A matching game that also teaches
The memory match game, sometimes called concentration or pairs, is one of the first games any child learns: you turn over two cards and, if they match, they come off the board. What is interesting is what happens when the pairs stop being random pictures and start being lesson content.
When a student matches an English word with its translation, a country with its capital or a concept with its definition, they are not only exercising visual memory: they are building an association between two ideas. And that association is exactly what we want them to recall later.
On top of that, the game forces them to look at each card several times before getting it right. That spaced repetition, which in any other format would be tedious, happens naturally here because the student wants to win.
How to create your memory game
- Define the pairs. Each card can carry text and, if you want, an image. You can pair a word with a picture, a word with its translation or a concept with its definition.
- Add your images. A photo, an icon or a drawing makes the game far more visual, especially with younger students.
- Share the link. Every game is saved with its own address so you can send it to the class.
- Play. Cards are flipped two at a time until every pair has been found.
Tip: start with six or eight pairs. Put in too many and the round drags on, and the group loses interest before it ends.
Ways to use it, depending on what you teach
ESL and languages
Match the word in the language being studied with its translation or with the picture that represents it.
Geography
Country with capital, flag with name, or river with continent.
Maths
An operation with its result, a fraction with its decimal equivalent, or a shape with its name.
Science
An animal with its classification, an organ with its function, or a chemical symbol with its element.
Early years
Colours, shapes, numbers and animals. The visual format is perfect for pre-readers.
General revision
Concept with definition, to close out any unit in any subject.
How to choose good pairs
What is on the cards decides whether the game teaches anything or just entertains. A few things that work:
Make the relationship obvious
Once discovered, a pair should have a clear connection: word and translation, country and capital, symbol and element. If the link is arguable, the student walks away with a doubt instead of a piece of learning.
Avoid pairs that look alike
If several cards look nearly identical, the game turns frustrating and stops measuring memory and starts measuring patience. Each pair should be distinguishable at a glance.
Images help the youngest students
In early years and the first years of elementary, matching an image to a word works far better than text to text, because the visual support holds their attention.
Six to ten pairs per round
That is the range where a round lasts long enough to be interesting without eating the lesson. If you need more content, make two games rather than one huge one.
Use the repetition
Playing the same game twice is not wasted time: the second round consolidates what barely registered in the first.
Why build yours at DangoGames
- You choose the pairs. The game adapts to whatever you are teaching this week.
- Images supported. You can combine text and images in the same round.
- Free and no sign-up. No account, no payment and no cap on how many games you make.
- Shared with a link. Each game is saved so you can reuse it next year.
- Works on any screen. Phone, tablet, computer or projector.
Create your custom matching game
Pick the pairs, share the link and let your class play from any device.
Create my memory gameFrequently asked questions
Can I use my own images in the memory game?
How many pairs should I use?
Is it free?
Does it work for young children?
Can we play as a class on the projector?
Can I match text with text instead of an image?
More games and classroom tools
All of them are free, take minutes to set up and are shared with a single link.