Shapes and colors bingo

Shapes and colors bingo tips

• Call the color and the shape together, every time: 'purple heart,' never just 'heart.' If a child covers the yellow heart instead, ask them to say the color of their shape out loud and compare it to the call.
• For three-year-olds, start with colors only. Call 'something red' and let them cover one red shape; once that's easy, switch to full calls like 'green triangle.' The same card supports both stages, so nobody has to print a new set.
• Before covering a picture, have children trace the shape with a finger. Running along the three sides of a triangle or the curve of an oval makes the difference between the shapes something they feel, not just see.
• Circle and oval are an easy pair to mix up at this age. When either is called, hold up something round, like a coin, next to something egg-shaped so children can compare before they cover anything.
• After the game, hunt the room for real examples: a blue square on the rug, a red circle on a sign, a yellow star on the calendar. Matching classroom objects to the pictures moves children from recognizing shapes on paper to spotting them everywhere.

Best for

Ages

3 to 5 years, preschool and pre-K

Group size

2 to 12 players, ideal for a small class or a family

Duration

10 to 15 minutes per round