Do you know when you find the perfect gift? You can’t wait to watch the receiver open it. You know that it’s one of those gifts that simply can not miss. It is a complete surprise, one of those gifts that the person never would have thought to want, but that they will truly love. I gave one of those to my nephew over the holidays.
It was a Memory Game. Simple, right? The twist was that I made it. Here’s how it worked:
- I ordered double copies of some fun family photos. The pictures don’t have to be perfect. I go for the sentiment behind the snap. If I had the picture at the top of this post prior to Christmas I absolutely would have used it. Maybe next year. In case you’re wondering it’s my Lucy with her new Cabbage Patch dolls and her Dora underwear. Her eyes are a little closed and there’s a bunch of junk in the background, but it’s the type of picture that’s perfect for this game. It’s a fun memory.
- My original plan was to cut the photos down to a traditional memory size card. I decided to leave them alone as 4×6 prints because:
- a. It was so complicated to think about sizing the photos.
b. This was a game for a two and a half year old, bigger was better.
c. I would not only have to cut the photos down to size, but also custom cut cards to mount the photos on. - I went to Staples and bought colorful 4×6 index cards. I glued the photos onto the lined side of the index card.
- Next I decorated the plain side of the card with stickers. This little guy is a huge sports fan, so the cards were peppered with baseballs, golf clubs, basketballs, soccer balls, hockey pucks, etc.
- Laminate the cards (I skipped this step because I ran out of time… but I really wish I had done it).
So simple, so inexpensive, so many hours of fun! You can get really creative with the photos and include favorite toys, favorite places, even favorite foods. Older kids would still enjoy it (my 7 year old loved it) and you can add more photos and make it more complicated. It’s also a great way to talk about relatives who live far away. I am thinking of making another version for my niece and nephew that live on the west coast. We have 22 cousins, so it could be a really big game, perfect for older kids.
It is a game kids will really connect with.
[tags]activities, arts and crafts, craft, homemade game, gifts, personal gift, holidays, parenting, memory game[/tags]
6 responses so far ↓
Amy Secord // Jan 21, 2007 at 12:06 pm
This is the perfect game. My son, Megin’s nephew, loves the game. The photos are fun and big which Wilson really likes. I also really enjoy the homemade games. I think they are more fun. Thanks again Auntie!!
Barb // Jan 21, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Megin,
What a great idea! A Memories Memory Game! Did you come up with this yourself? I’m sharing it with my friends right now.
A.L. Hatch // Jan 21, 2007 at 7:14 pm
I love this. We have five grandparents (don’t ask), many step-uncles and aunts, and cousins we don’t regularly see. I think we’ll do this when my sister comes out to visit us here. Thanks Meg!
Megin Hatch // Jan 22, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Thanks! I had some inspiration- Clay goes to preschool for 2 mornings a week and early in the year the kids took turns bringing a teacher made memory game home. She glued head shots to regular memory game pieces. It was a great way for the whole family to get to know the names and faces of his 7 classmates.
It’s also a good way to help a kid that might have some transition issues. If s/he is starting school for example, you could make arrangements to go in ahead of time and take photos of the environment (the teacher, water fountain, book nook, playground, coat hooks, art area, etc) and use the games as a means of introduction to ease the anxiety.
Stu Mark // Jan 23, 2007 at 12:51 am
An astonishingly cool idea! And not just for little ones either. I could see this as a fun parlor game for our entire family.
mrszigzagman // Jan 24, 2007 at 2:10 am
way cool! kudos!
Leave a Comment