Educational Bingo Games

If you were to ask around, I think that you would find that most people know have to play bingo. Whether it's a game that we learned as kids, or something that we encountered later in life - it's rare to find somebody who has never played bingo.

The idea behind bingo is very simple:

1. Each player is given a bingo card (sometimes known as a "bingo sheet" or "bingo card").

2. The card contains a grid of squares, and each square contains an item (traditionally a number).

3. Players check squares off their cards as items are called out in random order by the bingo caller.

4. The objective of the game is to be the first to check off a complete line of items (or some variations, multiple lines of items or a particular shape), and announce it by calling out "Bingo!".

As already mentioned, in traditional versions of bingo, the items on cards are numbers, however there's no reason why words or phrases, dates, times or even can't be used instead. In fact, by varying game play, it becomes possible to apply bingo to other situations:

* It can be played as a holiday game, on family occasions, in schools, etc. For such occasions, it's nice to use a themed version of bingo based on words or phrases relating to the particular holiday.

* Bingo cards with words or phrases can be used in classes. They are particular popular in K-12 reading classes, and as an activity in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. However there's no reason why you can't use bingo cards in other subjects such as history or geography too.

* Bingo cards don't have to be in English. You can print bingo cards with words or phrases in a foreign language, and use them for classes in the language. Teachers can also mix languages, printing the cards in one language, but making their bingo calls in another - this is a good way to practise foreign language vocabulary.

* Bingo cards can also be printed with math problems, or multiplication sums. In this cases, students must not only recognize the item in question, but write in the correct answer (rather than simply marking off the square).

Really, the variations of bingo that you can come up are almost endless. Teachers in particular can find many ways to apply the game in classroom environments. Of course, playing these variants of bingo does require bingo cards printed with the special items that you want, so you do need to bear that in mind.

By S. Tanna. To create and print your own custom bingo cards - on any subject at all - please go to http://www.bingocardprinter.com/