Memory Games. Why are They so Popular?

Memory matching games are worth the investment.

Matching/memory games are a dime a dozen. We've all played them, I have several in my collection. I am willing to bet that you can find one for almost any theme you want. And thankful we are, as they are excellent tools for working on so many different visual perceptual skills.

• Visual discrimination - Matching the pictures on the cards.
• Visual memory - Remembering what the images are once the cards have been turned face-down.
• Visual form constancy - Finding matches when the images are not exactly the same, such as one card has a picture of a fish and one has a drawing or silhouette of a fish. I SPY games are good for this.
• Figure ground - Finding matches when the cards are all turned face-up.
• Spatial relations - Remembering exactly where a certain card is in relation to all the cards around it.

And that doesn't even touch on the natural aspects of the game to practice other skills:

• Crossing midline - Since the cards are set up in a big grid, you must reach across many times over before the game is done. Separate the cards this way on purpose while setting up if you don't want to leave this to chance.
• Manual Dexterity - Since the cards are in close proximity and cannot be moved from their location (or you would never remember where to find them!), cards must be picked up where they are, not pulled to the edge of the table for help.
• Bilateral coordination - Since many cards need to be placed face-down on the table, you have the opportunity to hold them in the non-dominant hand and deal them out and position them with the dominant hand to set up the game.
• In-hand manipulation - As you reach for cards you will need to pick up each one and flip it in your hand, at least once, before setting it back down on the table.
• Visual scanning - Looking across the lines of cards to find matches when all cards are turned face-up.
• Short-term memory - Remember where and what you saw turned over on previous turns.
• Executive Functioning Skills - You need to maintain focused attention on the cards as they are shown and then turned back over one after another. You're not going to snooze through a memory game.

Occupational therapists are trained to break tasks down into their components so that they can match each activity to the skills a particular individual is working on. It's one of my favorite parts of the job.

Here are some memory games I have blogged about. Click on the title to go to the post about that game.


What's in the Fridge? - Match food cards from the fridge to cards on your recipe.

Shopping List - Match a card to each item on your grocery list.

AARGH - Match up to 5 of a kind! Pirate-themed.

Hello Kitty Make a Match - Not just your ordinary card flipping game.

Teddy Mix & Match - 12 sets of large, colorful bears. One of my favorites.

Hello Kitty Flip 'N' Match - A unique way to play Memory that requires different hand skills.

Animal Memo - 12 sets of animals on curved wooden pieces.

Brownie Match - Use a spatula to flip brownie chunks to look on the bottom for your match.

Peanuts Matching Game - Charlie Brown themed, match 2 cards.

Flip to Win Memory Game - A wooden game with a few issues.

BBQ Blitz - Find the burger ingredients that match your pattern card.

Candy Memory - 24 sets, each a different type of candy. Some seasonal candy included.

I Never Forget a Face - 24 sets of kids faces from different cultures around the world.

Turtle Shells Memory Game - Match pattern cards to plastic turtles.

Memory Challenge Holiday - A great Christmas/winter edition with 50 sets and additional challenge cards.

Memory Challenge - Marvel Comics - A REALLY busy game with 50 sets of comic book covers. Plus added challenge cards.

Memory Challenge - Civil War - 50 sets, lots of history included, play on teams, challenge cards.

Fisher Price Go Fish - Includes fish cards, a fishing pole and boats.

Treasure Hunt - An I SPY memory game.

The Penguins of Madagascar -  Match pictures from the bottom of standing penguins.

I Scream - An ice cream themed card game. Great for a summer afternoon.

I SPY Quest - A memory game where the pictures are covered by pawns.