12 Days of Christmas Preschool Memory Game

By Charlene Haukom

Create your own preschool memory game by using a game board inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas song! This Educational Preschool Game strengthens preschoolers’ memory skills while also teaching them to read. Make this preschool memory game more interesting by using craft scissors to create puzzle pieces!

What You Will Need

12 Days of Christmas Game Board
Cardstock
Scissors

How to Play

1. Print the 12 Days of Christmas Game Board on heavyweight paper, like cardstock. You can also use decorative paper as long as it is blank on one side and the pattern on the other side is dark or busy. Be sure to print the game board on the blank side.  If your decorative paper is larger than 8 1/2" x 11", simply cut it down to size before printing the game board.

2. Cut along the lines to make the preschool Christmas memory cards. Use craft scissors on the wavy lines so the matching cards fit together like a puzzle. Then your preschooler can either win by making matches from memory or by matching the puzzle pieces.

*Helpful Hint: the puzzle pieces are great for younger preschoolers.  Use a straight cut on all pieces for older preschoolers so you can focus on the reading aspect.

3. Match the cards as you would in a traditional memory game. One card will have a number and picture, the matching card will contain only text.

Help your preschooler read the text by sounding out each letter. Some of these words are long, but the reading concept is the same. Identify each letter, sound it out, then string the sounds together. This game will take the fear out of reading as preschoolers realize that longer words aren't necessarily more difficult.

4.  The player with the most matches wins!  If only one preschooler is playing, then the game is won when all matches are made.

Turn the 12 Days of Christmas Preschool Memory Game into a Preschool Holiday Craft

Use plain white or light-colored cardstock to print the 12 Days of Christmas Game Board. Decorate the back of each card with stamps, glitter and crayons. Try to use the same design on each card, otherwise your preschooler may be able to make matches based on the pictures you create rather than by reading the cards. A random snowflake pattern or the “Let it Snow” stamp by The Angel Company^TM works well for this project.  For more preschool craft ideas, visit Preschool Crafts and Preschool Holiday Crafts.

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