How do I prepare and use Christmas matching cards?

What's in the Christmas pair list?

These are partner pairs, not two identical pictures. Each card matches one related card. For example, Santa goes with his sleigh, a snowman goes with his carrot nose, milk goes with cookies for Santa, and the star goes with the treetop. The pairs come from four groups: characters, things around the house, kitchen treats and winter weather.

The list has 29 pairs, which makes 58 separate cards if you use every one. You can pick fewer for a shorter game. Choose pairs your guests will recognize, and explain any unfamiliar names before you start. Because the partners aren't identical, show players which cards go together before you shuffle.

How to make the cards

Make two cards for each pair, with one partner on each card. For Santa and his sleigh, that means one Santa card and a separate sleigh card. Never put both partners on the same card. Printed words alone need a reader's help, so add drawings if non-readers will play.

You can draw and cut the cards ahead of time rather than during the party. Some hosts make the cards earlier in the week, sort the starter set the night before and lay out the table before guests arrive.

• Print the pair list, choose 6, 12, 26 or all 29 pairs, and keep the list as your answer key.
• Mark equal squares on card stock. One option is 6-by-6-centimeter cards on 200 gsm stock. If you print onto card stock, check that your printer can take it. How many sheets you need depends on your paper and layout.
• Write one partner name on each card and add a simple drawing if needed.
• Cut out the squares. To round the corners, trim about 5 millimeters off each one. There's no cutting template, so this is done by hand.
• Check that every card has its partner and that all the backs look the same. If you can see the front through the card, back it with something you can't see through. Stamping the same design on every back helps you recognize your set, but it won't stop thin paper showing through.
• Bag the starter pairs and store the rest in a labeled envelope. If you're running more than one table, make a separate set for each game.

How to play Christmas memory

Shuffle complete pairs and lay them face down. Let the youngest player go first, then take turns clockwise.

Wait until both cards are face up before offering help. Agree beforehand whether players can suggest a match. For a cooperative round, everyone helps collect the whole set instead of keeping individual scores.

• Turn over exactly two cards so everyone can see them. Name both cards, or have a reader help.
• If they're partners, keep the pair and take another turn. Santa and his sleigh count as a match. Santa and a snowman don't.
• If they don't match, turn both face down in the same spots and pass the turn to the next player.
• The game ends when the last pair is collected. Count pairs; whoever has the most wins. Tied players can share the win.

How to adjust the game for different ages

The age ranges below are suggestions. Adjust them to suit the children you have.

If fewer pairs or face-up cards still don't suit your youngest guests, a different game may work better. Christmas party games for families lets you compare options by age and space before picking what to play first.

With mixed ages, a younger child and a reader can share turns as one team. To make a shorter rematch, take out complete pairs before you reshuffle, for example four pairs. Never remove just one card of a pair.

How to run three matching games for a class or party

This example is for 24 players in total, counting every child who will play, including the birthday child or host's children if they join in. Split them into three groups of eight, with a separate set at each table. A party of 12 can use three groups of four. Have a helper explain each table, and keep an adult with the youngest group. If you can't staff three tables, play one game together instead.

Before choosing three tables, agree which adult covers each table and who stays with the youngest group. Our guide on how adults share supervision starts by counting every child in the house, including the birthday child and siblings.

Memory: use the rules above. Eight players can pair up into four buddy teams so they wait through fewer turns. When time is up, count collected pairs even if cards are left, then reset the grid.

Set the buddy pairs before the round starts so nobody is chosen in front of the group. For example, put two slips each numbered 1 to 4 in a bowl, and guests who draw the same number play as buddies. The guide on how to choose teams without hurt feelings covers other ways to divide guests, including private lists that spread ages across teams.

Speed match: give each team 8 complete pairs (16 cards), shuffled face up. For eight players, make two teams of four, each with its own set. On go, each team sorts its cards into pairs. The first team to get all eight pairs right, checked against the answer key, wins. For a gentler version, sort together without racing.

Ask a neighbor: for eight players, use 12 pairs (24 cards) and deal three cards each. Players keep their hands hidden, but a buddy can help with names. Players first put down any pairs they already hold. Take turns clockwise. On your turn, ask one player for the partner of a card you're holding, such as 'Do you have Santa's sleigh?' If they have it, they hand it over and you put the pair down. If they don't, keep your cards. Either way, the turn passes to the next player clockwise, and there's no draw pile. Players whose hands are empty sit out while the others carry on. The game ends when every pair is down or time runs out; count completed pairs and share tied wins. For four players, use 6 pairs and deal three cards each.

Worked example of cards for eight players per table: memory with 12 pairs (24 cards), speed match with two sets of 8 pairs (32 cards) and ask a neighbor with 12 pairs (24 cards). That's 80 cards in total. Each table needs its own physical cards, even if the same pair ideas appear at more than one table.

Common problems and how to end the game

If waiting is the problem, use buddy teams or fewer pairs. If finding partners is too hard, play face up. If a child gets upset about winning or losing, switch to collecting the pairs together. If you can see a card's front through the back, add a backing you can't see through before the next game.

Switching to collecting pairs together changes the game, but it may not settle a child who is still upset. Keep any talk about losing short and private. Our guide on handling a child upset about losing suggests leaving a longer talk to the parent.

To finish, count pairs, share any tied wins and bag each set. If two players tie, they can try an optional extra activity: stand the collected cards up and see who can build the tallest tower. That tests balance, not memory.

Checklist before guests arrive

• Pair list printed to use as the answer key
• Pairs chosen, with two cards made for each pair
• Drawings added for children who can't read
• All backs look the same and you can't see the fronts through them
• A separate set for each table or game
• Helpers have seen one sample turn
• Younger children's cards set out face up

Sources and further reading

• Christmas matching cards

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