Backwards Bingo
Contents
Time
20 min
Materials
Chalk in at least two different colors and pre-made bingo cards
Directions
This is like normal bingo, only that instead of wanting to be the first to get Bingo, you want to be the last. Explain that in this game, the last student not to get Bingo wins. Use gestures like "Bingo is bad" thumbs down or "if you get bingo you are out!!" baseball gestures and "No Bingo means you are safe" more baseball gestures.
If the class is small enough, go down each row and ask students one by one to choose something not on their Bingo sheet, or at least something that doesn't result in Bingo for themselves. This creates a competitive atmosphere and really gets the kids excited. Ask periodically who has Bingo and who has no Bingo. Continue till one or two are left.
If the students work it out they can have a bit of fun when they realize that what used to be good is now bad (i.e. being 'ri-chi,' or one short of a Bingo, is now 'pinchi'/yabai in a tight spot and they even start lobbying the student whose turn it is.
Variations
- Alphabet Backwards Bingo: This is an activity for upper level Elementary school students, works well for grades 4-6. It's good to precede this game with a review of the letters, singing of the ABC song and with a game of Karuta. The bingo sheets I've created have three parts:
- Part one: A place for the students to write their names
- Part two: Tracing practice. Letters are written twice, once regular and once with dashes that the students can trace over. Students complete this, if time permits, before starting to fill in the bingo squares.
- Part three: A bingo grid with 16 squares. Tell the students to write in their favorite letters.
