 123S JINGO - 30 game cards, 36 calling cards, focuses on the alphabet and numbers 1-10.  Example of letter card: F - 1) The word fish begins with this letter, 2) This letter is at the beginning of the words flower, frog and flag and 3) This letter is at the end of the words leaf, beef, and roof. Example of a number card: 8 - 1) This is the number eight, 2) When you could by twos you say 2, 4, 6 ____, 3) This number is spelled e-i-g-h-t.

Frontier JINGO - 30 game cards, 50 calling cards, focuses on people, places and things from 1800's United States history.

Rhyming Words JINGO - 30 game cards, 50 calling cards, focuses on rhyming words.

World Geography JINGO - 30 games cards, 50 calling cards. Images on cards do not show shape of many countries but will show a flag, or the country's name or a picture of a familiar building or item related to that country. Each card will also tell three facts about the country. Example calling card:

• Netherlands - picture is a windmill. 
• Large cities of this nation are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and the Hague.
• When we think of this nation, we think of tulips, dikes, cheese and windmills.
• Henry Hudson explored for this nation that at one time owned Manhattan Island (New York City)

 

Animal BINGO

Animal BINGO - An everyday game that covers a lot of skills

I learned about different types of animals by playing a game called lotto with my grandma when I was very young. I'm not sure what the difference is between lotto and bingo, because this game reminded me of her game. This is an animal-themed bingo game with a combination of domestic, farm and wild animals. The game card is a 4 X 4 grid with no free spot in the middle, and the cards measure 6 3/4" X 8 1/2". The bingo game cards show the animal picture only while the call out cards show the animal picture and the written name.

The call out cards and the markers are on perforated cards and will need to be separated before playing. Adding small prizes for winners is always a treat, but not necessary (we never used them as kids).

Object:
Be the first to get 4 in a row in any direction: horizontal, vertical or diagonal. Or use another pattern, such as fill in the border or make a letter X, etc.

Set up:
Give each person playing a BINGO card and several markers. Choose a person to be the caller. Mix the calling cards face-down and give them to him.

Play:
The caller will turn over one card and call it. All players will put a marker on that square if they have it on their card. The caller repeats this until someone matches the winning pattern on his card and yells BINGO. Check the player's card for accuracy and reward the prize if there is one. Play again.

Try this:

• Practice recognizing a winning pattern before playing. Cover a pattern with markers on a card so the individual can see what it will look like. Then set up several cards with multiple markers and a win embedded on each one and ask the player to find it. Work until he is proficient at spotting the winning pattern.
• Watch for only one BINGO direction at a time until they are used to watching for it (horizontal, diagonal, vertical). Then watch for two directions, then for three. Then try a bingo in any direction.
• Place the call out card next to the player's BINGO game card if they need it to compare to the animals on their card.
• Ask the player to repeat each animal name as they cover it with the marker.
• Ask player's to hold several marker pieces in their dominant hand as they play. Ask them to bring the pieces to the fingertips, one at a time, and place on the card as they play. Use a variety of things as markers to practice with different items, such as paper clips, coins or dried beans, etc.
• Use letters as your patterns. You can play for O (border), X, N, L, C, G, U, and Z.
• Display a black and white card with the BINGO pattern for each game highlighted in yellow so the players can remember the pattern they are looking for. You can just make them with a black marker on white paper or draw them on the board.
• 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 cards after each game, squirreling them in the palm as you go. How many can you hold without dropping?
• 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.
• Display a black and white card with the BINGO pattern for each game. You can just make them with a black marker on white paper or draw them on the board.

• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, visual closure, eye-hand coordination, fine motor, in-hand manipulation, manual dexterity, executive functioning skills, socialization skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 32 BINGO game cards, 48 call out cards, 594 card markers

If you would like to purchase this game or just want more information, go to www.orientaltrading.com.