Matching Games

Matching Games

18 April 2022

At Nurtured at Home, we provide Educators with a free resource each month. This month, our Educators are receiving a double set of laminated cards, with real-life pictures of familiar vegetables, which can be used in a variety of ways.

Using these cards, tamariki can learn about and become familiar with healthy food. Alongside their Educator, they can play a matching game or ‘snap’. Also, Educators might visit the local supermarket, fruit and vegetable store, garden centre, or outdoor community garden and go on a on a treasure hunt to find all the food on the cards.

Here’s a few of benefits, skills and learning outcomes that tamariki may gain from playing matching card games:

  • improve concentration.
  • train visual memory.
  • increase short term memory.
  • increase attention to detail.
  • improve the ability to find similarities and differences in objects.
  • help to classify objects that are grouped by similar traits.
  • improve vocabulary.

Learning outcomes from Te Whāriki:

  • Recognising print symbols and concepts and using them with enjoyment, meaning and purpose – he kōrero tuhituhi.
  • Using a range of strategies for reasoning and problem solving – te hīraurau hopanga
  • Understanding oral language and using it for a range of purposes – he kōrero ā-waha
  • Recognising and appreciating their own ability to learn – te rangatiratanga
  • Making connections between people, places and things in their word – te waihanga hononga

Of course, it is always fascinating to see how the children interpret the cards, what conversations they may share with us, and how they will decide to use their cards as they take responsibility for their own learning. They often show us their creativity when engaging with new resources and in particular, the natural world around them.