• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Artisan Life
  • Dot Marker Pages
  • Easter Printables
  • Journals & Planners
  • Preschool + K Printables
    • Alphabet Tracing Worksheets
    • Fine Motor Practice Pages
    • Spanish Preschool Pages
    • CVC & Sight Words
    • Dot Marker Pages
    • Preschool Math
    • Kindergarten Math Worksheets
    • Cut & Paste Puzzles
  • Coloring
  • Gardening + DIY
    • Gardening
    • DIY Cleaning Products
    • DIY Skincare Products
    • Craft Tutorials
  • Shop

Free Printable Thanksgiving Matching Game (keep your kids busy while you cook!)

38 shares
  • Share

These free printable Thanksgiving matching games are a fun, low-prep, and educational way to entertain your toddler or preschooler while you’re busy preparing for the holiday or as part of your Thanksgiving theme at school.

Pick from three versions of the printable matching cards to suit your child’s level of development: a classic match-up game, shadow matching, or a mirror image matching card game for Thanksgiving. All three are available for free in the post with no email address required!

These Thanksgiving matching cards can be played face up as a matching game for younger children or face down as a memory game. Memory can be played with two players or as a solitaire card game.

Table of Contents

  • Benefits of matching games for children
  • How to print and use Thanksgiving matching cards
  • Printable Thanksgiving matching cards

Benefits of matching games for children

This post includes affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission on purchases made through links at no additional cost to you.

Matching games are beneficial for children of all ages. They can be helpful for older adults, too! Readers write every week to share how they use free printable matching games and bingo games from The Artisan Life as printable memory games for older adults.

These matching cards for Thanksgiving help busy parents, too. We all need a few low-prep, low-mess, quiet activities in our toolkit! You can even store them in a zippered pouch or pencil case for an easy go bag activity.

Matching and sorting are important pre-math skills that children need to master before learning how to count. 

Match-up and memory games can improve:

  • Sorting and grouping skills
  • Critical thinking abilities
  • Awareness of patterns and relationships
  • Fine motor control (picking up the cards is hard work for little fingers)
  • Concentration
  • Visual discrimination
  • And more!

These games also give your child the opportunity to demonstrate his/her knowledge and a sense of pride and accomplishment.

text "Free printable Thanksgiving matching cards - a screen-free way to keep your kids busy" Below is a preview of three printable matching games on a yellow background. The games all feature 20 squares with 10 images. On the front and center page  the 10 images are repeated exactly. On one page the images are presented with their mirror image match. The third page has 10 images with their greyed out counterpart for a shadow matching game.

How to print and use Thanksgiving matching cards

Please note that these are Thanksgiving theme match up cards. If you’d prefer a general fall theme, please see this fall matching game. Only one image is identical between the two sets so you can also combine the two for a longer, and more challenging, game.

Materials needed for Thanksgiving matching cards:

  • Printable Thanksgiving themed matching cards (Download links for the PDFS are lower in the post.)
  • Printer & paper or cardstock
    • I always use presentation paper, a heavyweight paper with a special coating for crisp, clean images. If you don’t have presentation paper, use white cardstock or bright white printer paper. Cardstock will be more durable, but the bright white printer paper will have better pictures.
  • Scissors or paper cutter. I like my Fiskar’s paper trimmer with a guide wire. I like how easy accurate cutting is thanks to the guide wire.
  • Laminator & laminating pouches. Optional, but highly recommended. If you don’t have a laminator, you can “laminate” the individual cards with 2″ clear packing tape.
HP Paper Printer | 8.5 x 11 Paper | Premium 32 lb | 1 Ream - 500 Sheets |...
Fiskars SureCut Portable Trimmer with Recycled Cutline, 12 Inch Cut,...
Scotch Thermal Laminator, 2 Roller System for a Professional Finish, Use...
HP Paper Printer | 8.5 x 11 Paper | Premium 32 lb | 1 Ream - 500 Sheets |...
Fiskars SureCut Portable Trimmer with Recycled Cutline, 12 Inch Cut,...
Scotch Thermal Laminator, 2 Roller System for a Professional Finish, Use...
HP Paper Printer | 8.5 x 11 Paper | Premium 32 lb | 1 Ream - 500 Sheets |...
HP Paper Printer | 8.5 x 11 Paper | Premium 32 lb | 1 Ream - 500 Sheets |...
Fiskars SureCut Portable Trimmer with Recycled Cutline, 12 Inch Cut,...
Fiskars SureCut Portable Trimmer with Recycled Cutline, 12 Inch Cut,...
Scotch Thermal Laminator, 2 Roller System for a Professional Finish, Use...
Scotch Thermal Laminator, 2 Roller System for a Professional Finish, Use...

How to print and use your matching or memory game:

First, download your printables below. There are shadow matching cards, mirror image match cards, and classic match-up game cards. You can combine multiple sets for a more difficult matching or memory game.

Print. Like I wrote above, I recommend using presentation paper, cardstock, or bright white printer paper. Cardstock cards will be more durable, images printed on bright white paper will look brighter and cleaner.

Laminate your pages before cutting the tiles out along the dotted lines. If you don’t have a laminator, you can “laminate” them with clear packing tape.

Cut out the cards along the dotted lines. The tiles are about 2″ square when cut out.

Play! If your child hasn’t played with matching cards before, demonstrate how to use them with 2 or 3 pairs. Add in more pairs as their confidence and abilities grow.

Here’s a picture of my toddler enjoying her dino matching game. She’s playing with the shadow matching cards at about 27 months:

A top down image of a toddler's hands holding printable dinosaur matching cards. The toddler's hands and arms in a red and white striped shirt are visible against a white marble background. Several blue and green dinosaur matching cards are on the surface.

Older children can play memory with the cards by placing them face down. This can be played with multiple players or as a solitaire game.

Place all of the cards face down. They are usually placed in a grid, but they don’t have to be. Have your child flip over two cards. If they match, the cards are paired up and removed from the board. If they don’t match, the cards are flipped face down again and replaced in their original location. Keep playing until all the cards are paired up.

Related: Free printable Thanksgiving bingo

Printable Thanksgiving matching cards

Like all free printables on The Artisan Life, these matching games are free for personal and single classroom use. You are welcome to print and use them as many times as you’d like with your own children, students, Scout troop members, Sunday school class, therapy clients, etc. As long as you are personally involved with organizing the activity and not charging to participate, you’re good to go.

You are not licensed to sell, alter, or redistribute the digital files or printouts to other adults for their personal use. For example, printing them for your students is fine. Giving them to another teacher to use with their students is not.

The files are available in PDF format. Individual download links are located below each preview image and highlighted with a grey box to make them easier to find.

Your time is valuable – save time and clicking around when you buy all three files in one handy PDF for the very low price of $1!

Thanksgiving shadow matching game

First we have the shadow matching game. This set features 10 images and their greyed out counterparts. Even though the images are very distinct and the game seems simple to adults, it’s quite a challenge for the little ones!

Thanksgiving shadow matching game PDF

Thanksgiving mirror image matching cards

Up next is the mirror image matching game for Thanksgiving. This one is also pretty challenging for toddlers and preschoolers.

Mirror image matching game download

Thanksgiving matching game for toddlers

Last but not least, we have the classic matching game. These cards are a great introduction to matching for your little learner! They also make a fun memory game for preschoolers and older kids.

Thanksgiving matching game for toddlers and preschoolers

I hope your family enjoys these matching cards as much as mine does! Every time my daughter sees a new matching game printable on my screen she asks “You are making this new game for me?”

Be sure to join The Artisan Life family so you can save time when you receive the latest seasonal printables for children straight to your inbox. Join today and snag your free printable school readiness guide:

Christmas & Holiday Printables

Looking for printables for the holidays? You've come to the right place! Discover Christams templates for DIY ornaments and decorations, Christmas games for families at home, and more.

Free Printable Christmas Planner

Stay organized and on-budget this holiday season with your free printable Christmas planner.

Christmas Unicorn Dot Marker Coloring Pages

These cute Christmas unicorn dot marker pages will delight your child!

Free Santa's Beard Christmas Countdown Calendar Printable

Nativity Word Search Free Printable

Children (and older adults) will enjoy this Nativity themed word search. Answer key is included!

Nativity Coloring Pages (free printable Nativity coloring pages for adults)

These lovely, detailed Nativity coloring pages are perfect for adults, teens, and older chilren.

Free Printable Snowman Coloring Pages

These cute snowman coloring pages are a fun, no-prep winter activity.

Free Printable December Calendar Worksheet for Kids

Free Printable Christmas Countdown Calendar for Kids

Free Christmas Ten Frame Printables (English & Spanish)

11+ Free Printable Christmas Coloring Pages for Adults

Free Printable Nutcracker Ballet Christmas Coloring Pages

Tropical Santa Gift Tags

Bring the beach home for Christmas with these free printable tropical Santa gift tags!

Easy Christmas Coloring Pages

Free Printable Children's Advent Calendar

Free Printable Advent Calendar

This watercolor Advent calendar for adults will help you celebrate the season with a thoughtful quotation each day.

Free Printable New Year's Bingo

Keep your children busy until "midnight" with this free printable New Year's bingo.

Free Printable Christmas Games for Parties and Families

These 7+ Christmas party games are fun for kids and adults! Use them to keep your kids busy while waiting at a restaurant, as clean games for your office holiday party, or for screen-free holiday fun with your family.

Free Printable Beach Santa Christmas Coloring Pages

Color your cares away with these Hawaiian Santa coloring sheets!

Free Santa Bujo Planner Printables (for an organized holiday season)

Stay organized this holiday season with these free printabel bullet journal style planner pages.

Free Printable Christmas Crossword (with answer key!)

This free printable Christmas crossword puzzle comes with an answer key and cute illustrations to color.

Free Printable Christmas Matching Cards

These free printable Christmas matching cards are a fun game for toddlers or preschoolers. They can also be played face down as a Christmas Memory game.

Free Easy Winter Crossword Printable for Kids

This easy winter crossword is great for your little learners because it features picture clues instead of text-based clues. The answer key is included!

Free Christmas Dot Marker Printables 

Do a dot marker printables are always popular with young children, and they're no-prep for you. Just print and hand them over to keep your little one busy and practicing their important fine motor skills!

Christmas Tree Alphabet Tracing Strips

These alphabet tracing strips are a low-prep way to teach your preschooler their letters. Grab the lowercase alphabet tracing strips for free!

Christmas Emoji Pictionary

Christmas emoji pictionary is no-prep fun for the whole family. Anser key included!

11 Free Printable Gingerbread Man Templates

These free printable gingerbread man teamplates are great for crafts, decorations, and even making your own Christmas cards.

Free Printable Christmas Light Templates

These free printable Christmas light bulb templates are perfect for preschool and kindergarten crafts, easy DIY ornaments, and more!

Printable Christmas Tree Outline Templates

Use these printable tree outline templates as coloring pages, for children's crafts, or easy DIY gift tags.

Free Printable Christmas Bingo

Get ready for screen free holiday fun with your family when you grab these printable Christmas bingo boards!

Free Printable Snowman Templates - The Artisan Life

Photo Credit: natashalh.com

These free printable snomwan templates and coloring pages are great for winter crafts. Your kids will also lvoe the cut and color snowman page!

Free Printable Christmas High Contrast Cards for Babies

Is there an infant in your life? Grab these free printable high contrast cards for babies!

Free Printable Christmas Tree Coloring Pages

Color holiday stress away with these free printable Christmas tree coloring pages.

7+ Free Printable Christmas Word Searches

Free Printable Advent Word Search

Get in the holiday sprit with this free printable Advent word search.

25+ Free Printable Star Templates (& extra large star pattern!)

These star templates are perfect for homemade Christmas ornaments and easy DIY gift tags.

Secret Santa Questionnaire

Make sure your gift exchange is a success with these free printable Secret Santa surveys.

Printable Snowflake Coloring Pages

Printable Ornament Templates

These free printable ornament templates are great for crafts, Christmas decorations on a budget, and even gift tags and Christmas cards!

15+ Free Printable Santa Coloring Pages for Adults

De-stress this holiday season with these free printable Santa coloring apges for adults.

Free Printable Christmas Number Building Puzzles for Pre-K

Free Printable Christmas Count and Clip Cards

Free Printable Christmas Angel Coloring Pages for Kids

Free Printable Christmas Prewriting Cards for Preschoolers

38 shares
  • Share

Buy me a coffee

Filed Under: Printable, Printable matching cards, Thanksgiving Printables, Toddler Printables

Previous Post: « How to Create a Full Moon Ritual for Self-Care and Manifestation
Next Post: Powerful Ways to Do a Brain Dump (with free printable brain dump worksheets!) »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

natashalh - the artisan life

Hi, I’m Natasha! I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m a former classroom teacher with a Masters of the Arts in Teaching turned homeschooler & gardener. I share educational & planner printables and tips for making gardening with kids successful and affordable.

I also publish printed coloring & activity books. You can also find me on YouTube.

Let's be friends!

Search The Artisan Life

The Artisan Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The Artisan Life also uses affiliate links for other sites. For a full look at my policy, please visit its page here.

Buy me a coffee

Footer

Privacy Policy | Disclosure & Disclaimer | Terms and Conditions | Contact
COPYRIGHT © 2012 – 2023 The Artisan Life · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: natashalh(at)stalkingthewildsnark(dot)com. I do not accept guest posts and will not respond to unsolicited requests for guest posts or links. Stock images by Depositphotos

Copyright © 2023 The Artisan Life on the Foodie Pro Theme