Make memory games with children: Here's how

Make your own memory game: tips and ideas for motifs

What do I need?

Besides the motifs for the memory game you will need:

several layers of sturdy cardboard (similar to the back of a drawing pad)
Craft glue and scissors
Colored pencils, wax crayons or felt-tip pens

Print out motif templates and glue them on:

In craft books or online there are plenty of templates with memory-game motifs. The advantage of these templates is that the motifs are usually arranged on sheets in DIN A4 format. You only have to copy or print the motifs and glue them directly onto cardboard. Your child can then color the motifs and cut them into cards.

Memory game with hand-drawn motifs:

For hand-drawn motifs it's best to stick white paper onto the motif cards in advance and cut them to size. Your child can then draw a simple motif such as a flower, a heart, a person, etc. on two cards each. Of course these pictures are not completely identical, but that's exactly what makes a self-made memory game appealing. Alternatively you can copy a painted motif, stick it onto a second card and color it in.

Crafting a memory game with children – here's how

Child-friendly craft materials: Children's scissors, colored or felt-tip pens and craft glue are found in almost every household. They are also best suited for crafting a memory game. That way there's neither frustration nor injuries.

Offer help: When carefully gluing the motifs onto the cardboard or cutting along the lines, children may need a little help. But let your child do as much as possible themselves - they will be even prouder later of their own memory game.

Set perfectionism aside: Who cares if the cards are cut a little crooked or the motifs are colored "creatively"? The fun of crafting is much more important than the appearance and the card with a crooked edge will quickly become the favorite card because it can be recognized immediately when searching for pairs.

Which memory game for which age?

Already from about 2 ½ years, children can recognize and match identical motifs. The younger a child is, the larger the motif cards should be and the fewer cards the game should have. A rough rule of thumb is:

2-3 years: 10–14 motif pairs (20–28 cards total)
3-4 years: 14–20 motif pairs (28–40 cards total)
From 5 years: up to about 25 motif pairs (50 cards total)
From 8 years: up to about 40 motif pairs (80 cards total)

If there are several children in the family, feel free to make a larger number of memory game cards. When playing you can later set some pairs aside depending on the players' ages.

Make a photo memory game yourself: a great gift for younger children

A photo memory game with pictures of family members and friends is practically a photo album to play with: children can handle familiar faces and learn the names and family relationships almost as a side effect. In addition, a photo memory game is a great keepsake. Even as an adult your child can enjoy the old pictures of mom, dad, siblings and grandparents.

What you'll need:

Several layers of sturdy cardboard (photo cardstock, craft board or similar)
Pictures of family members, friends, neighbors or pets, each twice
Glue (craft glue or photo glue)
Scissors, ruler and pencil for cutting the cards

Here's how:

First cut out the motif cards: To do this, draw a grid of 6 x 6 cm squares on the cardboard and cut out the squares.
Place the two prints/copies of a photo exactly on top of each other and also cut out a 6 x 6 cm square. If necessary, you can place one of the finished cardboard cards on the photo as a template and cut around it.
Now the trimmed pictures are glued onto the cardboard. Don't use too much glue so the photo doesn't warp, and be sure to glue the edges carefully so they don't peel up during play.
If desired, you can laminate the finished memory game cards to increase their longevity.

Tip: If the photo memory game is intended as a gift, you can decorate a ready-made gift box in the appropriate size nicely, for example with additional photos of all the "game characters".

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