If your toddlers and preschoolers like doing puzzles, they’ll enjoy this homemade matching game. You can make it in minutes, and they’ll play with it over and over. It’s a terrific activity for developing critical thinking and matching skills and shape recognition.
I love making toys and games for my daycare kids, using things we have around the house. This is one of my favourites because you can quickly grab a few random items from around the house and make it in minutes.
My toddlers and preschoolers love matching activities, and while they think it’s all in fun, a shape-matching activity helps kids strengthen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
I don’t recall exactly how I came up with this particular matching game, but I’ve made many versions of over the years.
I love that you can make this game can anywhere as long as you have some paper, a writing instrument, and a few random objects.
You could do this at a restaurant on the back of a paper placemat with the cutlery and a few random objects items your purse or diaper bag.
Or you could make a matching game when you’re visiting grandparents or friends as a way to keep your child busy, using a few items they have around their house.
How to make our easy homemade matching game:
Gather up some random items from around the house or playroom and lay them all out on a large piece of paper.
You’ll want to use flat items that are easy to trace, and that will be somewhat easy for your child to recognize once they’re traced on paper.
For toddlers, you’ll want to shaped items that are very easy to recognize, but for preschoolers, you can use things that will take a little more thinking to figure them out.
Using a marker, trace around each item until your paper is filled with shapes.
Then place the items into a bowl beside the paper and have your little one see if they can match each item up with the traced shape on the paper.
What kind of items can you use for your matching activity?
When making a shape-match activity for very young toddlers, I trace simple shapes like cookie cutters, play food, puzzle pieces, wooden blocks and plastic cutlery.
For preschoolers, I search my kitchen drawers and toy room for more unusually shaped items – ones that they’ll really have to think about before making the match.
This activity is easy to make and a great way to challenge your kids. You can make it anywhere, any time and it won’t cost you a dime.
More Homemade Matching Games:
Homemade Leaf Matching Activity
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
Beth
What a clever idea, thanks
Angelina
I really love this idea! Definelty gonna try this out.
Thanks
happyhooligans
Thanks, Angelina! I hope you have fun with yours! To make the sensory experience even nicer, you can fill your bin with warm water. 🙂
J
This is awesome! I’m going to have to try it soon.
Jessica L.
I LOVE this! It’s so great when you can come up with a great activity like this with things around the house!
Trisha @ Inspiration Laboratories
Love this idea, Jackie! You can make them different ever time depending on the materials you use. 🙂
happyhooligans
Yes! And I love that all the stuff can just go back where it belongs when they’re done playing with it. You don’t really have to keep it and store it because you can just make a new one with different items when you need one. 🙂
Charleybrown
Great idea! Looks fun and yet so simple!
happyhooligans
Thank you everyone, for taking the time to leave a comment! I’m so glad you all love the DIY matching game so much! Hope you all have fun making your own. 🙂
Nancy
Brilliant idea!!! I can’t wait to do this! =)
Simple, creative and inexpensive ideas are always what I’m looking for 😉
Setjay
Awesome 😉
I would have laminate it though… Messy kids lol
The Messy Mama
Just stumbled on your page and I feel like a kid in a candy store with all of these new things to do with my boys! Love it all <3
happyhooligans
Welcome, Messy Mama! That’s one of the best compliments I’ve ever received! x
Danee'
My little one loved this game! Thank you for the idea!
happyhooligans
You’re welcome! So glad you guys had fun with it!
Bek @ Justfordaisy
Love this idea! I saw something similar on Paint On The Ceiling once and she shaded their colours too I think? Thanks for sharing! 🙂 I’ve pinned it!
Faith
This is brilliant. I love it. Thank you for sharing it!
Anna
Thanks for coming over to my site to see what we did! And thanks for sharing this easy, effective idea. 🙂
abshoes
Brilliant idea!!! I can’t wait to do this! =)
Simple, creative and inexpensive ideas are always what I’m looking for
abshoes
Brilliant idea!!! I can’t wait to do this!
Simple, creative and inexpensive ideas are always what I’m looking for
Lesley
Hi Jackie, Happy New Year to you… so great to get a new idea to try with the kids, at playgroup, that any mother can make. We will be including you in our list of top early childhood sites. Thanks.
PrimaryLearning.org
Great idea! Easy to implement and very beneficial for kids.
happyhooligans
I love how you made yours a “theme” puzzle!