Why memory games help

Working memory is the mental notepad children use to keep track of a sentence while they read it or carry a number while they add. Games give this notepad regular, low-pressure practice.

Memory games also train attention. A child cannot recall what they never noticed, so these games reward looking carefully and grouping information in useful ways.

Children remember more when they find their own way to organise what they see. Some group objects by type, some say names under their breath, and some picture where each item sat. Naming these strategies helps children choose one on purpose. Keep the tone light: memory games should feel like a challenge, not a test, and a missed item is simply information for the next round.

Game 1: Pairs

Players: 2 to 4. Ages: 4 to 9. Time: 10 minutes. Materials: 12 to 24 cards made from pairs of matching pictures or words.

Shuffle the cards and lay them face down in a grid. On each turn a player turns over two cards. If they match, the player keeps them and goes again. If not, both cards are turned back. The player with most pairs at the end wins.

Easier: use 6 pairs and lay them in two neat rows. Harder: match related items rather than identical ones, such as a number with its word, or an animal with its habitat.

Game 2: Tray Game

Players: any number. Ages: 5 to 12. Time: 5 to 10 minutes per round. Materials: a tray, a cloth and 8 to 15 small classroom objects.

• Show the tray for 30 seconds while children look silently.

• Cover the tray and secretly remove one or two objects.

• Uncover it and ask what is missing.

• Ask children how they remembered: by colour, by grouping, by making up a story.

• Easier: 6 objects and remove one. Harder: 15 objects, and ask children to recall and draw the whole layout.

Classroom example

A Year 2 teacher (ages 6 to 7) uses the Tray Game for five minutes after lunch with objects linked to the week's science topic, such as a magnet, a spoon and a leaf. Children use the new vocabulary in their answers, and those who struggle can work with a partner. The teacher asks one child each day to share a strategy, so the class builds a list of ways to remember.

Key points

• Keep rounds short and frequent.

• Ask children to explain how they remembered.

• Link objects or pictures to current topics.

• Increase items gradually rather than all at once.

Ready-made resources

Printable session plans and materials for this topic are available from EduTrend Contents: G4C-110 Thinking Games.

Photos: Parinaz Mirhosseini, Anna Zwiefel / Unsplash