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Indoor activity

DIY Memory Card Game

Cut paper into cards, draw matching pairs of pictures on them, lay face-down, and play the classic memory matching game you made yourself!

Ages 3-10 0-1 hours Education 7/10

Materials

  • Markers
  • Paper
  • Ruler optional
  • Scissors

Illustrated Steps

1

Cut the Cards

Cut paper into 12–20 equal-sized rectangular cards using scissors and a ruler.

2

Draw Matching Pairs

Draw bold pictures on each card — every picture needs an exact matching partner!

3

Mix and Lay Out

Shuffle all cards and lay them face-down in neat rows on a flat surface.

4

Play the Game

Flip two cards — if they match, keep them! If not, flip back and remember where they were.

What You’ll Create

Flip, match, remember! 🧠 Your little game designers will create their very own memory card game from scratch. Cut paper into equal-sized cards, draw matching pairs of pictures using markers — animals, fruits, shapes, or anything you love — then lay them face-down and play! Flip two at a time, remember where each picture is, and find all the matching pairs.

How to Set It Up

Step 1: Cut the Cards

Using scissors, cut a sheet of paper into equal-sized rectangular cards — aim for 12–20 cards (6–10 pairs). A ruler helps make them even. Card-weight paper works best, but regular paper is fine too. ⚠️ Adult Helper Needed for younger children. ✂️

Step 2: Draw Matching Pairs

Use markers to draw a picture on each card — but every picture must have an exact match! Draw two suns, two cats, two hearts, two stars, etc. Make the drawings bold and clear so they’re easy to recognise quickly. Keep the backs blank and identical. 🎨

Step 3: Mix and Lay Out

Shuffle all the cards thoroughly. Lay them face-down in neat rows on a flat surface — 3 rows of 4, 4 rows of 4, or whatever fits your number of cards. Make sure the pictures are hidden! The game board is set. 🃏

Step 4: Play the Game

Take turns flipping over two cards at a time. If they match — you keep the pair and go again! If they don’t match — flip them back face-down and remember where they were. The player with the most pairs at the end wins! 🏆

Have fun!

  • 🔢 Start with just 6 pairs for younger players, work up to 15+ for a real challenge!
  • 🌈 Use colour-coding — all animal cards in green, all food cards in orange!
  • ⏱️ Time yourself — how fast can you match all the pairs solo?
  • 📖 Make themed sets — ocean animals, space objects, letters of the alphabet!

Why It’s Amazing

  • Memory & Concentration: The core gameplay directly exercises working memory and concentration — remembering locations of previously seen cards. 🧠

  • Game Design Thinking: Creating a game from scratch teaches rules, balance, and fairness — foundational game design concepts. 🎮

  • Visual Discrimination: Drawing and matching identical pairs trains the eye to notice details and differences — a key pre-reading skill. 👀

  • Maths Connections: Counting pairs, understanding even numbers (you need two of everything!), and organising cards in rows introduces practical maths. 🔢

Pro Tips

For ages 3–5: Start with just 4–6 pairs (8–12 cards). Use simple, bold drawings — hearts, stars, smiley faces. Play with cards visible first to teach the concept, then flip them over.

For ages 5–8: Make 8–10 pairs. Draw more detailed pictures. Introduce turn-taking rules. Challenge them to play without peeking and to describe what they remember.

For ages 8–12: Create a themed mega-set of 15+ pairs. Add difficulty by making similar-but-different pairs (e.g., tabby cat vs. black cat). Design a scoring system and keep a leaderboard.

Secret Pro Move: Draw a tiny number in the corner of each matching pair (both cards get the same number) — this lets you quickly verify matches are correct during play, and helps when you have lots of pairs! 🎯