How Teachers Can Use Summer Bingo Games in Three Different Ways

in The English Teacher's Toolkit

Need a simple summer school activity that feels playful but still supports learning? A printable summer bingo game is a great choice for preschool and kindergarten. Students practice summer vocabulary, listening, visual discrimination, and fine motor skills while playing a game they already understand.

In this post, you’ll see how to use this summer bingo printable in three different ways: as a make-your-own bingo board, a no-cut coloring activity, and a color-cut-paste fine motor center.

Get the resource here: Summer Bingo Game or Summer Bingo Game on TPT.

Make your own summer bingo activity for preschool and kindergarten summer vocabulary practice — Click the image to see the printable summer bingo game for preschool and kindergarten.

Why Summer Bingo Works So Well for Young Learners

Bingo is one of those activities that feels familiar, manageable, and exciting for young kids. It gives students repeated exposure to the same vocabulary without feeling like drill practice.

With summer bingo for kids, students hear the word, find the picture, repeat the vocabulary, and stay engaged through a clear game format. That makes it perfect for summer school, preschool centers, kindergarten review, ESL vocabulary practice, and fine motor stations.

Simple routine: students quickly understand how to play.
Vocabulary repetition: summer words are practiced again and again.
Listening practice: students listen carefully and respond.
Fine motor support: coloring, cutting, and gluing can be added as needed.

Skills Students Practice with Summer Bingo

This summer bingo activity supports more than vocabulary. Depending on which version you use, students can practice language, listening, matching, cutting, coloring, and classroom routines.

Language and Literacy Skills

summer vocabulary
picture-word connections
listening comprehension
oral language and repetition
visual scanning on a grid

Fine Motor Skills

coloring with control
cutting on lines
gluing in the correct spaces
hand-eye coordination
following multi-step directions

Summer bingo fine motor activity for preschool and kindergarten with coloring cutting and gluing — Summer bingo can be used as a vocabulary game, fine motor center, or low-prep summer school activity.

Three Ways to Use This Summer Bingo Printable

The best part about this summer bingo game is that you can use it in more than one way. That makes it easy to adjust for different ages, skill levels, and classroom needs.

Summer bingo color cut and paste options for preschool kindergarten and summer school — Choose the version that fits your students: color only, cut and paste, or make your own board.

Option 1: Make Your Own Summer Bingo Board

For this version, students color the summer pictures, cut them out, and glue them anywhere they want on a blank bingo board. This gives every child a different board, which makes the bingo game more fun and unpredictable.

You’ll Need

blank bingo board template
summer picture pieces
crayons or markers
scissors
glue sticks

How to Use It

Students color the summer pictures.
Students cut out the picture pieces.
Students glue the pictures onto the blank bingo board.
The teacher calls the summer vocabulary words.
Students cover or mark the matching pictures.

This option is great when you want a summer cut and paste activity that also turns into a vocabulary game.

Summer bingo blank board and picture cutouts for make your own bingo activity — Students can build their own bingo boards by coloring, cutting, and gluing the summer pictures.

Option 2: Color the Ready-Made Bingo Boards

This is the easiest version when you need a true low-prep summer activity. Students simply color the pictures on a ready-made board, then play bingo. No cutting or gluing required.

Best for younger preschool students
Great for calmer morning work
Perfect when scissors are not an option
Easy to use with substitutes or small groups

You can make this version more language-rich by having students repeat each word, point to the picture, or use the word in a simple sentence.

Example: “I see a beach ball.” “I like ice cream.” “The sun is yellow.”

Option 3: Color, Cut, and Paste Matching Pictures

This version gives students more fine motor practice. Students color the summer images, cut them out, and paste each picture in the matching space before playing bingo.

It works especially well for preschool summer centers, kindergarten fine motor practice, occupational therapy groups, or summer school classrooms where students need extra scissor and glue practice.

Students practice matching pictures.
Students strengthen cutting and gluing skills.
Students complete a hands-on activity before playing.
The finished board becomes a playable summer vocabulary game.

Teacher tip: Teach students to “point, say, then glue.” This helps prevent them from gluing pictures in the wrong spaces.

Where to Use This Summer Bingo Game

This printable summer bingo game is flexible enough to use in many classroom settings. You can use it once as a fun summer activity or repeat it throughout summer school as a familiar center.

summer school centers
preschool small groups
kindergarten review
ESL/ELL vocabulary practice
fine motor stations
morning tubs
early finisher activities
sub plans

What’s Included in the Summer Bingo Game

This summer bingo printable includes several options so you can choose the version that best fits your class.

30 unique black-and-white bingo boards
blank 3×3 bingo board template
16 summer picture cut-outs
teacher calling cards
simple 3×3 format for young learners
three ways to play and prep

Shop it here: Summer Bingo Game on Hot Chocolate Teachables or Summer Bingo Game on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Teacher Tips for Playing Bingo with Preschool and Kindergarten

Use the same phrases each time

Keep directions short and predictable: “Find the sun.” “Point to the ice cream.” “Cover the beach ball.” Simple language helps young learners stay focused.

Practice the vocabulary before playing

Show the calling cards first. Have students repeat the words, point to matching pictures, or act out simple summer actions.

Make it reusable

If you want to use the game again and again, laminate the boards or place them in dry-erase sleeves. Students can use counters, mini erasers, or dry-erase markers to play.

Final Thoughts

Summer school activities do not need to be complicated to be effective. This summer bingo game gives preschool and kindergarten students a fun way to practice vocabulary, listening, visual matching, and fine motor skills in one simple routine.

Whether you use the make-your-own board, the ready-made coloring boards, or the color-cut-paste version, you’ll have a flexible summer activity that feels fun for students and easy for you.

Grab the printable here: Summer Bingo Game or Summer Bingo Game on TPT.

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Best Phonics Games for Teaching Beginning Blends (L, R & S Blends)

Beginning blends can be challenging for early readers because students have to hear and say two consonant sounds together without adding an extra syllable. A child may know individual letter sounds but still hesitate when reading words like frog, clap, or stop. The best way to build confidence is through short, repeated practice that feels active and engaging. Instead of relying only on worksheets, students benefit from hands-on phonics games that give them many chances to read blend words aloud. In this post, you’ll find a simple way to introduce beginning blends and use phonics card games to help students practice S blends, L blends, and R blends in a fun, repeatable way. What Are Beginning Blends? Beginning blends are two consonants that appear together at the start of a word. Each consonant keeps its own sound, but the sounds are blended smoothly together. Examples include: BR in brush CL in clap ST in star GR in green Blends are different from digraphs. With a blend, both sounds are heard. With a digraph, two letters work together to make one new sound. Why Beginning Blends Can Be Difficult Students often struggle with beginning blends because they have to process two consonant sounds quickly. Some students leave out one sound, add an extra vowel, or guess the word before reading it carefully. Common examples include: frog becomes fog slide becomes side stop becomes top That’s why repeated oral reading practice is so important. Students need to hear the blend, say the blend, read the word, and use the pattern again and again. Step 1: Teach One Blend Family at a Time Instead of introducing every blend at once, start with one blend family. This keeps the lesson focused and helps students notice patterns more easily. S blends L blends R blends Once students are comfortable with one group, you can mix blend families together for review. Step 2: Model the Blend Clearly When teaching a new blend, say the sounds slowly at first, then blend them together smoothly. Be careful not to add an extra vowel sound between the consonants. For example: /s/ + /t/ = /st/ Then connect the blend to real words: star stop stick Step 3: Practice Blend Words Before Reading Longer Text Before students read blends in books or passages, they need focused practice with individual words. This helps them build decoding speed and automaticity. Useful practice formats include: phonics card games task cards matching games partner practice literacy centers Step 4: Add Hands-On Phonics Games Phonics games are a great way to give students repeated practice without making the lesson feel repetitive. UNO-style card games work especially well because students already understand the basic idea of matching cards by color or number. To make the game phonics-focused, students read the blend word aloud before placing a card. This turns every turn into meaningful decoding practice. S Blends Phonics Card Game The S Blends UNO-Style Card Game helps students practice beginning blend words with SC, SK, SM, SN, SP, ST, and SW. Students match by color or number while reading each word aloud. This gives them repeated exposure to common S blend patterns in a fun and familiar format. You can also find this resource on Teachers Pay Teachers. L Blends Phonics Card Game The L Blends Phonics Card Game gives students practice with BL, CL, FL, GL, PL, and SL. This game is helpful for students who need more practice blending two consonant sounds smoothly before reading the rest of the word. You can also find this resource on Teachers Pay Teachers. R Blends Phonics Card Game The R Blends Phonics Card Game focuses on BR, CR, DR, FR, GR, PR, and TR. This game works well in small groups and intervention because students get repeated oral reading practice with words that often cause blending errors. You can also find this resource on Teachers Pay Teachers. Why Phonics Games Help Beginning Blends Stick Game-based phonics practice gives students the repetition they need while keeping motivation high. Students often read more words during a game than they would during a worksheet, which means more decoding practice in less time. Hands-on phonics games also help students: practice blend words repeatedly read aloud in a low-pressure format build decoding fluency stay engaged during phonics centers review without feeling like they are doing extra work Easy Ways to Use Beginning Blend Games Literacy Centers Use the games after you have introduced the blend pattern. Students can play independently or with partners. Small Groups Use the cards for targeted decoding practice and quick teacher feedback. Intervention Have students read each word aloud before playing a card. Listen for dropped sounds or added vowels. Early Finishers Keep a deck in an early finisher bin for meaningful phonics review. ESL and EFL Practice The oral reading routine supports both pronunciation and decoding skills. Frequently Asked Questions About Beginning Blends What are beginning blends? Beginning blends are two consonants at the start of a word where both sounds are still heard, such as br in brush or st in star. What is the difference between blends and digraphs? In blends, both consonant sounds are heard. In digraphs, two letters work together to make one new sound, such as sh or ch. Which beginning blends should I teach first? Many teachers introduce S blends, L blends, and R blends as separate groups before mixing them together for review. Can these games be used with ESL students? Yes. These games are useful for ESL and EFL learners because they combine decoding, pronunciation, and repeated oral reading. How long should students practice beginning blends? Short, consistent practice is usually best. Ten to fifteen minutes of focused practice several times a week can be more effective than one long lesson. Final Thoughts Beginning blends become easier when students get repeated practice in a format that feels fun and manageable. Hands-on phonics games help students read blend words again and again while building confidence, fluency, and accuracy. If you need simple beginning blends activities for literacy centers, small groups, intervention, or phonics review, these S blends, L blends, and R blends card games are an easy way to make practice more engaging. Related Resources S Blends UNO-Style Card Game L Blends Phonics Card Game R Blends Phonics Card Game More Blog Posts You Might Like 5 ESL Speaking Activities for Student Engagement Teacher Toolkit Unlimited ESL Resources Easy ESL Activities for Busy Teachers

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How to Teach R Blends Using Engaging Phonics Task Cards

If your students can read CVC words but slow down when words begin with R blends, they need more than another worksheet. They need quick, repeated decoding practice with clear visuals and immediate feedback. These R blends task cards and R blends clip cards help students hear the blend, say both sounds smoothly, and recognize beginning R blend patterns in print. Get the resource here: R Blends Phonics Task Cards on Hot Chocolate Teachables or R Blends Task Cards on TPT. Use these R blends task cards for phonics centers, small groups, intervention, and early finishers. What Are R Blends? R blends are consonant blends where the second sound is /r/. Students need to say both consonant sounds clearly and blend them into the rest of the word. Common R blend words include: br: brush, brick, brown cr: crab, crown, crash dr: drum, drop, drive fr: frog, free, fruit gr: green, grapes, grin pr: press, prize, proud tr: tree, train, truck For many first graders, the challenge is not knowing the letters. The challenge is blending the sounds smoothly without adding an extra vowel or skipping one of the sounds. Why Beginning R Blends Need Extra Practice Students usually need repeated, focused practice before beginning R blends become automatic. A quick mini-lesson is a good start, but most students need to read, hear, sort, and say the blends many times. Common mistakes to watch for Adding an extra vowel: saying “tuh-rain” instead of “train.” Dropping the first sound: reading “rain” instead of “brain.” Guessing from pictures: choosing the image without reading the word. A simple fix is to have students tap the first two letters, say the blend quickly, and then read the whole word. For example: /tr/ + ain = train. R Blends to Teach: BR, CR, DR, FR, GR, PR, and TR This resource focuses on BR, CR, DR, FR, GR, PR, and TR. Teaching these blends together helps students notice the pattern: two consonants, two sounds, then the vowel. Before centers or small groups, try a 60-second warm-up: Say the blend quickly: /br/. Students repeat without adding extra vowel sounds. Say a word: brush. Repeat with cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr. Hands-On Ways to Practice R Blends The easiest way to teach R blends activities is to keep the target blends the same but rotate the activity format. This gives students repeated practice without making phonics feel repetitive. Day 1: clip cards for blend recognition Day 2: word-to-picture matching Day 3: odd one out cards Day 4: mixed review in centers Day 5: quick oral reading check Using R Blends Task Cards in Phonics Centers R blends task cards work well in phonics centers because the format is predictable. Students can focus on decoding instead of learning new directions every day. Task cards give students repeated practice with beginning R blends in a simple center format. Center setup Store cards in a labeled bin or task card box. Add clothespins for clip cards. Include a recording sheet if you want accountability. Have students read two cards aloud before moving on. Small Group Ideas for R Blends Practice Small groups are ideal for R blends reading intervention because you can hear exactly where students are struggling and correct errors right away. Simple 10-minute routine Warm up: practice br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr aloud. Read: students read 6–8 cards aloud. Build: students write or build one R blend word. Check: students read one sentence with an R blend word. Example: If a student says “fuh-rog,” model the blend quickly: /fr/. Then have them read: /fr/ + og = frog. How to Use R Blends Clip Cards R blends clip cards are perfect for students who need quick, hands-on practice without a lot of writing. Students read the word or picture prompt, identify the beginning blend, and clip the correct answer. Clip cards make R blends practice hands-on and easy to use in centers. Differentiation ideas Support: students whisper-read the word to a partner before clipping. Challenge: students use the word in a complete sentence after clipping. Word-to-Picture Matching for R Blend Words Word-to-picture matching helps students connect decoding with meaning. Instead of only identifying the blend, students read the full word and match it to the correct image. To reduce guessing, use a simple “blend tap” routine. Students tap the first two letters, say the blend, and then read the word before choosing the picture. Odd One Out R Blends Practice Odd one out cards help students slow down and compare sounds carefully. Students decide which word or picture does not belong, often because it begins with a different R blend. Teacher tip: Have students explain their answer: “This one starts with gr. The others start with tr.” What’s Included in the R Blends Task Cards Resource This set is designed for repeated, hands-on R blends phonics practice in centers, small groups, and intervention. Printable R blends task cards for BR, CR, DR, FR, GR, PR, TR R blends clip cards Word-to-picture matching cards Odd one out phonics task cards Student recording sheets Answer keys Color and black-and-white options Box labels for organization Use the included box labels to keep your R blends task cards organized and ready to reuse. Where to Use These R Blends Activities Phonics centers: independent beginning blends practice Small groups: targeted decoding with teacher support Intervention: extra practice for students who need slower blending work Morning tubs: hands-on word work Early finishers: meaningful phonics review Sub plans: predictable tasks with answer keys Success looks like this: students can identify the beginning R blend, say both consonant sounds smoothly, and read the full word accurately. Shop the R Blends Task Cards R Blends Phonics Task Cards on Hot Chocolate Teachables R Blends Task Cards on Teachers Pay Teachers More Blog Posts You Might Like Hands-on L blends practice for first grade phonics centers and small groups S blends phonics games with a no-prep routine for bingo, clip cards, and card games Teacher Toolkit Membership: unlimited ESL resources for busy teachers Created by Hot Chocolate Teachables

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Critical Thinking Speaking Prompts That Increase Student Engagement

If your students freeze when you ask an open-ended question, make the first step easier: give them two choices. This or That task cards help students start talking quickly because they only need to choose one option and explain their reason. This simple structure leads to stronger ESL speaking practice, better reasoning, and more complete answers. Get the resource here: This or That Task Cards on Hot Chocolate Teachables or This or That Speaking Task Cards on TPT. Use these This or That cards to build discussion skills, decision-making language, and speaking confidence. Why This or That Questions Get Students Talking This or That questions work because they remove the hardest part of speaking: figuring out where to begin. When students see two clear options, they can make a quick choice and then build their answer with reasons, examples, and follow-up questions. These cards are especially useful for: Reluctant speakers who need a clear starting point Mixed-level ESL classes where students need flexible output options Critical thinking activities with more than one possible answer Low-prep speaking centers you can reuse all year What Are This or That Speaking Task Cards? This or That task cards are discussion cards that present a short real-life situation and two possible choices. Students choose Option A or Option B, then explain why their choice makes sense. They feel simple, but they help students practice important language for opinions, decision-making, problem-solving, and classroom discussion. Students choose between two options, explain their thinking, and compare answers with classmates. How These Cards Build Critical Thinking Decision-making activities help students do more than share opinions. They learn to compare options, explain consequences, and defend their thinking. This makes the cards ideal for critical thinking speaking activities and ESL discussion practice. Students practice: Reasoning: explaining why one choice is better Problem-solving: thinking through realistic situations Perspective-taking: listening to a different opinion Discussion language: agreeing, disagreeing, and asking follow-up questions How to Use the Cards with ESL Students These cards are perfect for ESL because students can begin with a simple answer and expand from there. The same card can work for beginners, developing speakers, and more advanced learners. Easy differentiation Beginner: “I choose A because ___.” Developing: Add one example: “For example, ___.” Advanced: Add a counterpoint: “However, ___.” Quick fixes for common speaking problems One-word answers: require “choice + because.” Weak reasons: give students a reason bank: safer, faster, cheaper, easier, fairer, more fun. Dominant speakers: use timed turns so every student speaks. Use the same prompt with different speaking expectations for mixed-level classes. Speaking Center Ideas Partner Discussion One student reads the card. Both students choose A or B. Each student gives one reason. Partners ask one follow-up question. Debate Corners Label one side of the room A and the other side B. Students move to their chosen side and explain their thinking to someone nearby. Quick Speaking Check Have students complete three cards and give a short response for each one: choice, reason, and follow-up question. Writing Extensions These cards also work well as short opinion writing prompts. Speaking first helps students organize their ideas before they write. Opinion paragraph: “I choose ___ because ___.” Pros and cons list: write two benefits and one drawback. Advice response: explain the best choice to a friend. Partner comparison: summarize a partner’s answer and respond. Sentence Starters for Better Discussion Choice and reason I would choose ___ because ___. The better option is ___ because ___. I think ___ makes more sense because ___. Examples and evidence For example, ___. In my opinion, ___. This is important because ___. Agreeing and disagreeing I agree because ___. I see your point, but ___. Another idea is ___. What’s Included This set includes 48 real-life decision-making discussion cards designed for speaking practice, critical thinking, and opinion sharing. 48 This or That speaking cards Real-life scenarios with two choices Great for partners, small groups, centers, warm-ups, and sub plans Print-and-go format for easy prep and reuse Low-prep speaking prompts that help students explain opinions and compare choices. Easy Classroom Uses Bell ringer: project one card for quick partner talk. Speaking center: students complete three cards with sentence frames. Whole-class debate: students move to A or B and explain why. Early finishers: students record a 60-second response. Writing follow-up: students write a short opinion paragraph. Formative check: listen for choice, reason, and follow-up question. Success looks like this: students choose an option, give a clear reason, and respond to a partner respectfully. Shop the This or That Speaking Task Cards This or That Task Cards on Hot Chocolate Teachables This or That Speaking Task Cards on Teachers Pay Teachers More Blog Posts You Might Like Five ESL speaking activities that actually get students talking Low-prep ESL speaking games for the first week of school Teacher Toolkit Membership: unlimited ESL resources for busy teachers Created by Hot Chocolate Teachables

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How Teachers Can Use Summer Bingo Games in Three Different Ways

Why Summer Bingo Works So Well for Young Learners