Valentine’s Day Bingo for Preschoolers
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I love to bring new games and activities to my preschool classroom, especially using every holiday or special occasion as an excuse to spruce up the fun and keep my students interested, and this Valentine’s Day Bingo game is perfect for that purpose.
I remember that one of the games I enjoyed the most when I was little was bingo. We used to go to this family club where they offered this activity to children and adults (not the same type for both of course), and my siblings and I always had a lot of fun picking up cards and using corn kennels to mark the pictures as they were shown. We had hours of enjoyment, but the best part was yelling BINGO!!!!! and getting a little price when that happened.
Valentine’s Day Bingo
Remembering the fun I had during my childhood, I created this lovely Valentine’s Day Bingo that will give your preschoolers hours of entertainment while developing skills without them even noticing. The best part… it is completely FREE for you to use.
This bingo printable includes two different versions with 5 pages each, one version for younger learners and another one for more advanced learners. The simpler version includes five cards with nine pictures each. The advanced version also includes five cards but with 24 pictures each. I also included 27 picture cards to be used to show the children which pictures they could mark on their bingo cards.
Benefits of Valentine’s Day Bingo
Like any other bingo game, Valentine’s Day Bingo is not just a fun game but is also educational and will help your preschoolers develop important skills such as:
- Concentration and memory skills development – because they need to focus to get it right.
- One-to-one correspondence and creating sets skills – when they have to match the picture you are showing them with a similar picture on their bingo cards.
- Sensory development – because they are using some of their senses when they hear and see the card you are showing, and touch, feel, and manipulate objects.
- Eye and hand coordination – when they see the picture and place the bingo chip in the appropriate square.
- Social skills – when they take turns and communicate with other players.
- Fine motor skills development – when they move their hands and fingers while playing the game.
- Visual discrimination – when they look at the pictures and are able to match them with the one on their cards.
You can use this game as a large group activity, but also it is perfect to use in combination with my Valentine’s Day Math Puzzle, my Valentine’s Day Memory Game, and my Valentine’s Day Word Wall Cards.
You can set up small group stations where the children can rotate through, to take advantage of all these activities.
If your preschoolers have been exposed to other bingo games, they are probably going to be able to work independently. However, new students or children who are not familiar with these types of games will need your guidance.
Materials needed for the Valentine’s Day Bingo
You don’t need a lot of materials, just these:
- Free printable color bingo cards (you can find this at the bottom of this post.)
- White cardstock paper
- Bingo chips (these could be heart mini erasers, Kisses candy, buttons, red, white, and pink pom-poms, heart candy, red game chips, and anything other material small enough that can fit in the bingo cards’ squares).
- Laminator machine
- Laminator pouches
How to Prepare the Valentine’s Day Bingo
The process is extremely easy. The only thing you need to do is print the Bingo Cards on the card stock paper. Then cut them out and laminate them. I strongly suggest you do that to protect the cards from wear and tear and have them available for your students to play over and over again.
When Valentine’s Day month is over, just put them in a Zip-Lock bag and store them for next year, for a new world of fun.
How to Play the Valentine’s Day Bingo
To start this game, each child should choose a bingo card. The teacher or one student (if they are playing as a small group activity) should place the picture cards in an envelope, basket, bag, or any other container where the cards are not visible.
Then the teacher or child takes a random card out and shows it to the children. The children that have that picture on their bingo cards should place a chip on top of it. This means, for example, if the card shown like the one shown is like this one:
When the children see the card, everyone with that image should place their bingo chip down on top of that picture.
The child that fills up an entire row (which could be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) and yell Bingo!!! wins. If the child is distracted and doesn’t shout Bingo! before another one does, then that child loses. This rule will help them focus and concentrate better (hopefully!).
This game is not only great to strengthen the children’s concentration, memory, one-to-one correspondence, and set creation, but it will also keep them busy for a long time while learning without even realizing it.
To extend the game you can have the winner be the first to fill out their whole card.
I like that this game not only because it can be played in the classroom or at home, but also because it could be played by children of all ages. Of course, it is mainly designed for preschoolers, but I’m sure children such as kindergarteners and older may enjoy it as well. Why not? Is such a matter of having fun.
Extension Activities for the Valentine’s Day Bingo
The individual cards are so cute and pretty that you can use them for many other learning activities as well, taking advantage of the variety in the pictures. I’m sure you will appreciate not having to prepare for other activities.
Some of the uses and activities that you can use these cards for are:
- Phonological awareness game: take one of the cards and name the picture emphasizing the beginning sound, for example: “This is a key. I hear /k/ /k/ /k/ at the beginning of the word key.
- Letter recognition: take one of the cards and name the picture saying the name of the letter that the pictures start with, for example: “This is an envelope. Envelope starts with the letter “Ee”.
- Language Development: select one of the cards during circle time and invite your preschoolers to create a story using the picture, while you take dictation to make a class book.
- Artwork: invite each preschooler to select a card and use it as an inspiration to draw or paint a picture.
- The “The Missing Card” Game: this game is better as a small group activity. Take 3 to 5 cards and place them on a table. Ask your preschoolers to name the pictures on each card, then have your children close their eyes while you remove one card. Then ask your preschoolers to open their eyes and tell you which card is missing.
Then check out my other Valentine’s Day activities at the bottom of this post, to get those free printables as well and be able to expand your Valentine’s Day activities collection. You will also help your preschoolers have fun while learning. Most importantly, don’t forget to grab your free Valentine’s Day Bingo printable! You will receive both versions in the same download.
Don’t Forget Your Storytime
It is great to have different educational and fun activities to do with your preschoolers but for me one of the most important ones you have to have every day, twice a day at least with storytime.
I cannot stretch enough how important is reading to young children. This activity will help them:
- Develop early literacy skills and learn letter sounds, words, and language.
- Stimulate their brain, imagination, and curiosity.
- Develop their ability to focus, concentrate and communicate ideas.
- Knowledge about their world.
- Develop their social skills.
These are some of the books you can use during Valentine’s Day month:
How Many Do I Love You? A Valentine Counting Book by Cheri Love-Byrd. This children’s counting book is full of love and numbers! Each flip of the page allows you to practice counting to 10, discover fun-loving messages, and look at cute illustrations of animals. Easy to read book engages children and their imagination in this witty counting story! A fun and festive addition to your little Valentine’s Day library collection filled with love and plenty of counting fun!
The Biggest Valentine Ever by Steven Kroll. Clayton and Desmond are back with a sheet of colorful foil stickers inside the book for extra Valentine’s fun! The story talks about Mrs. Mousely asking her class to make valentines, and Clayton and Desmond decide to make one together and give it to their teacher as a surprise.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Curious George by N. Di Angelo. This book talks about George and his friends celebrating Valentine’s Day with decorating, baking, card making, and some unexpected hilarity along the way!
Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond. This book talks about a day when it rained hearts, that were perfect for making valentines. It can be used as a fun way to spark creativity and thoughtfulness! It is also the perfect book to pair with Valentine’s Day crafts.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose! By Lucille Colandro. That lovely old lady has returned just in time for Valentine’s Day. With rhyming text and hilarious illustrations, this wacky version of the classic song will appeal to young readers as they follow the Old Lady on a wild Valentine’s Day adventure.
Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day Is Cool by James Dean. This book talks about when Pete discovers that Valentine’s Day is cool when he realizes all the special cats there are in his life. It comes complete with a poster, stickers, and twelve punch-out Valentine’s Day cards.
Need Some Décor for Valentine’s Day Month?
I got you! I know you can find a lot of décor at Dollar Tree and other stores, but I always like to use at least one item that is different and unique. With this in mind, I create these FREE printables, and they are yours for free as I token of my appreciation for taking the time to be here with me. Just click on the link below to download all of these and use the ones you like.
Now, I believe in choices, so if you don’t like these printables, there are plenty of other decorations you can use in your classroom. These are just some ideas:
Pin It for Later
Life gets complicated sometimes, so if you don’t have time to download your printable, just pin it to your Valentine’s, Math, or any other of your Pinterest boards, to have it available for when you do.
Don’t forget to grab your FREE Valentine’s Day Bingo. You just have to click on the link below and your download will start immediately. You will receive both sets, the simpler version that includes 5 different cards with 9 pictures each, the advanced version that includes 5 different cards with 24 pictures each, and a total of 27 individual cards that you can use for this game and all the other activities I mentioned above.
I hope you find these activities and printables useful, and that you have a memorable and fun Valentine’s Day month with your preschoolers.
Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.
Love,
P.S. If you would like to see an article about how to make something specific, please let me know and I will try my best to write it for you. My goal is to help you in any way I can and I don’t like anything better than to post something that you might find useful.
