Printable printable memory game
Pick the theme and the number of pairs, print and cut. The pictures come as outlines, so children can color them before playing.
Preview of the printable sheet: Printable memory game
In the print window, set the paper to A4 or Letter and the scale to 100%.
- 1 sheet of paper (thicker paper works best)
- Safety scissors
- Optional: colored pencils, glue and card stock for the back of the cards
How do I make a printable memory game?
On this page you pick the theme and the number of pairs, print one sheet and cut out the cards along the dashed line. There are three themes: outline pictures to color, numbers to match with the same amount of dots, and uppercase letters with lowercase letters. Each sheet has 8 or 12 pairs, in shuffled positions.
How to set up
- Pick the theme: pictures, numbers or letters. Then pick 8 or 12 pairs.
- Print the sheet at 100% scale (or Fit to page on Letter paper).
- With the picture theme, color the drawings before cutting. The two cards of a pair may have the same colors or different ones.
- If the paper is thin and the drawing shows through the back, glue the sheet onto card stock before cutting.
- Cut out the cards along the dashed line.
How to play
- Shuffle the cards and lay them all face down, in rows.
- On your turn, flip two cards, one at a time, for everyone to see.
- If the two make a pair, you keep them and take another turn.
- If they do not make a pair, turn both face down again, in the same spot. Play passes to the next player.
- With the number theme, a pair is the number and the card with the same amount of dots. With the letter theme, a pair is the uppercase letter and the lowercase letter.
- The game ends when all the cards have been collected.
- The player with the most pairs wins. With the same number of pairs, the game is a tie.
Variations
- Open memory: for younger children, leave the cards face up. The child just finds and joins the pairs.
- Solo: count how many times you flipped two cards until you found every pair. Next game, try to use fewer turns.
- As a team: everyone plays together and helps remember where each card is.
- No extra turn: the player who finds a pair keeps it, but play passes anyway. The game gets more balanced.
- Say it out loud: when flipping a card, the child says the name of the picture, the number or the letter.
- Bigger deck: print two sheets with different game numbers and mix the cards.
Tips
- Start with 8 pairs. Move to 12 when the game gets easy.
- Lay the cards in straight rows. It is easier to remember where each one is.
- Watch the cards the other players flip. They count for you too.
- Always put a card back in the same spot.
- Keep the cards in an envelope so none gets lost.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play the memory game?
The cards lie face down. Each player flips two per turn. A player who finds a pair keeps it and goes again. A player who misses turns the cards back and passes. The player with the most pairs wins.
How many cards are on the sheet?
With 8 pairs, the sheet has 16 large cards. With 12 pairs, it has 24 slightly smaller cards. Everything fits on one sheet.
How does the letter memory game work?
Each pair joins an uppercase letter with the same lowercase letter, such as A and a. The letters are picked at random, and the sheet changes with every tap on Make another memory game.
How does the number memory game work?
One card shows the number and the other shows the same amount in dots. The child counts the dots to find the pair. With 8 pairs, the numbers go from 1 to 8. With 12 pairs, from 1 to 12.
Can you see the picture through the back of the card?
On regular paper, you might. To fix that, print on thicker paper or glue the sheet onto card stock before cutting.
Can I play without printing?
Yes. The site has a memory game you can play right in the browser, alone, with a friend or against the computer.
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