A Review Of Lucy Hammett's Horse Bingo

By Author: Jack Bassi
Total Articles: 4
Comment this article

Giddyup! Not the usual term you'd hear from a winner while playing bingo, but this is Horse Bingo, and the shoe fits. Equestrian lovers, and those who claim them, listen up - Horse Bingo belongs in your equine collection and holiday game schedule. Young or old, all will enjoy this fun variation of the classic bingo game.

What sets Horse Bingo game apart from other bingo games, even those with horse-themed playing boards? Fun facts, that's what. On the reverse of each calling card is a list of interesting facts that makes that horse unique, or gives information on equestrian-related topics (like show jumping or saddle). While enjoying the game, each player naturally picks up facts and terms related to horses and their care. The full-color photographs are beautiful too, making this a quality game that's fun to play and visually appealing.

Horse Bingo includes six picture boards (the size of copy paper, large for a bingo game), forty-two calling cards, and forty-two marker chips. Played using the same rules as the classic bingo game, Horse Bingo can also be modified to make a letter on the picture board (M for mare, ...
... A for Arabian, R for rodeo, E for eventing). Age limits are specified as three and up, mainly because the chips present a potential choking hazard.

Young children can easily play the game by matching the calling card to the identical (albeit somewhat smaller) picture on their board, or when playing the caller, holding up the card for players to see. For a beginning reader, this is the perfect game because it doesn't feel like learning to read. It's an easy leap from matching pictures, looking at the words, hearing others say the name, to being able to read the label with the picture. Bonus!

Bingo is an easy game, but don't be fooled into thinking Horse Bingo is suitable only for young children. Anyone with interest in horses will enjoy playing it over and over again. Parents will enjoy playing with children and using it as a springboard for more in-depth conversations about horses. Older kids who quickly learn the facts on the cards can use them to create alternative rules to make the game more challenging.

The information on each card is not sparse, either (about 60-75 words each). Players learn distinguishing characteristics of the Appaloosa, for instance, and its history. Do you know what a blaze is on a horse? If you know it's a white marking, could you tell where it's located to qualify as a blaze? These are just a few things you can learn; with forty-two cards, there is much, much more.

Bingo games by Lucy Hammett have earned numerous awards (three Parent's Choice Awards, and seven Dr. Toy Awards). All parts are made in the USA. Horse Bingo is perfect for the horse-loving family's collection of board games, as well as any school, natural museum, or educational center as part of a hands-on learning exhibit.

Jack Bassi loves to play at http://www.market-ace.com/