Valentine’s Day Memory Game for Preschoolers
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There is something so special and fun about holidays that everybody loves and enjoys, which gives you the perfect opportunity to change around in your classroom and make your preschoolers feel that they are doing something new. Valentine’s Day tends to be very exciting for your children, like every other holiday for that matter, and this low-prep Valentine’s Day Memory Game is so fun, that will make you look like a hero, for sure!
Every year I try to incorporate new ideas to celebrate the different holidays with my preschoolers, and Valentine’s Day is no different.
It is so much fun to invite our students to exchange little cards and candy, use the colors red (my favorite), pink and white to do all kinds of artwork, and take it as an excuse to do a little party to break the daily routine, so why not to use this opportunity to teach them a fun memory game as well.
Valentine’s Day Memory Game
This FREE Valentine’s Day Memory Game includes two pages nine cards each, that your preschoolers can use in several ways, to develop skills such as:
- Language development.
- One-to-One correspondence.
- Pre-writing/fine motor development.
- Concentration.
- Memory.
- Creating sets.
This Valentine’s Day Memory Game could be used in many ways such as:
- Small group activity
- Math center option
- Take home game
- Quiet area option
Valentine’s Day Books
A good way to introduce this activity and every other activity you do is by reading stories. It is tremendously essential to engage your preschoolers with books from the very beginning, not only to introduce a theme but also to help them develop those pre-reading and pre-writing skills that later on are going to be key to acquiring a good foundation for reading and writing.
These are some of my favorite books for Valentine’s Day month:
How to Prepare Valentine’s Day Memory Game
This game’s cards must be durable and strong, because the children will manipulate them in any kind of way, and you want them to last a long time.
Once you get them ready, you might want to place them in a small basket, a little box, or in a Ziploc bag, so they can stay together and you don’t lose some of the cards.
To get this Valentine’s Day Memory Game ready you will need these materials:
- FREE Valentine’s Day Memory Game cards are found at the end of this post.
- White cardstock
- Scissors
- Laminator machine
- Laminator pouches
Begin by printing two sets of each page using white cardstock. Then cut out and laminate each of the tiles to protect them and make them last longer. That way at the end of the month you can store the game in a pencil case or a Zip-lock bag to protect it and use it year after year.
If your preschoolers have been exposed to other memory games, they are probably going to be able to work independently. However, for new students or children who are not familiar with these types of games your guidance.
How to Play Valentine’s Day Memory Game
To start the game, lay out the cards face down in rows and columns so your preschoolers can only see the backside, and invite them to join you for a matching game!
Keep it super simple and start by playing like any traditional memory game, where children take turns selecting two cards to turn over trying to make a match. If a match is made then the preschooler gets to keep the set of cards. If not, then the cards have to be turned back over and the next preschooler takes the turn.
This game is not only great to strengthen the children’s concentration, memory, one-to-one correspondence, and set creation, but it will also keep them busy for a long time while learning without even realizing it.
Extension Activities for Valentine’s Day Memory Game
These matching cards are so sweet and pretty that you can use them for other learning games as well, to avoid boredom in your preschoolers and to make your life a little easier without having to prep for other activities.
Some of the uses and activities that come to mind are:
- Phonological awareness game: take one of the cards and name the picture emphasizing the beginning sound, for example: “This is a heart. I hear /h/ /h/ /h/ at the beginning of the word heart.
2. Letter recognition: take one of the cards and name the picture saying the name of the letter that the picture starts with, for example: “This is a letter. The letter starts with the letter “Ll”.
3. Pre-Writing: use the written part of Valentine’s Day Word Wall Cards, and have the children match the picture with the word.
4. Language Development: select one of the cards during circle time and invite your preschoolers to create a story using the picture, while you take dictation to make a class book.
5. Artwork: invite each preschooler to select a card and use it as an inspiration to draw or paint a picture.
6. The “The Missing Card” Game: this game is better as a small group activity. Take 3 to 5 cards and place them on a table. Ask your preschoolers to name the pictures on each card, then have your children close their eyes while you remove one card. Then ask your preschoolers to open their eyes and tell you which card is missing.
Valentine’s Day Décor
This FREE printable will surely help you with this. Just click on the link to download the ones you like.
Then check out my Valentine Bingo Game, Valentine’s Day Math Puzzle, and my Valentine’s Day Word Wall Cards, and get them too, to expand your Valentine’s Day activities collection, and help your preschoolers have fun while learning. They are completely free for my subscribers.
Pit If for Later
If you don’t have time to download your printable right now, just pin it to your Valentine’s Day and any other of your Pinterest board for later.
Don’t forget to grab your free Valentine’s Day Memory Game printable! Just click on the link below, type your information and you’ll receive the printable right away.
These are other decorations that I’m sure will complement the printables nicely.
I hope you enjoy these activities and printables, and help you have a memorable and fun Valentine’s Day with your preschoolers.
Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.
Love,
P.S. If you would like to see an article about how to make something specific, please let me know and I will try my best to write it for you. My goal is to help you in any way I can and I don’t like anything better than to post something that you might find useful.
