Fishing and flash card games help train memory

Having a good memory is important because it enables one to remember what is learnt and how to apply it practically. Children learn fast and to make them remember better, we need to associate what they learn with activities in their daily lives. Games are the best way to help children relax while learning.

A few memory games that I play with my son include:

1) Fishing card game
First, I show my son that the cards come in pairs. Then, we put all the cards on their back and shuffle them thoroughly. After that, we lay the cards neatly in rows. Each person takes a turn to flip over two cards at a time. If the cards that are turned have the same pictures, he/she can have both the cards. Otherwise, he/she has to put the cards back in their original places. Then the next person will flip over two cards. This goes on until all the cards are taken up. The winner will be the one with the most pairs of cards. Besides helping my son to recognise the pictures in the cards, this game also helps to train his memory on the location of the cards.

2) Flashing cards game
This game requires my son to remember a sequence of four cards in a row. First, I show him a sequence. For example, durian comes first, then watermelon, apple and orange. He needs to look at that sequence for 15 seconds. Then, I cover up the cards. He will use another set of cards and arrange the fruits in the order that he had seen.

3) Snake words
This game is easy and can be played anywhere, especially when travelling in a car. The first player will start the game by saying, “I am going on vacation and I’ll bring a toothbrush.” The second player has to remember what was said and add in another noun – for example, “I am going on vacation and I’ll bring a toothbrush and a comb.” This goes on and on until one player forgets and makes a mistake.

4) Letter blocks
This game trains my son to remember the spelling of simple words. First, I form a three-letter word with the blocks, for example, b-a-t. Then, I let him read it twice before mixing up the letters. He would have to put the blocks in the right order to form the word “bat” again.

Alice Tong