Ocean Bingo

Ocean Bingo

I have gotten into the habit of playing a game of bingo with one of my families at the end of our sessions. It's actually a pretty good way to teach if you are using a picture bingo. Kids will learn to recognize things by name and picture. We have been using my Animal Bingo. The young man has learned all 48 animals, so our next adventure is Ocean Bingo. Ocean Bingo is a little different because it does not deal with just animals, but other ocean related things, such as islands, tides, the Titanic, pearls and a water cycle.

There are 6 bingo cards and they measure 8.5" x 11". The cards have a 5 X 5 grid with a free spot in the middle. The cards are a card stock and can easily be laminated to hold up longer. 

There are 42 calling cards. Each card has a picture and a word description on the front and information about that item on the back.

The markers are on a perforated card stock and you need to tear them apart before you play. 

There is also a line of bingo cards called Jingo. They offer information with each calling card, instead of just a number or picture only. I have blogged about several of them including Community Jingo, Money Jingo and Thanksgiving Jingo. Click here to check them out. 


Object:
Be the first to get 5 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 that animal 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 he needs it to compare to the animals on his 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, P, C, E, F, G, H, I, S, T, U, Y 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: 6 bingo cards, 42 calling cards, markers

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

Owly Owl

Owly Owl - 14 blocks and 10 patterns

Lots of visual perceptual and hand skills go into completing Owly Owl models. FoxMind is a brand that I know and trust and I have blogged about many of their products (see list below). Their products are typically logic games that include multiple challenges that increase in difficulty as you go. I consider these types of activities a good value and very useful in therapy.

Owly Owl is a collection of 14 pieces that are placed on a base with 4 dowels to create 10 different models. The pieces are chunky wood and brightly painted. There are two squares and two circles and the rest of the pieces are not symmetrical, so will require a specific spatial orientation. Even the square and circles are painted and will require you to orient them.

The wooden base measures 8" across. There are 4 removable wooden dowels. Two are 3 5/8" long and two are 6 1/8" long.

The 10 patterns are printed on 5 cards, with each card having a different model on each side. The cards measure 3 15/16" square. The models range from 6 pieces to all 14 pieces. 

Other FoxMind activities I have blogged about:

• Equilibrio - Build structures upright, some with challenging balance aspects such as the one above that is built on round blocks. 18 pieces, 60 challenges.
• Perspecto - Build structures from a variety of perspectives (up to three views per puzzle). The old name for this game is Cliko. The Perspecto puzzle book is the exact same book as the Cliko book, just a new name. 18 pieces, 55 challenges.
• Architecto - Build structures upright. 18 pieces, 60 challenges.
• Tangramino - Build structures flat on the table. 18 pieces, 64 challenges.
• Smart Cookies - A logic, deductive reasoning, problem solving game with a cookie theme.
• Zoologic - You are a zookeeper trying to avoid chaos among the animals. As you solve puzzles, no animal can be placed next to a rival or next to his favorite food. 60 puzzles.
• Archelino - A beginners logic puzzle. Load the animals onto the ark while pleasing each animal's seating request. 60 beginner challenges.

Try this:

• Start by playing, and/or examining the pieces without building any models from cards so that the individual can get acquainted with the different shapes and views from different perspectives.
• Start with the necessary pieces lying on the table, already in the correct orientation, for beginners. As the individual improves, turn the necessary pieces so that they will need to be flipped and oriented, pile the pieces on the table so that some are partially covered or behind others, and/or add additional unnecessary pieces to sort through. Work on a variety of visual perceptual skills at the same time if the individual is able. 
• Hand the individual a block at a time to build if they cannot look at a finished model and tell where to start or how to proceed.
• Try using the work "stack" if the individual wants to start at the top and build down.
• Build a structure while the individual looks on and think out loud about the process as you work. Then let them try to build it.  
• Orient and place a piece for the individual as he watches, if he is having difficulty building. Then pick it back up, flip or turn it, and give it back to him to try again.
• Ask the individual "Is that correct?" if a mistake has been made. Let them compare it to the card and allow him time to spot the error and correct it before jumping in to help.
• Hand the individual each piece as he needs it in the incorrect orientation. Ask him to turn it in-hand to position it for placement.
• Find all the pieces for a model ahead of time. Place only those pieces and the card in front of the child. This may decrease frustration that might be added by working on too many things at once.
• Push the first piece or two toward the individual if he is having trouble getting started. Stop assisting as soon as you see he is ready to go it alone.
• Use consistent positional and relational language as you work.
• Work on manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, spatial relations/position in space, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 14 colored pieces, 5 piece base, 5 pattern cards

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