Matchy Matchy

Most of my posts are about things I currently am up to my elbows in.  Today though, I wanted to show you a game I made for my little girl last Christmas.  Maybe it’s because I’ve started to put this years Christmas project list together…but I started thinking about this little wonder and wanted to share it with you.  (By the way…I don’t like the big boxes to have Christmas ready this early…but the studio needs to be cranking out projects pretty early if Momma is going to stay sane!!!) 

We love to play games around here.  There are so many wonderful games that teach important skills while still being full of silly fun.  As you might recall from here…we especially enjoy HABA games.  Around last fall we started playing memory quite often with a little cousin.  I think it was around the hundredth game that I thought of making this:

I cut lattice board to length and attached scrapbooking paper with mod-podge.  Then gave it two good coats of child safe varnish knowing that my little man would definitely put a few of the pieces in his mouth over time! 

I sewed a simple drawstring bag to house the game.  I made french seams and top stitched everything…which are fun details, and also help to improve quality.  After-all…the main user of this bag is only 3!!!

As you can see…even though the patterns of the paper match, the matching squares are not identical.  I think this adds another important dimension to the game, by requiring the player to match color schemes, and predict the continuation of  a pattern.

Regardless of any scientific or developmental benefit (which are very important…and we don’t belittle) we love the game because “momma made it!”, and play it a lot just because its fun!!  Oh…and extra “points” are always awarded to whoever discovers the matching flower squares.  I wonder which squares my little boy will deem most important!!