Dinosaurs Bingo Cards

Print a set for a dinosaur unit, a museum visit follow-up or a birthday party. Players cover each word with a counter as it is called from the sheet. A 5 by 5 round lasts around fifteen minutes. Ask children to roar when they cover a dinosaur name. Use 2 cards per page to save paper, and keep the sheet at hand to check any bingo claim. Mixed-age groups can share one call.

Dinosaur names are a favorite reading challenge, since many children can say stegosaurus long before they can spell it. The list moves from short words like egg, bone and tail to long names such as pterodactyl and triceratops, so beginning readers and fluent ones can play together. Words with the SAURUS ending share a chunk worth noticing. Children often stumble on silent or unusual letter pairs, like the PT in pterodactyl. Afterward, let them sort the dinosaurs by diet.

Use 3 by 3 for preschool, 4 by 4 for kindergarten through grade two, and 5 by 5 for older fans. Because this list has only 25 words, a 5 by 5 card with a free center uses nearly all of them, so cards overlap a lot; 4 by 4 gives more variety. Under Your own words, add favorite dinosaurs. Use 5 versions for a party.

Why do the 5 by 5 cards look so similar?

The list has 25 words and a 5 by 5 card with a free center uses 24, so cards share almost every word and differ mainly in order. A 4 by 4 grid gives more variety.

Can preschoolers play with the long dinosaur names?

Yes, with a caller. Say the name, show a picture if you have one, and let the child find the matching shape. Use a 3 by 3 card so each round is short.

Are herbivore and carnivore too hard?

They are among the stretch words. Use them as a teaching moment: herbivores eat plants, carnivores eat meat. Cover them with a counter only after the class has said what each means.