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Work on focus and concentration with a DIY memory matching game for kids from Erin that’s perfect for quiet time play!
This DIY memory matching game for kids requires just two egg cartons and pairs of small objects like pom poms, beads, or even scraps of paper.
Which means that I already have everything I need at home!
A free activity is always a win in my books!
Don’t get me wrong: I love a trip to Target. But I don’t love a trip to Target just because I need some random supply for an activity I want to do.
No trip to Target required!
Easy DIY Memory Matching Game for Kids to Focus
To make your own egg carton DIY memory matching game for kids, you will need:
- two egg cartons
- pairs of small objects that will fit in an egg carton (buttons, pom poms, scraps of paper or ribbon, cut up pipe cleaners, beads, etc.)
- scissors
First, you will need to cut apart your egg cartons.
You will only need the bottom halves of each for the memory match game.
Cut off and discard the top halves of each carton.
Cut one row off of one carton bottom, being careful to leave enough behind to completely conceal what’s inside when it is nested on top of the other carton.
Next, collect pairs of small objects that fit inside the egg carton.
Pom poms, beads, buttons are all great choices for this memory match game.
This polar bear craft for preschoolers also uses an egg carton!
If you don’t have any of those objects, don’t rush to the store! You can easily cut up felt, ribbon, or pipe cleaners to use in your memory matching game for kids, or you could even use stickers.
And if you don’t have any of that, get creative!
Coins, Barbie shoes, LEGOs, Skittles, earrings you haven’t worn since high school…the pair possibilities are endless.
(I’m trying really hard to save you that trip to the store, aren’t I?)
Time to Concentrate with Your Own Memory Match Game!
Next, it’s time to play!
How do you play the memory matching game?
Arrange the objects in a sequence of your choice.
My six-year-old did well with all six slots filled; my newly four-year-old did better with four slots filled.
See what works best for your memory match game!
Have your child study the sequence for a period of time.
Give more or less time to make it appropriately challenging depending on your child’s age.
This is an opportunity to teach your kids some memorization strategies.
You know, like the ones you tried desperately to use when studying five minutes before your chemistry test in high school.
I encouraged my kids to say the colors aloud or in their head and to try to set it to a rhythm by clapping.
They were excited to find that this truly helped them remember the sequence!
These small tricks made our DIY memory match game a confidence builder for my kids also.
Make this egg carton train!
After they have studied the sequence, cover it up.
Now your child needs to remember what they saw and try to correctly recreate the sequence.
Did they get it right?
If not, have them cover it back up and adjust their objects until they correctly recreate the sequence!
Other Ways to Use Your Homemade Memory Match Activity for Kids
- Practice spelling by using letters instead of objects, similar to the game Boggle Junior. Scrabble tiles would work perfectly for this!
- Parents can play too! My kids thought it was hilarious to give me exactly one second to study the memory sequence before covering it up.
- Remove the hidden “memory matching” component and just use the bottom carton for kids to match objects, letters, or numbers, working on 1:1 correspondence.
If you are looking for ways to develop memory skills in an even younger child, like a wee toddler, check out this super simple cup and toy memory game!
Keep your DIY memory match activity nearby when you don’t have free hands or the ability to play a more involved game.
I am currently nursing a baby and this homemade memory matching game for kids is perfect for tending to baby without ignoring the older kids!
To keep it interesting change the memory objects available to match each time you put it away. That way it will be new and fresh next time you need to pull it out on a dime.
Keep working on concentration and focus with a fun matching game for kids!
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