10 Games to Improve Your Child’s Memory

Having a good memory will benefit your child throughout his/her lifetime. If your child has difficulty memorizing or retaining information, you can train the child’s brain by using certain activities to improve the memory. Here are 10 memory boosting games which are fun and can improve your child’s memory. To keep your child motivated, reward him/her with a treat for good performance.

1. Look at a Picture for 15 Seconds

Choose a picture which contains multiple items and ask your child to look at it for 15 seconds. Tell your child in advance to remember everything he/she could within those 15 seconds. After 15 seconds, ask your child to repeat what he/she remembers. This game will train your child’s brain to remember and focus at the same time thus improving memory.

2. Read a Short Story to Improve Memory

Let your child read a short story. Ask the child to repeat the whole story in his/her own words. This will boost your child’s reading and memorizing skills. You may also try reading a short story to your child and ask him/her to repeat it. This will help the child focus while listening and at the same time stimulate memory cells.

3. Make a Flashcard Memory Game

Grab some blank pieces of paper and cut them into flashcards, ensuring that they are all the same size. Draw a simple shape on a pair of flashcards. Repeat making pairs by drawing different shapes using the remaining flashcards. You should now have 5 pairs of flashcards. Shuffle the flashcards and lay them out on a table, blank side up. Tell your child to flip one flashcard at a time. The child has to put back the card after seeing it, blank side up. When two identical cards are found, those cards can remain facing up. Continue until all the pairs have been discovered.

4. Re-arranging Game to Improve Memory

Grab 5-10 small objects (eg. toys). Arrange them in a particular order. Write down the order on a piece of paper for future reference. Give your child two minutes to memorize the order of the objects. Shuffle around the objects and ask your child to re-arrange as per the original setup.

5. Favorite Memories

Ask your child to recall 5 memorable moments from the past year. Request your child to explain what happened during those moments, for example, what they did in a cottage trip, what animals they saw during a visit to the zoo, etc. This will stimulate memory cells which may have been inactive for long.

6. What’s in My Box?

Grab a box or a container. Take about 10 objects and lay them outside of the box. Ask your child to remember these objects. Put all the objects into the box. Take out 3 objects. Ask your child what else is remaining in the box and if the answer it right, take them out one at a time. Give hints if your child has difficulty near the end.

7. Quiz Time

Let your child read a factual document, eg. about the Pyramids. Let him/her know that there will be a quiz on it. Quiz them using 5 questions based on the document. This will improve the child’s short term memory. Do not criticize the child if he/she got any question wrong. Tell them to read the document again to find the answer.

8. My Favorite Thing

Sit with other family members. Choose a topic, eg. food. Each family member talks about 5 food items that they love. Take turns and try to recall what each member likes. Atleast 3 out of 5 food items must be recalled correctly. The child will have a memorizing exercise and fun at the same time. Have some snacks handy as the game will make you hungry.

9. Spell Words Backward

Choose 10 simple words (eg. rain, snow, toys, car, etc.). Give your child a blank piece of paper and dictate the words to them. Instead of spelling them properly, ask them to spell them backwards. This will provide an intense dose of memory excercise to your child.

10. What’s in the Fridge?

Tell your child to have a quick peek into the fridge (30 seconds). Ask your child to name everything he/she can remember seeing. Have a score card, for example, 5 items = Good Memory, 10 items = Great Memory, 15 Items = Excellent Memory, etc. This is a fun activity to improve memory of the child.