Animal Themed Matching & Center Fun

Get your students excited about Same & Different with our Matching Game Resources. In this particular resource you will find Matching Pairs, Number Cards, & Center Posters dedicated to the cute theme of Reading Animals for cooperative learning and concepts of same & different.

Need a simple, last minute filler for your centers or an easy Substitute Activity that is relatively self explanatory or extra party? Nothing is simpler than a game you can print, cut and play!

Printing on card stock is recommended, but last minute is last minute you gotta do what you gotta do! Print enough copies for small groups, or a class set for each child to take home! For take home and keep sets, I print on regular paper and it works out just fine – just may be slightly see through depending on your paper weight–we secure in a ziploc baggie or even with just a paper clip!

Here’s What You’ll Get:

⭐28 Animals Themed Card Pairs

• 20 Animals Reading Pairs
• 8 Academic Animal Scene Pairs

This simple resource satisfies varying developmental stages by mixing and matching pairs for smaller memory games or one big array. Increase levels of difficulty by selecting how many pairs per small group or partners.  Works for whole group (yes whole group under a doc camera!) centers, or even go-to substitute lesson activities.

Please note, this resource is themed for Reading Animals, but we have a variety themes.  You may locate them here under our “Games” Category.

What are my top uses of the ABC Handwriting Series?

✏️Main Memory Game:

• Have children mix cards and set them upside down in front of the whole group (I use large trays for younger ages so cards don't get lost and little bodies don't encroach on card pieces.)
• Have children take turns flipping a card over, then a second card. If they find a pair they place it in front of them. If not, they turn cards back over and it is the next child's turn.
• Child with most pairs at the end of the game wins
• Variation→ have cards face up if not yet ready for memory component.

✏️Go Fish!:

• Use full set of cards for one deck, have no more than three to four players per deck max is my recommendation (students have 3 to 4 cards each and there are still enough then for the middle draw pile. The bigger the pile, the longer the game. . .  And yes I have printed multiple sets for a single game.)
• Children take turns asking each other if they have a card, if not Go Fish!

✏️Preschool Variations:

• Have cards face up while children find matches
• Use smaller number of pairs at a time (this is great because you can have a rotation of games going all with different cards but using just one resource!)
• Preschool → approximately four pairs per center, giving you multiple separate centers all with the same directions to follow so children are set up for success.  Trays to hold “pile” are useful at these centers.

FAQS:

❓Why are there no formal directions? The last thing us teachers need is more micromanaging.  Little Critter Academy is about putting faith back into those that know their students abilities the best YOU, as well as leaving things open-ended for flexibility and imagination.  You don’t need step by step directions for the majority of my resources because you are a trained professional, you GOT this. You know what your littles need.  Imagination is your only limitation!

WHAT TEACHERS & PARENTS LIKE YOU HAVE SAID ABOUT THE MATCHING GAME RESOURCES:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Classically Educated said, “Love the images, and I know my kiddos will enjoy playing games with the cards -- there are many different ways we can use this I can see it already.  Can't wait for Halloween, thanks for helping me prep early!”

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✏️Short Vowel CVC Matching Center

☝Games

“Measure Once, Cut Twice:” I highly encourage viewing and printing at least a few pages from my PDF preview to properly understand all that this resource entails and how it appears so there are no surprises.  This is my own rule of thumb when I am shopping for resources!

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

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