Christmas Matching Game for Kids

A Christmas matching game gives kids a memory game they made themselves. Your child draws 10 pairs of Christmas pictures on cardstock cards, cuts them apart, and plays a classic flip-and-match game. It costs nothing beyond paper and markers, builds memory and focus, and one full game takes 10 to 15 minutes.

What Supplies Do You Need?

• Index cards or white cardstock (20 cards)
• Pencil
• Markers
• Crayons
• Kid-safe scissors
• Small tray or shoebox (card storage)
• Heavy book (optional, for flattening curled cards)
• Kitchen timer (optional, for timed turns)
• Newspaper (optional, under the work area)

How Do You Make the Matching Cards?

1. Make 20 cards: use 20 index cards, or cut 20 rectangles about 3 by 4 inches from cardstock. A grown-up does the cutting, or kids 6 and up cut with kid-safe scissors.
2. Pick 10 Christmas pictures: tree, star, gift, snowman, reindeer, bell, stocking, candy cane, angel, snowflake.
3. Draw each picture twice, side by side, before moving to the next pair. Drawing the pair together keeps the two pictures looking alike.
4. Color with markers or crayons. Let the ink dry 5 minutes so colors do not smudge. Put newspaper under the work area if you use markers.

How Do You Play the Christmas Matching Game?

1. Shuffle the cards and lay them face down in a 4-by-5 grid on the table or floor.
2. The youngest player flips two cards. A match means the player keeps the pair and flips again. No match means both cards flip back.
3. The next player to the left goes next. Hands rest in laps during another player's turn.
4. The player holding the most pairs when the grid clears wins. Store the cards in the tray or shoebox between games.

What Goes Wrong and How Do You Fix It?

• Cards curl and will not lie flat: cardstock resists curling better than thin paper. Slide curled cards under a heavy book overnight.
• The two pictures in a pair look different: draw both at the same time, side by side, before starting the next pair.
• Kids peek while others flip: set the rule that hands rest in laps during another player's turn.
• Twenty cards make the game drag: start with 6 pairs for kids under 6 and add pairs as they get faster.

How Do You Make It Easier or Harder?

For toddlers, lay 6 cards face up and take turns naming and collecting the pairs together. For older kids, set the kitchen timer to 60 seconds per turn, or mix in 2 extra pairs for a 24-card grid.

What Other Matching Games Can You Make?

Try the Thanksgiving Matching Memory Game for the same format with fall pictures, the Leaf Shape Matching Game for a nature round, or Christmas Bingo for group play.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What ages can play this matching game?

Kids ages 4 and up play the full flip-and-match game on their own. Kids ages 2 and 3 can play a simpler version: lay 6 cards face up and take turns naming and collecting the pairs together. Keep the small cards away from babies and toddlers who still mouth objects, since the cards are a choking risk.

How messy is this activity?

This activity is low mess. Drawing and cutting happen at the table, and cardstock scraps go into the recycling bin. Markers can bleed through thin paper, so put newspaper under the work area if you use markers instead of crayons. The game itself makes no mess at all.

How long does it take to make and play?

Drawing and coloring 10 pairs takes 20 to 30 minutes. Cutting takes 5 minutes. A full 20-card game takes 10 to 15 minutes, and a 6-pair starter game takes about 5. Plan 45 minutes total for making plus one full game, or split the making and the playing across two days.

Is this matching game safe for young kids?

Yes, with supervision. Scissors stay in grown-up hands for kids under 6; older kids use rounded-tip kid-safe scissors and keep fingers clear of the blades. Marker caps are a choking hazard, so keep caps on markers when not in use and store the set out of toddlers' reach. The small cards themselves can choke a child under 3, so babies play only the face-up naming version with a grown-up.

Be safe and have fun!