Turkey bingo for kids

Turkey bingo for kids tips

• Before the first round, let children name each picture on their card out loud. Pointing at the turkey, the acorn and the pie builds vocabulary and gives shy players a chance to participate before the pace picks up.
• Use a small pile of counters, dried beans or pinecones to cover squares. Pre-readers often enjoy the sorting and placing as much as the winning, and a tactile marker helps them track which pictures the caller has already announced.
• Call pictures slowly and show a matching card or sample image at the same time. Young children who cannot yet read a caller's words can still match an ear of corn or a pumpkin, so the game stays fair for mixed-age groups.
• Play two or three quick rounds rather than one long game. Preschoolers lose focus after a few minutes, so switching the caller between rounds keeps excitement high and gives the children who finished early something to watch for.
• When the games are over, hand out crayons and let children color their own card. The turkey, the sunflower and the scarecrow make good starting points, and a colored card is something to take home and show the family at the Thanksgiving table.

Best for

Ages

3 to 6 years, preschool and kindergarten

Group size

4 to 20 children, with one adult caller for every 8 to 10 players

Duration

10 to 15 minutes for three short rounds