Thinking Thursday: FARMO

If you can play BINGO, you can play FARMO!  Gather the materials and follow the instructions listed below to play this agricultural spin on BINGO.  You can play this game at home or in school, and you can even play it over live video with your friends, family members or classroom!  If playing over video, email all the players a blank FARMO card and a list of words/pictures to get started.

Find a helpful how-to video below:

Materials

• Blank FARMO Cards (one per player)
• Writing Utensil (pen, pencil, crayon, etc.)
• Scissors
• Game Markers (25 per player – can use small pieces of paper, M&M’s, Skittles, Cheerios, etc.)
• FARMO Word Bank (see below for age-appropriate ideas) or FARMO Pictures
• Glue or Tape (if needed)

Instructions

1. Print enough “Blank FARMO Cards” so every player has one (or have them draw a 5 x 5 grid of squares).
2. Start filling in the spots on your FARMO card.  The museum logo in the center is a FREE SPACE.  Here are some options depending on the age level:
   1. If your players are old enough to write, provide them with a list of words to have them arrange in the boxes on their FARMO card in any way they want.  Make sure to use the list of words to make slips of paper to draw for the game announcer!  See the next page for some different options to use for a word bank.
   2. If your players are not old enough to write, print out one copy of “FARMO Pictures” per person and help them cut out and glue or tape the pictures in the boxes.  Make sure to print out an extra set of pictures to cut out and use for the game announcer!
3. Distribute game markers to your players.  Remind them not to eat their game markers until the end if you are using food!
4. Decide what type of FARMO (BINGO) you are going to play (traditional, four corners, blackout, etc.).
5. Have the announcer randomly select slips of paper with the game words on it.  Continue until someone gets a FARMO (BINGO) – you can have the winner shout FARMO when they win!

Blank FARMO Card

FARMO Idea #2: Things found on a farm (for younger kids who can't write/spell)

With the help of a parent/teacher/helper, have kids cut out the squares below and randomly arrange/tape down to a FARMO card.