This printable U.S. presidents memory game is a fun way to teach kids fun facts about some of America’s most famous presidents.
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Did you know that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day? Even more amazing: that date was the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence–July 4, 1826.
Crazy, right?
That’s one of the fun facts that you and your kids will learn in this US presidents memory game.
With the inauguration of a new president and President’s Day coming up soon, it’s a great time to learn about the current and past leaders of our country. To make it more fun and engaging for my kids, I made a game out of it!
Note: This game does NOT include all of the 46 presidents…I figured that 92 cards would be a bit much for one game.
Instead, I chose to include just twelve of the most influential and well-known of the presidents that have led our country. You may disagree with me about which twelve should have been included; and I’m not claiming these twelve were necessarily the best presidents.
My goal was simply to give my children (and yours) a basic introduction to some of the important men in our nation’s history.
Let this be a starting place to pique your kids’ interest, to inspire questions, and to springboard into more learning and discussion about the leaders of our country and the impact one person can have on the world.
Enjoy!
U.S. president memory game
About the cards:
The game includes two different, but complementary sets of cards:
“Fun Fact” cards: One set of cards has each president’s name, his picture, and a fun fact about the president.
Numbered cards: The other set of cards has the same picture, as well as which number president he was and the years he was in office.
Having two different sets allow more variety in how you play and learn with the cards. (For more ideas of how to use these cards, see the suggestions below the memory game instructions.)
Ready to play?
How to play:
- Print the U.S. presidents memory game on cardstock, and cut out the cards. Make sure you use thick, quality cardstock, otherwise you’ll be able to see the images through the paper when they’re face down…which kinda ruins the game. Tip: If you want the cards to last longer, I recommend laminating them.
- Shuffle the cards and lay them face down in a grid.
- During the game, players take turns turning over two cards and reading the information on them. If the two cards match, the player keeps the cards. If not, flip the cards back over (face down) and the next player gets to try.
- Continue play until all matches have been uncovered and claimed. The player with the most matches wins!
More ways to play & learn:
Simplified match (for young players)
For young players, you can make the game easier with a few adjustments:
- Separate out just 6-8 matches from the game and separate the deck so that you have the “picture/date” cards face UP on the table.
- Now, shuffle the other half of each match (the “fun fact” cards) and place them in a stack face DOWN.
- Have your child flip over a card from the stack, and find its match from the face up cards on the table. Read the “fun fact” together.
- Continue this until your child found all the matches.
Related: Simplified matching game for toddlers
Guess Who?
One person takes the “fun fact” cards and shuffles them. Then he/she chooses a card and reads the fun fact to the rest of the group. Players try to name the president on the card. The first player to correctly do so claims the card.
If players need a little help, you can spread out the other set of cards on the table so they can see the pictures of the presidents.
U.S. President Scavenger Hunt
Hide one set of the president cards around your house and encourage your child to find each president. If you want, you can lay out the numbered set of cards in order and have them match the cards and put them in order as they find them. Be sure to read the fun facts about each president, too!
Flyswatter Game
Use painter’s tape to affix one set of president cards the wall (I recommend using the “numbered” cards). Give your child a fly swatter and tell them to smack each president as you call out clues for him. If you have multiple children (of similar ability), you can have two kids race to see who can swat the correct president first.
For example: You might say something like, “This president was the 16th president of the United States. He was very tall, and signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” Hopefully, your child would correctly “swat” Abraham Lincoln and call out his name.
There you have it!
Five different ways to play together and learn about the presidents of the United States.
Let the games begin!
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