Space Bingo Cards

Give out cards and star stickers or foil stars as markers, then read words from the sheet. A 5 by 5 round takes about fifteen minutes. Run it at the end of a solar system unit as a review, or at a party where children come in costumes. A parent can call. Print 2 cards per page to save paper, and use the sheet to verify bingos.

Space bingo reinforces vocabulary children meet in science: the planets (Mars, Venus, Saturn, Neptune), objects (comet, meteor, asteroid) and tools (rocket, telescope, satellite). Short words suit new readers, while spacesuit, astronaut and telescope reward careful reading. Pluto remains on the list, which often opens a good conversation. Children commonly confuse meteor with meteorite, or orbit with orbit-like words. After a round, ask students to sort the covered words into planets, objects and equipment.

Use 3 by 3 for preschool, 4 by 4 for grades one and two, and 5 by 5 for third grade and up. Turn off Free center square if you want longer rounds. Cards per page of 1 suits small hands. Under Your own words, replace the list with your science vocabulary, such as lunar phases. Use 5 versions to hand each table a different set.

Which planets are on the Space Bingo list?

Mars, Venus, Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Mercury and Earth all appear, along with sun and moon. That makes it easy to use as a quick solar system review.

Can older students use this for science review?

Yes. Add terms like nebula, gravity or eclipse in Your own words, which already appear on the list, plus others from your unit. Read definitions instead of the words for a harder game.

How many space words are in play?

There are 29, so a 5 by 5 card with the free center on uses 24 of them. Each card is a different arrangement and the call sheet lists all 29.