How it Plays

Print out two copies of the Letter Template or Number Template. Cut out the letters or numbers and glue each onto an index card. For greater durability, laminate the cards at a copy shop.

Letter Matching Game. To play the Letter Matching Game, start with only the uppercase letters and review them with your child. Does he recognize any of them? Can he find the first letter of his name? When he's ready to play, lay out two pairs of his favorite letters, face up, on the floor or a table. See if he can find two letters that look the same. Once he makes a match, put those cards aside and lay out four more. Introduce the lowercase letters only after your child feels confident with uppercase letters. He can match lowercase to lowercase and then, for more of a challenge, try matching uppercase to lowercase.

Number Matching Game. Start with numbers 1 and 2 and lay out a pair of each, face up. Ask your child to find the two numbers that look the same. Once he does, put those pairs aside and lay out four more cards.

Variation: When your child is able to match all the uppercase cards or all the numbers facing up, you can play a memory game. Show him two pairs of cards, face up, and then turn them over. See if your child can remember where each one is.

What You'll Need

Learning and Growing

Children at this age are starting to recognize that the world is full of symbols. Enhance your child's awareness by pointing out letters, numbers, and words as they appear naturally in his environment. Playing matching games with letters and numbers is a fun and engaging way to help increase his recognition of these important symbols.