How to Make Your Own Flash Cards & Memory Games
One excellent tool for improving the memory of a child or adult is by using flash cards and memory games. Constant repetition will aid memory, whether it's a child learning to recognize names of colors and the letters of the alphabet or an adult trying to study for a certification or learn new job procedures.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Computer with word processing program
- Printer
- Index cards
- Marker (coin, button, etc.)
Instructions
-
Flash Cards
-
1
Open a new document on your word processing program. Set the margins so that the size of the document matches a three-inch by five-inch or four-inch by six-inch index card.
-
2
Set the justification of the text for "center." Adjust the font and font size, if desired.
-
-
3
Type out whatever you wish to be displayed on the front of your flash card. For example, you might print the numeral "1" for number flash cards, the word "cat" for beginning readers, a complex math equation, or foreign words and phrase. Alternately, you may copy and paste a diagram, illustration or clip art image.
-
4
Put an index card of the correct size in your printer and print out the card.
-
5
Create double-sided flash cards by printing something on the back of your card, such as a definition, description, picture or further information. Turn your printed index card over and re-insert it into your printer to print something on the back, if desired.
Memory Game: Matching
-
6
Turn your single-sided flash cards into a memory game. Shuffle the cards without looking at them and lay them all face-down on a table. Spread them out so that they are not overlapping.
-
7
Choose one card. Try to find its match. For example, a child may choose the numeral "2" and then have to find the word "two" to match, or find a card with two apples on it. You might flip over a word or phrase in one language, and have to find its translation in another language.
-
8
If you find a match, you get to keep both cards. If you don't find a match, you have to turn them back over again and try to make a match next time. Eventually, by being exposed over and over to the information on the cards as you play the game, your recall of the information printed on the cards will improve.
Memory Game: Full Recall
-
9
Play this game with your double-sided flash cards. You can play this by yourself or with friends.
-
10
Lay the cards out on the table. Face the front of the cards up the same way. For example, if the players are studying vocabulary, you may wish to face the word side up of all the cards, or the definition side up of all the cards.
-
11
Have the first player flip a marker, such as coin, checker or piece of cardboard in the air over the cards.
-
12
The first player must recall what is on the opposite side of the flash card that the marker is touching. If studying vocabulary, the player may have to give the definition of the word shown on the card the marker landed on.
-
13
Check the back of the card to see if the definition was given correctly. If so, the player scores a point and gets to keep the card. If not, the card gets turned back over until another marker lands on it.
-
14
Continue playing until all of the cards are gone. You may wish to flip the cards over and play again, this time with the definitions up and the words down.
-
1
