Play the U.S.A. Bingo Game

Frankfort, Kentucky; Hartford, Connecticut; Honolulu, Hawaii… Come fifth grade, your child will face the seemingly daunting task of learning the states and their capitals, but with some healthy repetition and a variety of learning methods, it can be done! If your child is having trouble with state and capital memorization, have him try this entertaining game that draws on the classic game of Bingo. It's easy to make and can be repeated over and over again!

What You Need:

• Bingo card templates (one per person)
• Index cards
• Pen
• Markers for bingo such as, buttons, pennies, poker chips, etc.
• Scissors

What to Do:

1. Print enough bingo card templates for each person playing, and ask your child to cut them out.
2. Using the chart at the bottom of this activity, have your child fill each empty box on the bingo card templates with the name of a state. There will not be room for every state on each bingo card and the cards will not match, but that's part of the fun!
3. Have your child cut each index card in half.
4. Now, ask your child to write each of the fifty state capitals on half of an index card. He can use the chart at the bottom of this activity for reference.
5. Ask your child to place the index cards in a hat, box, or bowl and mix them up without looking.
6. Determine which player will draw the cards out of the bowl and read them aloud. The reader can either be someone who is playing or a designated card reader.
7. Have each player take a handful of markers and start by covering up the free space!

Playing the Game:

1. Have the designated person take a card from the bowl and read it. Any player with the corresponding state on her bingo card will cover it up with a marker. For example, if the reader draws Dover, the players can cover up Delaware (if they have it on their cards). If a player does not have a corresponding state, he does nothing and waits for the next card to be drawn.
2. Continue to draw cards until one person gets five in a row and yells "BINGO!"

Play again and again to reinforce those states and capitals in your child's mind! To add a little variety and more intense grammar review, try playing "blackout." This variation of bingo requires the winning player to mark ALL of the spaces on his or her card. Other variations include "four corners" and "picture frame," depending on which spaces you need to mark to win!

 Reference Chart: