Concentration (card game) facts for kids

Matching cards are removed from the game when paired

Concentration, also called Matching Pairs or Memory, is a fun card game. All the cards are placed face down on a surface. Players take turns flipping over two cards at a time. The main goal is to find pairs of matching cards.

You can play Concentration with many friends, or even by yourself as a solitaire game. It's a great game for younger kids, but grown-ups often find it challenging too! This game idea is sometimes used in quiz shows and can be a good way to learn things.

How to Play Concentration

You can use any deck of playing cards for Concentration. Some special card sets with pictures are also made just for this game. If you use a standard deck of 52 cards, you usually lay them out face down in four rows with 13 cards in each row. You can even add the two jokers to make the game longer.

You don't have to follow strict rules for setting up the cards. You can spread them out anywhere, even all around a room!

Here's how a turn works:

• Each player picks two cards and turns them face up.
• If the two cards match in rank and color (like a six of hearts and a six of diamonds, or both jokers), the player gets to keep the pair. That player then takes another turn.
• If the cards do not match, they are turned back face down. Play then moves to the next player on the left.

You can change the rules if everyone agrees before starting. For example, a match could just be any two cards of the same rank, even if their colors are different. Or, you might decide that cards must match both rank and card suit.

The game ends when all the pairs have been found and picked up. The player with the most pairs wins the game! Sometimes, two or more players might even tie for first place.

Playing Concentration Alone

You can play Concentration by yourself, which is called solitaire. It's a relaxing way to practice your memory. When playing solo, you can keep track of how many times you turn over cards that don't match. You can use poker chips, pennies, or just make marks on paper to count these.

The goal when playing alone is to clear all the cards in the fewest turns possible. This means trying to get the lowest score (the fewest non-matching turns).

Smart Ways to Play

As the game goes on, you'll start to remember where certain cards are. If you have a good memory, when you flip over one card, you'll likely remember where you saw its matching pair before.

Many players might think they know where a pair is. They might flip over the card they are sure about first, then struggle to find its match. A better plan is to turn over a card you are less sure about first. This way, if it's not the card you expected, you haven't wasted a turn on a card you were more certain of.

If you have a perfect memory, there's an ideal way to play. For example, in the "One Flip" game variation, it's quite simple. Before your turn, you know where some cards are, and some are still unknown. You should always flip over an unknown card first. If it matches a card you already know about, then pick that known card next to make a pair.

If the card you flip doesn't match any known cards, it's still smart to pick one of the cards you already know about. This helps you learn more without giving too much information to other players.

Different Ways to Play

There are many fun ways to change up the game of Concentration. You can even combine some of these ideas!

• Any Color: This version is great for younger kids. Matching pairs only need to be the same rank, not the same color. If you play with jokers, they count as double because they are harder to match.
• One Flip: In this game, if players make a successful pair, they keep the cards. However, they do not get another turn right away. They wait until their next turn to play again.
• Zebra: For this version, pairs must be the same rank but opposite in color. So, a 7 of diamonds would match a 7 of clubs or a 7 of spades, but not a 7 of hearts.
• Two Decks: For a much longer game, mix two full 52-card decks together. Lay them out in 8 rows of 13 cards. In this game, pairs must be exactly the same (same rank and same suit). So, a 10 of clubs would only match the other 10 of clubs.
• Two Decks Duel: This is a two-player game. The playing area is split into two parts. Each player shuffles a 52-card deck and lays it out in 4 rows of 13 cards on their own side. Players cannot touch each other's cards. Player one starts by flipping one card face-up from their side. Then, player two selects one card from their own side. If the cards make a pair, they are removed. If not, they are flipped back down. Pairs must be identical (same rank and same suit). After each turn, the roles switch: player two flips a card, and player one responds.
• Double Decker Checkerboard: This is an easier way to play with two decks. Use decks that have different designs on their backs. Shuffle them separately. Then, lay them out in a checkerboard pattern (like red back, blue back, red back, blue back). The different backs help you know where cards are and make it easier to guess which cards might match.
• Fancy: Cards don't have to be in neat rows. Many players like to create their own special layouts, like circles, triangles, or diamond shapes. You can choose any layout you like!
• Spaghetti: The rules are the same as standard Concentration, but the cards are not in neat rows. Instead, they are spread randomly all over the floor.
• Pexeso: This game uses a deck of 64 square-shaped cards. They are laid out in an 8x8 square. Pexeso cards are usually designed specifically for the game. They can have all sorts of pictures, like cartoon characters, photos of famous places, or car models. The cards don't have values or colors; they just have 32 pairs of identical pictures.

If one player has a super good memory, they could even play blindfolded! In this case, their opponent would tell them which cards have been turned up. If they don't get a pair, the opponent turns the cards back down. If they do get a pair, the opponent takes the cards out for them.

Concentration isn't just for playing cards. Many versions of the game are made for children with different themes. In some computer games, the cards might even move around randomly to make it harder!

See also

In Spanish: Memoria (juego) para niños