1+ 2+ 3
Custom Memory
Game By Julie A. Finn
Memory is basically the perfect game. A kid can play
it solo or in a group, it can be easy or challenging,
and it’s educational to boot. Give an old standby
some new flavor and create a perfect rainy-day
activity when you make your own memory game
out of materials you already own.
YOU WILL NEED
Paper plain, colored,
or printed, for making
matching image pairs
Scissors
Glue stick
Laminating sheets or a
laminating machine
Fancy paper such as
scrapbooking or
wrapping paper,
for the faceup and
facedown sides of
your memory cards
1. Prepare your pairs.
Cut out several sets of matching image pairs from
paper, such as numbers, colors, or words. (Here
I used paint swatches.) If necessary, trim them all
to be approximately the same size or to cut off
extraneous words or images.
2. Prepare your template and backing.
Find a template for your memory cards — cassette
tape, coffee mug, etc. — and cut out identical
faceup sides from your fancy paper for each card
in your game.
Also cut out a facedown side for each card —
this can be from the same or different paper as
your faceup side. These don’t have to be identical,
because they won’t be facing up at the start of
the game.
3. Glue and laminate.
With a glue stick, lightly stick your faceup and
facedown sides together (facing up and down!),
then stick one memory game image on each
facedown side.
Laminate your cards for durability, or take them
to a copy shop to be laminated.
Use It.
While simple identical color matches work well
for a memory game, consider tweaking your game
toward a specific educational experience or a
specific kid. Try matching colors with color words,
for instance, or pictures with Spanish words, or
math equations. Keep your kid guessing!
1 2
3
Photography by Julie A. Finn
Julie A. Finn blogs about all the wacky hijinks involved in parenting and the crafty life at craftknife.blogspot.com.
29 Make:
