Play a Pocket Matching Game

Help your child enhance her visual recognition skills with a fun matching game. You'll seal small, household items in small, clear pockets, and she'll match her set of items with the ones in the pockets. This game is a fun twist on the typical matching game, and you can make multiple sets to keep her entertained for hours.

What You Need:

• Clear, plastic business card files (Samsill is a good brand) from a business supply store
• Clear tape
• Items to fill the pockets such as small toys, different colored ribbons or lace, office supply items, or other small household items.

What You Do:

1. Prepare the pockets. Pick a theme for each page you make. You can fill one page just with different colored ribbons, while another has paper clips of different sizes and colors. Make sure you have enough items to have two identical sets, one in the pockets and one out.
2. Once the pockets are filled, tape the pockets closed and assemble the matching set, making sure that each item has a pair.
3. Mix up the matching set, and encourage your child to pair off each item. For the younger learner, you can use a limited amount of items, but for an older child, you can mix a few sets together and have her sort everything out.

When she's done playing with them, you can store the pockets and their matching sets together in large, clear, plastic self-closing bags. Don't forget to pull them out next time she wants to play a matching game!