I don’t know about you, but a nice quiet walk through the prairie can often help me deal with everything else going on around me. Last weekend, I spent parts of both Saturday and Sunday cutting trees and fixing fence at our family prairie. I also wandered around a fair amount and, as always, found things to stir my curiosity and wonder.
Many of us don’t need added incentives to draw us outside, but that doesn’t mean incentives can’t help. Or, maybe you have friends or relatives who aren’t sure what they’d even do or look for in a prairie, especially this time of year. After all, isn’t it all just a bunch of brown grass out there right now?
Well, if it’s at all helpful, I’ve created a prairie bingo card. If you just let out an exasperated sigh when you read that sentence, that’s fine. This isn’t for you. No offense taken.
If you are still reading this, maybe you’d find it fun to add a little extra twist to your next trip to a local prairie. Maybe you have some friends who would come play a game with you but wouldn’t otherwise consider going for a prairie hike. I don’t know your situation.
I tried to create a bingo card that would be accessible to just about anyone. Anything that might be unfamiliar should be easy to quickly find an explanation of online. Everything on the card is something I’ve seen in the last couple weeks during walks in prairies near here.
If this looks like fun, feel free to save or print the bingo card. Or just make your own, using this one as inspiration. If you plan to go out with friends and don’t want to all use the same card, I’ve made two more versions (below) with the same terms but in different arrangements.
If you decide to try this, I’d love to hear what you think. Whether you play prairie bingo or not, though, I hope you find some time to go exploring. Even in the late winter, there’s plenty to see out there!
The Prairie Ecologist 
Chris, I have wondered for many years what those goldenrod stem galls were. I see them often. Ann Moshman
Very cool; I plan on using this with my high school Field Ecology class next week when we visit our local restored prairie! Thank you
What a fun project. I’m leading a plant-themed spring camp in a few weeks and this would be a great activity. It gives the kids concrete things to focus on when we visit the prairie. Thanks for the idea and all your great posts!
@Pettus, Daniel
That iis an excellent idea! I wish we had ecology classes when I was in hs
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Chris, what a great idea, especially for kids! Thanks!
Judy Parks
Chris,
Thank you for the great idea! I’m always looking for ways to get my kids out in nature; although I’d never played Bingo before, games like this are perfect. One comment for future games- of the various squares, many are highly unsavory. In particular, I had some trouble convincing my oldest son to eat the hairy scat. I also had to modify the meadowlark to a bluejay, for allergy reasons.
Brilliant. Now I just need to get someone to create one for my suburb in OK for me to play. Or vice-versa.
i worked for TNC (ILFO) some years ago, and ideas like this is what kept me going during all the field trips! Thanks 😁
Thanks for this! Looking forward to using this in early May (I guess not exactly late winter!) on an inaugural visit to Teddy Roosevelt N.P. and Badlands. Last year on an Eastern MT birding trip, did a similar Bingo to find prairie birds . At least I got about nine of those!
I’ve enjoyed doing this — made me notice things I might have missed otherwise.
Lindamichele777@gmail Linda M. Hasselstrom