Most people are familiar, or failing that at least aware of, the game of bingo. We’ve probably either played the game ourselves, or seen others play the game. What many people do not know however is that the game of bingo, with only a few minor modifications, can be adapted for educational use, and has been introduced by many teachers into their classrooms.
As you are no doubt aware, the traditional game of bingo is played using bingo cards printed with squares, each square containing a different number. Players mark off squares from their cards as numbers are called out, and the winner being the first player to achieve a winning pattern (the required pattern may vary depending on the variant of rules being used, but is typical one or more lines of marked off squares across the card).
Educational games of bingo are basically played in the same way, with the teacher acting as bingo caller, but instead of being printed with numbers, the bingo cards are often printed with items specially chosen by the teacher, for example:
* In a game of math bingo, the squares on the bingo cards may be printed with mathematical problems, and students must mark off squares by writing in the correct answers.
* In a game of foreign language bingo, the squares of the bingo cards may be printed with French, German, Spanish or Italian words that the students must recognize when the teacher calls out words in English (or vice-versa).
There really no limits on what teachers can come up with, but the common element required for all these ideas are bingo cards printed with items of the teachers of choice. Here there are really two options. The first option is to prepare the cards by hand – a tedious and potentially time-consuming task. The second option is to use a computer, because, with the help of some bingo card maker software, it’s a surprisingly easy job to print custom bingo cards.
By: Sunil Tanna
One of the attractions of bingo is that while being a lot of fun, it is also incredibly easy to learn how to play. If you get a bingo card and show it to somebody, you can explain how to play the game in just a few minutes.
In the traditional game of bingo, each player is given a bingo card containing an array of squares arranged in a 5 by 5 grid. Each square on the card contains a different number, and players mark off squares from the cards as numbers are called out by the bingo caller. While this basic game can be a lot of fun, more and more people are today turning to variants of the game. Using a computer and bingo card maker software, it’s very easy to print custom bingo cards with squares containing words, phrases, or even math problems, instead of numbers.
With so many people getting together, holidays are in fact a perfect opportunity to play bingo. Obviously if playing on (or in the run-up) to one of these holidays, it’s more fun to play using bingo cards themed around the holiday. Whether it be Christmas, Easter, St. Valentine’s Day, New Year, July 4th, Halloween, or any other holiday, you can play bingo – in each case picking words or phrases for the cards that relate to the particular holiday in question.
Many teachers are also turning to bingo as a classroom activity. The game is well suited to use in schools, since it can be adapted in a wide variety of different ways, game play mechanics can be varied, and of course cards on literally any theme or subject can be prepared. Younger students can benefit from bingo by practising reading the items on the cards, in math lessons, students can be required to write in answers to problems rather than simply mark off squares, and in language lessons students can be required to recognize items written in one language when bingo calls are made in another.
By: Sunil Tanna
Most people are familiar with the game of bingo. It is played with bingo cards containg a five by five grid of squares, with each square containing a word or number. Each player is given a bingo card, and marks off the squares from their card when the corresponding number is announced by the bingo caller. In most games, the winner is the first player to achieve a line of five items across the card (regardless of whether that line is horizontal, vertical or diagonal) and call “bingo”. For a longer game, other target patterns than a single line can be required, for example two lines of five, a postage stamp shape of three by three squares, all squares marked off, etc.
Today versions of bingo, played exactly like the “standard” game, but using cards printed with words or phrases instead of numbers, are become increasingly popular. No doubt this is in part because with the helper of a computer and bingo card maker software, it’s dead easy to produce these cards! However, the main reason why these versions of bingo have become popular is that they can be used in schools and education, as well as in community events and gatherings celebrating both religious and secular holidays.
St. Patrick’s Day (usually March 17th, although the date may move if it falls within Holy Week), which is annual event of honor of one of Ireland’s patron saints but has subsequently become a celebration of all things Irish, is an ideal occasion for playing bingo. In St. Patrick’s Day bingo, the game is of course played using bingo cards printed with words or phrases relating to Ireland or Irish culture. It’s a lot of fun to play, inexpensive, and suitable for people of all ages to play together – may be you should give it a try?
By: Sunil Tanna
