Bingo Dabber Math Centers

By Leah | September 3, 2021

You only need one thing to take your math center activities from so-so to super—bingo dabbers! Grab a set of bingo dabbers, or ink dabbers, and check out these five hands-on math centers you can implement with your class in the school year ahead. From number recognition and basic counting to addition and subtraction practice, bingo dabbers are exactly what you need to help your little learners get excited about practicing their math skills. Read on to find out more.

Why Bingo Dabber Learning Centers? 

Bingo dabbers are a fun and useful learning tool that help children process basic math skills kinesthetically. You can keep a class set (or several) on hand to mix up your math center routine and give your students a new way to interact with the material from your math lessons. In addition to providing a tactile math practice experience, bingo dabbers are just plain fun! With minimal mess and set-up required, you can use ink dabbers for a variety of math centers, including the activities that follow.

Bingo Dabber Number Recognition

Use bingo dabbers to help young children with basic number recognition. This is a great math learning center for kindergarten and first grade students. Here are some ways you can use bingo dabbers for number recognition: 

• Trace numbers with bingo dabbers. You can provide students with printable or hand-drawn oversized numbers for them to trace with bingo dabber dots. For example, students will use ink dabber dots to trace the number "3," or "8," or "20."
• Write and trace numbers with bingo dabbers. Add an extra step by instructing students to write numbers that you call out for them. After students write the number with a pencil, they can trace it with their bingo dabber. 
• Identify the word form of a number. Give students the word form of a number and have them represent the number with the corresponding bingo dabber dots. For example, if they are shown the word "four" they will add four ink dots to their activity paper. 

Bingo Dabber Counting Practice

You can also use bingo dabbers to practice basic counting skills. This math activity is ideal for kindergarten and first grade students. Here are a few ideas for using bingo dabbers in your counting centers:

• Count objects with bingo dabbers. Children can count objects on a worksheet or real-life objects set up for them at the learning center. They will count the number of objects and make the corresponding number of ink dots with their bingo dabbers. 
• Count place value blocks, or base ten blocks. Children can count place value blocks (base ten blocks) provided in worksheet-format or as real-life math manipulatives. Again, students will count the place value blocks and make the corresponding number of ink dots with their bingo dabbers. 
• Practice skip-counting. Bingo dabbers are a great tool to help children practice skip counting. Students can use the ink dabbers to help them visualize the missing numbers in a skip counting sequence. Check out the Super Teacher Worksheets Skip Counting Collection to browse a variety of printable math worksheets that you can use with bingo dabbers. 

Bingo Dabber Ten-Frames

Combine two fantastic math manipulatives into a single learning center activity! Bingo dabbers can be combined with a printable five-frame, ten-frame, or twenty-frame to practice a variety of basic math skills suitable for kindergarten, first grade, or second grade students:

• Practice ten-frame counting. Students can use bingo dabber ink dots to count numbers 1 through 20 using ten-frames. Instead of drawing the corresponding number of counters within the ten-frames, students can use their bingo dabbers to make the appropriate number of ink dots. 
• Practice basic ten-frame addition. Ten-frames are great for practicing basic addition. Use bingo dabbers in place of counters in ten-frame addition practice. 
• Practice basic ten-frame subtraction. Use ten-frames to practice basic subtraction. Students can use their bingo dabbers in place of counters in their ten-frame subtraction practice too! 

Bingo Dabber Number Patterns

Bingo dabbers are great for practicing number patterns as well! Your kindergarten, first grade, or second grade students will enjoy practicing the following math skills with a little help from their bingo dabbers:

• Even and odd numbers – Students can use their ink dabbers to quickly highlight even or odd numbers in a number sequence. 
• Ordinal numbers – Students can also use bingo dabbers to spot ordinal numbers in a list, like first, third, fifth, etc. 
• Before, after, and between – Students can search for numbers that come before, after, and between other numbers in a sequence, using their handy bingo dabbers to mark the spot. 

Math Bingo 

Of course, maybe the most exciting way to put those bingo dabbers to work is by playing a few rounds of math bingo! You can use the Super Teacher Worksheets Bingo Game Generator to customize your own printable bingo boards. Alternatively, you can browse the Super Teacher Worksheets Math Collection to view individual math topics. Many of the basic math skill pages featured on Super Teacher Worksheets include printable bingo games you can play with your class. While math bingo may be more of a whole-class game than a traditional math learning center, it's definitely the quintessential way to practice math skills with bingo dabbers! 😉

Now it's your turn! How will you use bingo dabbers to take your math centers to the next level? We want to hear from you! Share your feedback in the comment section below. 

Remember to tag @superteacherworksheets on social media to share your bingo dabber learning center fun with us!

You may also like: