Know your Game
It's important for children to have a chance to familiarize themselves with the various game components before cooperative or competitive play begins.
We've found that the Zinger is so much fun to operate that just dispensing and reloading the tiles can be a game all on its own! Young children love the sliding motion required to make the Zinger work and they marvel at how tiles are magically produced-understanding the function of the device is a true learning experience for little ones!
Encourage your child to read the images on the tiles and practice matching them to a card. Once comfortable with the different elements of the game, your child will be ready for the fun play to come!
Build Memory and Concentration Skills
Encouraging players to study their ZlNGO! cards before the game begins helps them to focus on the specific images they need to match. At the start of a round, ask players to name the tiles they are looking for.
Pause midway through the game to ask which images are still left uncovered. Frequently reminding players to pay attention to these details will persuade them to think about the goal and concentrate on the task at hand.
Gain a Competitive Edge
Zingo can be used to practice healthy competition! Remind your child to pay attention not only to the images on his or her own card, but to be aware of what images other players need in order to fill their cards.
If players are attuned to the images that they have in common with others, they are likely to be speedier when calling for tiles. In this game it can pay to be quick- particularly on the more competitive red side!
Support Early Readers
The zingo! tiles and cards have been designed to show familiar images along with words to help young players begin to make associations between the two. To reinforce the text/image connection, play Name-That-Tile ZINGO! Slide the ZINGO!
Zinger slowly, stopping once the word at the base of the tile is revealed but not the image. Challenge your child to match the word to the correct image on his/her card!
Encourage Word Play
Your child's language skills are developing rapidly, and playing ZINGO! is a fantastic opportunity to help him/her increase vocabulary.
Encourage your child to practice new vocabulary by making a silly sentence with an unfamiliar word. Use the printed text to point out spelling patterns and letter sounds.
Exploring ZINGO! words as part of game play can help emerging readers learn short and long vowel sounds (cat vs. cake) and understand how letters combine to show various sounds ("gh" as the beginning sound in ghost, "ck" as the ending sound in clock, etc).
Practice Good Sportsmanship
Young players are just beginning to move away from parallel play and becoming comfortable playing competitive games.
Learning to take turns, have patience and celebrate the success of other players takes practice. ZINGO! helps players experience these highs and lows in a safe, fun environment.
Talk to your child about how it feels both to win and lose, and encourage him/her to consider the feelings of others when playing.
Engage The Whole Family
While zingo is particularly designed to support the learning needs of young children, it is fun for all ages!
The fast-paced game play and two levels of competition make this a great game to share with the whole family. We've even heard reports of parents continuing the game play long after their children have gone to bed!
Celebrate Success
Share a funny ritual with your child each time he/she makes a match. This can be a high five, a secret handshake, a wiggle dance, or your own special celebration! Laughter abounds when a player wins a round and calls out a triumphant "ZINGO!"
Praise From The Heart
Here is the best advice we can offer-praise your children not for how smart they are, but rather for the hard thinking that they use and the great results they achieve for their efforts.
Have Fun
ZINGO! is a great thinking game that is fun for players of all ages. The unique Zinger adds a fantastic element of tactile fun. We hope ZINGO! will provide hours of fun for you and your child!
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