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Coordinate Memory Game

📝 This post, Coordinate Memory Game, was originally published in 2012 and has been updated with new information and resources.

There are some classroom activities that get used once and then disappear into a cabinet. Then there are those rare activities that come out year after year because they work with just about everything. This coordinate memory game is one of those activities.

I first learned this idea years ago at a conference. I honestly can’t remember which conference it was or who shared it, but I remember thinking, “This is brilliant!” I immediately went back to my classroom and created a large version on poster board, and it quickly became one of my favorite review games.

Unfortunately, that original game board disappeared somewhere over the years, so I recreated the game board for this post. If you’d like to use this activity with your whole class, I’ve also included directions for making a reusable classroom game board that you can use year after year.

What I love most about this activity is how flexible it is. Once you have the game board, you can create a memory game for almost any subject or skill. I have used it for math, reading, science, social studies, and even as a quick review during those ten-minute stretches before lunch or dismissal when there isn’t enough time to start something new.

Why You’ll Love This Coordinate Memory Game

Unlike a traditional memory game that is spread across a table, this version adds another layer of learning. Students practice using coordinates while reviewing another concept at the same time. It is easy to prepare, highly engaging, and works just as well with partners as it does with the entire class.

One of my favorite ways to use this game was to keep an ongoing game set up on the whiteboard. Whenever we had a few extra minutes before lunch, recess, or dismissal, we could quickly play a round or two together. It was a simple way to review important skills without having to prepare a separate activity every time.

Materials

To play, you will need a coordinate game board (see below) and a set of matching memory cards. I recommend printing each half of the matching pairs on two different colors of paper. For example, if students are matching analog clocks to digital times, print all of the clock faces on yellow paper and all of the digital times on green paper.

I learned this tip at the same conference where I first discovered the game, and I’ve used it ever since. Having two colors makes the game run much more smoothly because students know to choose one card of each color on every turn. It eliminates the frustration of accidentally picking two clock faces or two digital times and keeps everyone focused on finding a true match.

How to Make a Coordinate Memory Game Board

If you plan to use this activity throughout the year, I highly recommend making a larger game board for your classroom. It only takes a little time to put together, and once it’s finished, you can use it over and over again by simply changing the game cards.

Start with a piece of foam board or poster board and label the columns across the top with letters and the rows down the side with numbers to create your coordinate grid. Next, cut white cardstock or index cards into squares and glue one square in each space on the board. These white squares become the permanent background for your game board.

Once the squares are glued in place, hot glue a paper clip or a mini clothespin near the top of each square. Both work great for holding the game cards and make it easy to swap in a new set whenever you’re ready to review a different skill.

One of the reasons I love this design is that you only have to build the board once. Whether you’re reviewing telling time, money, fractions, sight words, vocabulary, geography, or another concept, simply slide a new set of game cards under the paper clips or clip them into the clothespins, and you’re ready to play again.

I do recommend laminating the game board so you can use it year after year. I don’t laminate the game cards, though. I found that the laminated cards reflected the classroom lights and were harder for students to see from across the room. Keeping the cards unlaminated made the game much easier for everyone to play.

Want a Student Version?

I created a printable student version that brings the same Coordinate Memory Game concept to math centers, partner work, and independent practice. Instead of using a large whole-class game board, students play on individual game boards while practicing telling time to the hour and half hour and building coordinate skills.

💚 Grab the Coordinate Memory Game for Telling Time to the Hour and Half Hour on TpT.

Watch for more printable Coordinate Memory Games featuring new math and literacy skills coming soon!

How to Play to the Coordinate Memory Game

Place all of the matching cards face down on the game board so the pictures or words cannot be seen. Players take turns calling out two sets of coordinates. For example, a student might choose B2 and C3. Turn over the cards at those locations to see if they match.

If the cards match, the player keeps the pair and removes it from the board. If they do not match, turn both cards face down again and the next player takes a turn. Continue until every pair has been found.

When I played it with my class, I often divided students into two teams. They loved cheering each other on and celebrating every successful match.

So Many Ways to Use It

One of the reasons I have used this activity for so many years is because the game never gets old. The board stays exactly the same while the cards change to match whatever we are learning.

Over the years, I have created coordinate memory games for telling time, money, fractions, shapes, left and right, sight words, short vowels, contractions, vocabulary words, geography, foreign language, and many other skills. You could easily adapt it for science vocabulary, multiplication facts, place value, synonyms and antonyms, or practically any concept students need to review.

Once you make the game board, the possibilities are endless.

Why This Game Works

This activity reviews two skills at the same time. Students practice using coordinates while reinforcing another academic concept, so every turn has a dual purpose. It is easy to differentiate by simply changing the matching cards, and because it feels like a game instead of a worksheet, students stay engaged from beginning to end.

I also love keeping this game ready for those unexpected moments during the school day. It is perfect for filling the last few minutes before lunch, recess, specials, or dismissal without sacrificing valuable learning time.

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Ready-to-Use Memory Games

Once you’ve made your coordinate game board, you can use it all year long by simply changing the game cards. One of my favorite things about this activity is that the game board never changes—only the cards do! Over the years, I’ve created a variety of printable Memory Games that work perfectly with this board, making it easy to review new skills without having to create a new game each time.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Tally Mark Memory Game – Help students practice reading tally marks and matching them to the correct numbers.

Short Vowel Memory Game – Reinforce short vowel sounds by matching pictures and vowel sounds in a fun, hands-on way.

Time to the Hour Memory Game – Give students extra practice matching analog clocks, digital times, and time words while strengthening their telling time skills.

💚 Looking for more ready-to-use Memory Games? Browse my TpT store for printable games that work perfectly with this Coordinate Memory Game board.