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Everyone knows about Idaho potatoes, Wisconsin cheese, and California
Redwoods; but do you know that Michigan and Missouri are noted
for their auto industries? Learning that New York boasts dairy
and Arkansas produces rice is just the beginning of what kids will
learn while playing eeBoo's United States Bingo game.
The beauty of this game is in its simplicity. Without trying,
children are memorizing states and landmarks and even the location
of the states relative to one another. The tiny, easy-to-confuse
New England states are no longer confusing when they are grouped
into small chunks of 2-3 states per bingo card. All intimidation
is removed, and learning is wrapped up in fun.
To start, each player is given a thick, glossy bingo card. Twelve
cards are included in the game, so you can play with anywhere from
two to twelve players; older players can enjoy a higher level of
difficulty by playing with multiple boards at the same time. Each
card colorfully displays a small handful of states and their region.
Each state is labeled with its name, capital, and major resources
and landmarks. A cotton drawstring bag holds the game pieces, each
of which displays a state and a resource or landmark of that state.
A player or Bingo caller pulls out a tile and announces the state
and resource listed. The player whose card contains that state
gets the tile to place on his Bingo card. The game ends when one
player's entire card is filled.
This is a wonderful game for a wide range of ages to enjoy together.
Younger players might not be able to read the names of their states,
but with so few states on each card, they can quickly recognize
learn to recognize them. They might not be able to read the word "manufacturing," but
they can identify the picture of a factory on their card. My 5-year-old
has no problems keeping up with her 13-year-old brother, relying
on pictures and the shapes of her states instead of reading her
card.
The back of each Bingo card lists the states featured on the front
and tells the capital, state flower, state bird, state nickname,
and state motto for each one. The cards are simply beautiful. The
illustrations are sweet and even a bit nostalgic, created by well-loved
children's book illustrator Dan Yaccarino. The cards are sturdy,
vibrant, and durable. My family has enjoyed eeBoo products for
over a year now, and every time I see them, I am blown away by
the quality. Everything we've used has been impressive. Much care
and thought are put into eeBoo products, and it shows. You and
your children will be equally delighted.
Product review by Jennifer Harrison, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine,
LLC, November 2010
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