What You Will Need

Scissors

Blue and White Construction Paper

Snowflake Templates

Glue

Printer

How To Make The Game

Note: This should be made in advance since preparing this game can be somewhat time consuming.

1. Start by selecting at least 10 different snowflake templates or create your own snowflake shapes. Your will need 2 snowflake shapes of each kind. Cut out all of your snowflakes using the white construction paper.

2. Next, you will need to cut squared shapes using the blue construction paper (these will need to be slightly larger than the size you choose for your snowflakes).

3. Once you have all of your snowflakes cut out, glue the snowflakes onto the pre-cut blue, squared construction paper.

4. To ensure your game pieces durability, laminate them using the clear contact paper. Simply peel of the sheets and apply them to both sides of your game pieces.

How To Play

1. Randomly spread the game pieces out onto a flat surface with the snowflakes facing down.

2. Start the game by having your preschooler pick one of the game cards and carefully looking at the shape of it.

3. Next encourage your preschooler to choose two possible matching snowflakes. This is an excellent opportunity to talk about the likenesses of each snowflake, point out how the matching snowflakes are the same.

4. Encourage your preschooler to remember where the snowflakes are when he/she replaces a snowflake into play.

5. Continue playing until all of the snowflakes are a matching set.

Note: Don't forget to praise your preschooler on doing such a good job matching and remembering -- it's hard work.

Game Variation

An excellent way to simplify the Snowflake Matching Game is to cut out the snowflake templates and use them without the blue background. The game will still present a challenge as the game pieces will be randomly spread out. The greatest benefit of this variation is the decrease in frustration for younger preschoolers.

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Helpful Tips for Parents

• Card and board games develop important early childhood cognitive skills: working memory (holding rules in mind), set-shifting (changing strategy), and inhibitory control (waiting for your turn).

• The best game is the one children ask to play again immediately. Track which games get spontaneous replay requests — those are hitting the optimal challenge level.

• Outdoor games require no equipment at their simplest. Tag, hide and seek, hopscotch (chalk), and four square (chalk and a ball) are fully complete with zero cost.

• Choose cooperative games (everyone wins or loses together) for preschoolers who struggle with losing. Cooperative play develops teamwork without the emotional cost of competitive loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are video games appropriate for preschoolers?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting all screens (including video games) to 1 hour per day for children ages 2–5. Simple, educational touchscreen games have minimal harm when time-limited; fast-paced, commercial, or violent video games are not appropriate for preschoolers at any screen time level. The best educational value comes from games that are interactive and challenge thinking — simple puzzles, matching, and story-based apps. Video games should not replace physical games or creative play for any preschooler.

Should games always have a winner and a loser?

No — cooperative games where all players work together against a common challenge (the game itself) are equally valid and more developmentally appropriate for young preschoolers. Research suggests that cooperative games produce greater increases in prosocial behavior than competitive ones in preschool-age children. Many classic games can be made cooperative by changing the victory condition: instead of who finishes first, see if the whole group can finish within a time limit. Both structures have value; neither should dominate.

Related reading: See also our pretend play guide and our obstacle course ideas for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🔢 Early Math Concepts — Counting dice, keeping score, recognizing numbers, and comparing quantities makes game time genuine mathematics practice — and games deliver math in a context children find intrinsically motivating.
• 🏆 Sportsmanship — Experiencing winning and losing in a supportive environment — and practicing how to handle both graciously — builds the emotional resilience and social grace that competitive situations throughout life require.
• 🤝 Cooperation & Teamwork — Cooperative games where players work toward a shared goal develop the perspective-taking, communication, and mutual support skills that group work in school and throughout life require.
• 😤 Frustration Tolerance — The regular small frustrations of game play — a bad roll, a losing streak, a close loss — give children repeated practice recovering from disappointment, building the emotional resilience they need for academic challenge.

Snow is fascinating for preschoolers whether they live in a region that gets lots of it or not. There's something magical about waking up to a fresh blanket of snow while watching the light, fluffy snowflakes continue to drift to the ground. It has been said that no two snowflakes are the same. Well that's not the case with the Snowflake Matching Game, your preschooler will delight in searching for and matching snowflakes. Be cautioned...you may find yourself playing this game with your preschooler time and time again!