Everyone loves playing games. If you have a family game night in your house, or know someone who should start, then maybe it is time to have some fun making your own memory game at home.
Young children need to practice their memory skills as they grow up. Playing games like Memory or Concentration can help to improve and polish those skills. Whether you want to get your pre-schooler on the right track, or just want to polish your own skills with some brain-busting fun, this project will be right for you.
What You Will Need
Simple items from around the house can be used to make your own memory games. There is no need to pay $10 to $15 for those pricey cardboard pictures from the local toy store.
You can use colored construction paper or cardboard pieces as your background. Make sure they are all plain in color for this project. Patterns and various colors may look exciting, but will skew the game. Plain 3″ by 5″ index cards also work nicely.
Family photos or stickers work very well for this craft. Make sure you have at least two of each photo or sticker. When having your photos printed, ask for doubles to use when making your memory game.
Also, you will need a piece of paper and a marker. A plastic baggy is the last item needed to create the memory game.
What To Do
Begin by deciding how many memory cards you want to create. YOU MUST ALWAYS HAVE AN EVEN NUMBER> This is to make the appropriate matches and pairs. Usually 36 or 48 cards are made for the memory game. REMEMBER This will save you the time of creating the cards twice.
Glue or stick matching photos or stickers onto the 3″ by 5″ index cards. If you are using cardboard or construction paper, you must first cut the cards to the same size, then add the pictures or stickers. Allow the glue to set. Once the glue has dried completely, laminate the cards. Laminating the cards is not absolutely necessary, but this step will provide longevity to your memory game.
Write out simple instructions for your game. The object of the game is to be the player with the most pairs of identical matches by the end of the game. TO PLAY THE GAME Each player in turn chooses one card and places it face up. That player then turns over one more card to see if it matches. If the cards match, then the player continues their turn. Once two mismatched cards appear, the next player takes their turn. After all matches have been found, it is time to add up the number of pairs for each player and determine the winner.
Place your instructions and cards into a baggy for safe storage. Label the baggy with the words “memory game” for easy identification.
