Pairs Memory Game
What you need
- eight picture cards in four matching pairs, or squares of paper with four pairs of drawings
How to do it
- Lay the cards face down in two rows of four.
- Take turns turning over two cards. If they match, keep them. If not, turn them back over in the same place.
- Say what's on each card out loud as it turns, so you both remember where things are.
- When all the pairs are found, count who has the most, and play again.
Why it matters
Remembering where the cat was is a puzzle for the memory, and waiting for a turn is part of the game.
What they're learning
- Remembering where
- Holding in mind where a picture was seen.
- Taking turns
- Two cards each, then it's the other player's go.
- Counting pairs
- Adding up the pairs won at the end.
What to look for
Notice them reaching for a card they saw on an earlier turn.
A tip
Draw your own cards on paper if you don't have a set: a sun, a house, a cat and a ball, twice each.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: play with three pairs, face up first, then turn them over
Harder: play with six pairs, or lay them out in a jumble instead of neat rows
