Garden Wildlife Bingo: Free Printable Game for Year 2

Garden Wildlife Bingo is a free printable game for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children spot nine common garden creatures and tick them off as they find them. It takes about 20 minutes, needs only a pencil and a bit of outdoor space, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas and a stretch task.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children use a bingo card showing garden creatures: bee, snail, worm, ladybird, butterfly, spider, blackbird, woodlouse and ant. They go looking, name each creature when they spot it and tick it off. The game rewards slow, careful looking, so children learn to notice small things and to think about where each creature is found. It can be played alone or with others.

• Bee
• Snail
• Worm
• Ladybird
• Butterfly
• Spider
• Blackbird
• Woodlouse
• Ant

What you need to play

Why look at garden wildlife?

Look gently and do not pick creatures up unless a grown up helps. Put any stones back exactly as you found them, so creatures keep their shelter. Do not taste or pick unknown plants or berries. Wash hands after playing.

Garden creature facts

• A ladybird is a type of beetle.
• A spider has eight legs. An ant has six legs.
• A butterfly begins life as a caterpillar.
• A woodlouse is not an insect. It is a relative of crabs and lobsters.
• A male blackbird and a female blackbird look different from each other.

Skills and curriculum link

• Observing closely
• Naming garden creatures
• Thinking about habitats
• Listening and speaking
• Taking turns
• Recording what you find

Helping children look closely

• Go slowlySmall creatures are easy to miss. Ask your child to stand or crouch still for a moment before they decide there is nothing there.
• Say the nameEvery time a creature is ticked, say its name out loud. Hearing and saying the word helps it stick.
• Search one place at a timeLook at one spot, such as the flowers, then move on to the next. This keeps the search calm and organised.
• Talk about what you seeAsk what colour it is, how it moves and what is around it. These small details build scientific language.

Key words

• HabitatThe place where an animal lives and finds what it needs.
• CreatureAny living animal, big or small.
• InsectA small animal with six legs and three parts to its body.
• ObserveTo look closely and carefully at something.
• MinibeastA common word for a small creature such as an ant or a snail.
• RecordTo write down or draw what you have found.

How to use it

1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child. Keep page 2 for the grown-up.
2. Read the rules aloud together, so everyone plays the same game. Players can be 1 or more.
3. Go to your garden, park or school grounds. Look gently, search one place at a time and tick each creature as you spot it.
4. Say each creature's name when you tick it. Talk about where you found it and check against the notes on page 2.
5. Come back another day and play again. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence and shows what changes.

Help, stretch and game ideas

Talk about it

• Which creature was easiest to find, and why do you think that was?
• Where did you look first? Where would you look next time?
• What did the creature look like up close? Can you describe its colour and shape?
• Why might a creature like to live in that spot?
• Which creature would you most like to find again?
• What do you think happens to these creatures when the weather changes?

Take it off the page

Who it is for

Where this fits in science

Before this, children in Key Stage 1 learn to notice and name living things and to look closely at the world around them. Simple observation and talk about what they see are the foundations of working scientifically.

After this, children go on to think more about habitats and how living things depend on their surroundings and on each other. Naming familiar creatures now makes that later learning easier to follow.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Garden Wildlife Bingo for?

It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Younger children can join in with an adult, and older children can use the stretch idea on page 2 to make it harder.

What will children practise?

Children practise observing closely, naming common garden creatures in the UK and thinking about where they live. They also practise listening, speaking and taking turns if they play with others.

How long does it take?

It takes about 20 minutes. You can play a quick round or a longer one, depending on the time you have and how many creatures you find.

Do children need a garden to play?

No, but they do need somewhere to look. A garden, park, school field or quiet green space will all work. Any outdoor spot with plants, soil and stones gives children something to explore.

Is it safe for young children?

Yes, with a grown up nearby. Children should look gently, not pick creatures up unless an adult helps, and put stones back as they found them. Everyone should wash their hands after playing.

Is it free, and do I need colour printing?

Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. Colour is not needed. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, and you can reuse it as often as you like.

Can teachers and home educators use it?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or as part of a wider science plan.