Memory Match

Peek under the leaves. Can you find the pairs?

How many leaves?
For grown-ups

Your child taps a leaf to peek at the picture under it, and the voice names it. Two the same make a pair, and the pair stays face up. Two that differ are named, then turn back slowly. There is no losing, no timer and nothing to collect. A round is one board, then it stops.

Child lock: tap the lock at the top right. The ways out hide and the back button stays in the game. To unlock, hold the lock for 3 seconds and answer a sum.

3 pairs (6 leaves) suits age 3: fruit, pets or farm animals. 4 or 5 pairs suits 4 and 5: sea animals, things that go, or things on the table. 6 pairs suits 5 and 6, and can hide big and little letters: match A to a.

Evening look (dimmer and warmer)

Why it's good for your child, what they learn, and how we designed it

Free, no ads, no sign-in. We count plays without names or anything that identifies your child, and your child is never recorded. Pictures: Microsoft Fluent Emoji (MIT license).

Why it's good for your child

Memory match trains working memory, the ability to hold something in mind and use it a moment later. The Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework lists working memory as part of executive function. In one study, a short training program improved preschoolers' working memory, and the gains reached math reasoning 3 months later (PMC4656848). Every picture is said out loud, and the line on the "All done" screen turns the game into talk away from the screen, which helps children learn most (AAP, Zero to Three).

What they learn

Remembering where things are, paying attention, and naming everyday things: fruit, pets, farm and sea animals, things that go and things on the table. At the top level, children match big and little letters like A and a, which is the kindergarten standard RF.K.1.d (recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters).

How we designed it for ages 3 to 6

Three-year-olds start with only 6 leaves, because young children can hold only a few things in mind, and the board grows to 12 leaves by 5 and 6. Each leaf turns slowly, one at a time, and nothing loops: 9 minutes of a fast cartoon lowered 4-year-olds' attention and self-control right after (Lillard & Peterson 2011). A miss just turns back slowly, and after a few misses in a row the screen dims around a leaf your child already saw, with no timer, no counting of tries, nothing to collect and no "one more" prompt (Radesky 2022). A round is one board, and the Child lock keeps leaving and settings with you.

About the game

Memory Match is a free memory match game for young children, the same idea as the classic card game played on a table. Big green leaves lie on a pond. Under each leaf is a picture of something your child knows: an apple, a cat, a bus. Your child taps a leaf to peek, hears its name, then looks for the leaf with the same picture. A pair stays face up. Two that differ turn back slowly, so your child has to remember where each one was.

That is working memory at work: holding something in mind and using it a moment later. Every picture is said out loud, so the game builds words as well as memory, and children who can't read yet can play on their own.

Levels and pictures

  • 3 pairs, age 3: 6 leaves. Fruit (apple, banana, grapes, cherry, lemon, peach), pets (cat, dog, fish, rabbit, hamster, bird) or farm animals (cow, pig, hen, goat, horse, sheep).
  • 4 or 5 pairs, ages 4 to 5: 8 or 10 leaves. Sea animals (whale, crab, octopus, shark, seal, dolphin), things that go (bus, car, train, boat, plane, bike) or the table (cup, spoon, fork, bowl, pan, teapot).
  • 6 pairs, ages 5 to 6: 12 leaves, with any of the pictures above, or big and little letters: match A to a, B to b, G to g and more. The voice says each letter's name.

How a round goes

Pick how many leaves, then Play. After a few misses in a row, the voice reminds your child of a leaf they already saw ("You saw an apple here before"), and that leaf gets a soft, still outline. A round is one board. When every pair is found, the game stops on "All done", lists the pairs by name, and gives you a line to talk about together. The next round waits for a tap.

Before you hand over the phone, tap the lock at the top right. More: Spell the Picture, how we build calm games.

Questions parents ask

Is Memory Match free?

Yes. There is no sign-in, nothing to download and nothing to buy. It runs in the web browser on phones, tablets and computers.

Can a 3 year old play a memory game?

Yes, with a small board. The first level has only 6 leaves, 3 pairs of familiar things like fruit, pets and farm animals, and every picture is said out loud.

What happens when two leaves don't match?

The voice names both pictures, they stay open for a moment, then turn back slowly one at a time. Nothing is lost and there is no timer.

How long is a round?

One board of 3 to 6 pairs, usually a few minutes. Then the game stops on an All done screen with a line for you to talk about together.