Looking for a sweet twist on classic memory games that combines learning with holiday fun? These Christmas memory games use festive elements like jingle bells, candy, and ornaments to create engaging activities that kids will beg to play again and again.
1. Hershey Kisses Letter Memory
Turn chocolate kisses into a delicious learning game that teaches letter recognition while keeping kids entertained through multiple rounds of matching fun.
Supplies Needed: 12-16 Hershey kisses, dot stickers (garage sale labels work perfectly), and a black sharpie marker.
Setup: Write matching letters on pairs of dot stickers using one color per letter pair, then stick them on the bottom of each Hershey kiss.
How to Play: Arrange the kisses in a grid pattern on a table with letters facing down. Players take turns flipping two kisses to find matching letters. When a match is found, that player keeps the pair and takes another turn. Continue until all pairs are matched, and the player with the most pairs wins. The chocolate reward at the end makes this game extra motivating for young learners.
Pro Tip: Start with 6-8 pairs for preschoolers learning letter recognition, then increase difficulty with uppercase/lowercase matching or sight words for older children.
Variation: Use numbers, shapes, or simple math problems (like “2+2” matching with “4”) to adapt the game for different learning objectives.
2. Jingle Bell Sound Memory
This auditory twist on memory games develops listening skills while adding a musical element that captures attention during holiday gatherings.
Supplies Needed: 12-16 small plastic ornaments or opaque containers, jingle bells in different sizes, rice, coins, and small pebbles for varied sounds.
Setup: Fill pairs of containers with identical items (two with large bells, two with rice, etc.), ensuring each pair creates the same distinctive sound when shaken.
How to Play: Scatter the sealed containers face-down or mixed up on a table. Players shake two containers at a time, listening carefully to match pairs by sound alone. Matched pairs are removed from play, and players continue taking turns until all pairs are found. This game works wonderfully for mixed-age groups since younger children often excel at sound discrimination.
Variation: Create difficulty levels by using similar-sounding materials for advanced players or very distinct sounds for beginners.
3. Christmas Ornament Picture Memory
Beautiful holiday ornaments become game pieces in this visually stunning memory challenge that doubles as festive table décor.
Supplies Needed: 12-20 flat, plain ornaments (wood or plastic work best), holiday stickers or printed images, and clear adhesive or mod podge.
Setup: Attach matching holiday images (Santa, snowmen, candy canes, reindeer) to pairs of ornaments, creating 6-10 matching sets depending on player age and skill level.
How to Play: Lay ornaments face-down in rows on a table or floor space. Players flip two ornaments per turn, trying to remember locations of previously revealed images to make matches. Successfully matched pairs are kept by that player, while unmatched ornaments are returned face-down to their original positions. The tactile experience of handling ornaments adds a sensory dimension that paper cards can’t match, making this especially engaging for kinesthetic learners.
Pro Tip: Use this as an opportunity to discuss Christmas traditions from different cultures by including diverse holiday symbols in your image choices.
4. Candy Cane Pattern Memory
This game challenges players to recreate striped patterns from memory, combining visual recall with fine motor skill development.
Supplies Needed: Red and white craft foam or construction paper cut into rectangles, or actual mini candy canes in clear containers with different stripe patterns created using tape.
Setup: Create 8-12 “candy canes” with varying red and white stripe patterns (alternating stripes, double red, thick white, etc.), making two identical cards for each pattern.
How to Play: Display all pattern cards face-down in a grid formation. Players turn over two cards per turn, studying the stripe patterns carefully to find exact matches. The pattern complexity makes this more challenging than simple picture matching, engaging older children and adults. Matched pairs are collected, and play continues until all patterns have been successfully paired. This game naturally introduces early pattern recognition skills that support math readiness.
Variation: Increase difficulty by using three colors or more complex stripe sequences for competitive family game nights.
5. Santa’s Boot Memory Match
This tactile memory game uses felt or fabric boots filled with different objects, challenging players to match pairs through touch alone for a unique sensory experience.
Supplies Needed: 10-12 small fabric pouches or felt boot cutouts sewn into pouches, and various small items like buttons, cotton balls, bells, beads, and pompoms.
Setup: Fill pairs of pouches with identical items, ensuring each pair feels distinctly different from others when squeezed or touched gently.
How to Play: Arrange pouches randomly on a playing surface. Players select two pouches per turn, feeling the contents through the fabric without looking inside. When a match is identified by touch, the player keeps that pair and continues their turn. Unmatched pouches return to the playing area. This blindfold-friendly game develops tactile discrimination skills while creating suspense as players concentrate on subtle differences in texture, weight, and shape.
Pro Tip: For younger children, use items with very obvious differences like jingle bells versus cotton balls before progressing to more challenging pairs.
Variation: Play blindfolded for an extra challenge at adult holiday parties, turning it into a hilarious icebreaker activity.
6. Snowflake Symmetry Memory
Paper snowflakes become educational game pieces that teach symmetry concepts while providing a classic memory matching challenge perfect for winter learning.
Supplies Needed: White paper or cardstock, scissors, blue cardstock for backing, and glue stick.
Setup: Create 8-10 unique paper snowflakes by folding and cutting paper into different symmetrical designs, then make an exact duplicate of each and mount all snowflakes on blue backing cards.
How to Play: Place all snowflake cards face-down in a grid arrangement. Players take turns flipping two cards, examining the intricate cut patterns to find matching snowflake designs. The detailed patterns require careful observation, making this game more cognitively demanding than simple picture matching. Successfully matched pairs are removed from play, and the player with the most pairs at game’s end wins. This activity beautifully combines art, geometry, and memory skills in one engaging package.
Variation: Have players create their own snowflake pairs before playing, adding a creative element that increases investment in the game.
7. Reindeer Antler Memory
This active movement-based memory game gets kids up and moving while developing both physical coordination and mental recall skills.
Supplies Needed: Brown construction paper or felt to create antler headbands, markers or stickers for decorating, and small bells or pompoms for variation markers.
Setup: Create 6-8 different antler headband designs with unique decorations (different bell placements, varied antler shapes, distinctive pompom arrangements), making two identical headbands for each design.
How to Play: Lay all headbands face-down or in a pile. Players draw two headbands, wearing them briefly to compare designs before deciding if they match. Matched pairs earn a point, while unmatched headbands return to the pile after everyone sees the designs. The physical comedy of trying on different antlers keeps energy high and engagement strong, especially with younger players who struggle sitting still for traditional memory games. Players rotate through turns until all matches are found.
Pro Tip: Take photos of players in their funniest antler combinations for holiday cards or social media memories.
8. Christmas Light Bulb Memory
Colorful light bulb cards create a vibrant memory game that teaches color recognition and sequencing while celebrating the twinkling magic of holiday decorations.
Supplies Needed: Cardstock in multiple colors, light bulb template (or draw simple bulb shapes), scissors, and markers for adding details like filaments.
Setup: Cut 16-20 light bulb shapes from cardstock, creating matching pairs in colors like red, green, blue, yellow, orange, and purple, then add identical details to each pair.
How to Play: Arrange light bulb cards face-down in rows resembling a string of lights. Players flip two cards per turn, searching for color and detail matches. The simple bulb shape makes matches easy for toddlers focusing solely on color, while added decorative elements increase difficulty for older children. Collect matched pairs and continue until the entire “string” has been sorted. This game works exceptionally well for teaching color names to preschoolers since the repetitive flipping reinforces vocabulary naturally.
Variation: Create pattern sequences where players must match three bulbs in a row (red-green-red) instead of simple pairs for advanced players.
9. Gingerbread Emotion Memory
Gingerbread characters displaying different emotions combine social-emotional learning with memory practice, helping children identify and discuss feelings during gameplay.
Supplies Needed: Brown cardstock or pre-cut gingerbread shapes, markers for drawing faces, optional buttons and ribbons for decorating, and clear contact paper for durability.
Setup: Create pairs of gingerbread figures showing matching emotions (happy, sad, surprised, silly, angry, excited), ensuring facial expressions are clear and age-appropriate.
How to Play: Place gingerbread cards face-down in a grid. Players turn over two cards per turn, naming the emotion shown on each card before determining if they match. This verbal component encourages emotional vocabulary development while the memory aspect keeps the game structure familiar. When matches are found, players can briefly discuss what might make someone feel that way, adding depth to simple gameplay. The combination of cognitive and emotional learning makes this particularly valuable for preschool and early elementary settings.
Pro Tip: Use this game as a conversation starter about holiday stress or excitement, validating children’s feelings during the busy season.
Variation: Include emotion cards showing holiday-specific scenarios like “excited about presents” or “nervous about meeting Santa.”
10. Stocking Stuffers Memory Hunt
This supersized memory game transforms a room into a playing field where stockings hide matching small toys, combining physical activity with memory skills for high-energy players.
Supplies Needed: 10-12 small stockings or fabric bags, pairs of small identical toys or objects (mini cars, bouncy balls, small figurines), and numbered tags for organization.
Setup: Place one item from each matching pair into separate stockings, then hang or position stockings around a room at child-accessible heights.
How to Play: Players choose two stockings per turn, reaching inside to feel or pull out the object without showing others. If objects match, the player keeps both items and earns a point. Unmatched items return to their stockings, and play moves to the next person. The physical movement between stockings burns energy while the memory component keeps minds engaged, making this ideal for afternoon holiday parties when kids need active entertainment. The treasure-hunt aspect creates excitement that sustains attention across multiple rounds.
Variation: Add a timer for speed rounds where players race to find the most matches in two minutes, perfect for competitive older children.
Conclusion
These Christmas memory games transform simple matching activities into festive learning experiences that children genuinely enjoy. Whether you’re teaching letters with chocolate kisses, developing listening skills with jingle bells, or encouraging emotional awareness through gingerbread faces, each game offers educational value wrapped in holiday fun. Start with age-appropriate options, gather your supplies, and watch as kids eagerly request “just one more round” of these engaging seasonal activities.