Hellobee

When I was little I loved playing Memory. Now I’m not quite as good at it as I used to be, which probably means that I need to play more. Children have minds that seems to do much better at this than adults, so if you make this game, be prepared to lose to your kid!

In addition to this being a game that’s good for building memory skills, it’s also a great sensory experience because it has some nice texture to it. If you’re making it for younger children, you probably want to choose fabrics that look very different from each other. However, if it’s for older preschoolers, select fabrics that look a bit more alike for a challenge.

Similarly, you can alter the skill level by making more or less pairs. As long as you have two of each fabric, you’ll have a matching game that is sure to please!

You will need:

Fabric scraps –at least 8 different fabrics
Cork discs (1/4 thick and 1-1/2 diameter are shown) – at least 16
Craft glue
Scissors
Wax paper

Note: I like the cork circles because they add another sensory aspect, but you can substitute wooden or cardboard discs.

Apply a thin layer of glue to one side of a cork disc. You don’t want it to be too thick, but you do want it to cover the entire surface of the disc.

Press the disc face down onto the back of the fabric. The glue will soak through the fabric a bit, so don’t leave this setting on anything paper, or your nice counters or coffee table! In fact, you might want to lay down some wax paper to protect the surface.

Repeat this step for each of the discs, placing two discs on the back of each fabric. Smooth the fabric, and let them dry fabric side up.

If you are using fabrics that have large prints, or areas that look very different from each other, be sure to pay attention to where you’re placing the disc. This will make it easier for young children to spot the matches.

For example, one of my fabrics has wide stripes. If I had placed the discs on a different colored stripe, it might have been difficult to see that it was from the same fabric.

Give the discs plenty of time to dry (I left mine overnight), then trim away the extra fabric from around each disc.

Get ready to play Fabric Pattern Matching! Layout a grid of the discs, and take turns flipping two over to see if they are a match.

When all of the matches have been made, mix them up and start again!

These also make a great gift. Place them in a little muslin or burlap drawstring bag, add a tag, and you’re good to go!

Want to add more texture? Choose fabrics that have different feelings to them. I used all quilting cotton, but there’s no reason you couldn’t use scraps of knit, satin, linen, burlap, or even corduroy! Fabrics of different thickness will make the matches easier to spot when they’re face down, but sometimes it’s more important to have a sensory experience.

Happy matching and crafting!