Giant Color Memory on the Playground

Pairs of colored cards are spread face down across the playground, each covered with a paper plate; children run out in twos to uncover them and find matching pairs as a whole class. They practice visual memory, color matching and taking turns.

How to play

1. The teacher places pairs of colored cards on the ground, each covered with a paper plate, and we sit in a line (1 min).
2. We learn the game: a child runs out, lifts a plate, looks at the color, lifts another, and if they match we bring them back; if not, they cover them again (2 min).
3. We go two at a time, one pair after another: each pair of children uncovers two plates and everyone in line watches to remember where each color is (6 min).
4. When a matching pair turns up, the two children run it back to the line and we all cheer (4 min).
5. At the end, we lay the cards we found in a rainbow on the ground (2 min).

Rules

• Only lift two plates at a time.
• From the line, watch and give hints.
• Put the plates back the way they were.

Variations

Adaptations

• Child who uses a wheelchair: plates are on flat, accessible ground and they can lift them with a long grabber.
• Child with low vision: each pair of cards has its own texture.
• Child who finds waiting hard: is in charge of holding the found pairs at the line.

Learning goals

• Remember where a color was seen.
• Match identical colors.
• Wait for a turn and cheer others on.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cartulinas de colores: 16
• platos de cartón: 16

Teacher tip

Weigh the plates down or tape them if it's windy. Sending kids out in twos keeps waits short; with a big group, set up two boards.

More main activities for Elementary