Oceans Memory Match + Snap Game
£14.95
Parent guide · Games
Best educational games for children, by age
The short answer
The best educational games are short, simple and played together. Pick one that matches what your child is learning now: naming and matching for toddlers, memory and snap from 3, sounds and numbers in Reception, and times tables from Year 2.
Five minutes is plenty, and they'll often ask to play again.
Start here
What makes a good learning game?
The best learning games for children are quick to set up, easy to win at first, and have the learning built in.
Short and simple
A game that takes five minutes gets played every day. One that needs half an hour of setting up stays in the box.
Played together
Children learn most from playing with you: taking turns, chatting and cheering when they win.
The right level
Mostly easy, with a little that's new. Getting most of it right keeps them keen to play again.
Learning built in
Naming a card, matching a pair or counting the dots is practice without it feeling like practice.
By age
Best educational games by age
Every child moves at their own pace, so go by what they enjoy now rather than their age.
Best educational games for 2 and 3 year olds
Naming, sorting and first matching games.
- What's that sound? Hold up an animal and make its noise together.
- Where's the baby? Match each farm animal to its baby, from our On the Farm pack.
- Colour sort. Make a pile for each colour, then line them up from red to purple.
More ideas in our flashcards for toddlers guide.
Best learning games for 4 year olds
Memory games, snap, and first sounds and numbers.
- Memory match. Six to eight pairs face down, taking turns.
- Snap. A quick game of looking and reacting, with a pack they love.
- Sound hunt. Put down a few letter cards and find something in the house that starts with each sound.
- Number thief. Lay out 1 to 10, hide one, and see if they can spot which has gone.
See phonics at home and teaching numbers for more.
Educational games for 5 to 7 year olds
Word games, quick-fire maths and trickier memory games.
- Tricky words slam. Stick the cards on a wall, call out a word and see how fast they can slam it.
- Make 10. Find two number cards that make 10, then count the dots to check.
- Skip counting race. Count in 2s, 5s or 10s together, then mix up the cards.
- Memory with a twist. Name a fact about each card before you keep the pair.
See tricky words and times tables for more.
At home
Nursery games to play at home
Simple games nurseries use every day, that work just as well at the kitchen table.
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2 minutes
I spy with sounds
"I spy something beginning with sss." No cards needed.
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2 minutes
Copy the noise
Make an animal noise and let them find the card that goes with it.
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3 minutes
Find the pair
Three pairs face up, then one pair face down. Can they remember?
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3 minutes
Count it out
Put a toy on each dot of a number card and count as you go.
Our games
Our educational games
Every pack comes with game ideas.
On the Farm - Colour & Farm Animal Flashcards
£17.95
- 18 animals and 9 colours, with the sounds they make.
- A first memory game, "Where's the baby?".
Questions
Educational games: your questions
What are the best educational games for 3 year olds?
Matching and memory games with a few pairs, naming games with animal cards, and simple colour sorting. Our Memory Match + Snap games are for children from 3.
What are the best learning games for 4 year olds?
Memory match and snap, plus first sounds and numbers games like a sound hunt or number thief. They're quick, and easy to make harder as your child grows.
How long should a learning game last?
About five minutes. Stop while they're still enjoying it, and they'll want to play again tomorrow.
Do you sell memory games?
Yes. Our Memory Match + Snap games come in four themes: dinosaurs, oceans, space and yoga.