Thinkfun puts an educational spin on the classic game of Bingo with Zingo Word Builder. The game challenges kids ages 5 and up to use their brains to create three-letter words in order to fill up their Zingo card to win.
The best part about Zingo Word Builder is that it’s easy to play, and just as easy to clean up. The only materials needed to play are the Zingo cards, the Zinger, and the letter tiles. The tiles fit neatly in the Zinger and with a simple slide of the Zinger, two letters are revealed to the players. Whoever shouts out a word he or she can create with one of the letters gets to claim that tile and place it on his or her board in its corresponding space. Whoever fills up his or her entire board and first shouts, “Zingo!” wins the game.
The suggested grade level is for kindergarten through second grade, but I’d say it’s fun for kids in any grade. Because each card has two sides (one for beginners and one for advanced players), it’s fair and still challenging for everyone. On the yellow/beginner side, the three-letter words are only missing one letter, but on the orange/advanced side players need to create some words with two missing letters.
Zingo Word Builder helps develop kids’ spelling and vocabulary, reading skills, concentration, fine motor skills, and coordination. The game can be played with up to 6 players so the whole family can join in the fun. The more kids play, the more confidence they will gain as they learn new words and how to spell them.
