About Memory Game
Card matching looks like a game of luck and is mostly a game of memory. A child who turns cards at random will finish eventually; a child who remembers what was where will finish far sooner. That difference is visible to the child, which is what makes this one of the few activities where children can feel their own memory improving.
What this game teaches
- Holding the position of several cards in working memory
- Searching systematically rather than randomly
- Concentrating for the length of a full round
- Recognising that remembering beats guessing
- Turn-taking and patience when played with others
How to play
- A grid of face-down cards appears.
- Turn over two cards to see what is underneath.
- If they match, they stay face up; if not, they turn back.
- Clear the whole board to finish.
Before you start
No prior knowledge is needed at all. This is one of the most accessible games on the site and works for the youngest children.
For teachers
A useful settling activity, and a genuine assessment of working memory if you watch how a child plays rather than how fast they finish. Children who reveal a card and immediately forget it are showing something worth noting.
For parents
Play alongside your child rather than watching. Saying 'I remember seeing that one over there' out loud models the strategy far better than telling them to concentrate.
Related games
- Find the Different Color — Class 1-6
- Tic-Tac-Toe — Class 1-6
- Alphabet Wheel — Class 1-3