A tray, a tea towel and a handful of things from around the house. Your child looks at the tray, you cover it, one thing quietly disappears, and the towel comes off again. "What's missing?"
It is one of the simplest memory games there is. It takes five minutes, needs no preparation, and can be made easy enough for a four-year-old or hard enough for an adult. This article explains how to play, how many objects to use, and which memory tricks are worth teaching along the way.
How to play
- Put four or five objects on a tray. Choose things that are clearly different from one another: a spoon, a toy car, a key, an apple, a sock.
- Name them together, pointing at each one.
- Your child looks for about ten seconds.
- Cover the tray with the towel. Take one object away and hide it behind your back.
- Uncover the tray. "What's missing?"
- Swap roles. Your child hides something and you do the guessing.
No tray? A table mat, a baking tin or a sheet of paper marks out the space just as well.
How many objects?
| Rough age | Objects on the tray | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| 4–5 | 3 to 5 | Take away one; use very different objects |
| 6–7 | 6 to 8 | Take away one, later two |
| 8–9 | 9 to 12 | Take away two; swap two places; include similar objects |
| 10 and up | 12 to 15 | Replace one object with a similar one; list everything from memory |
Ages are only a rough guide. A simple rule keeps the game at the right level: after three correct answers in a row, add an object. After two misses, take one away. The game should feel possible.
Memory tricks worth teaching
The game is more than a test. It is a chance to show your child that remembering is something you can do on purpose.
- Say the names aloud. Naming each object makes it easier to hold in mind.
- Make groups. "Two toys, two kitchen things and one fruit" is easier than five separate things.
- Tell a silly story. "The car drives over the spoon to fetch the apple."
- Remember the places. "The key is in the corner, next to the ball."
- Count. "There were six. Now there are five."
After a round, ask: "How did you remember?" Hearing your child describe their own trick is the most valuable moment of the game. Share yours too.
Variations
- What moved? Nothing leaves the tray, but two things change places.
- What's new? Add an object instead of taking one away.
- What changed? Turn a cup upside down, or swap a red pencil for a blue one.
- Draw it. Cover the tray and let your child draw or list everything that was on it.
- Anywhere. In a café or a waiting room, five things from a bag on the table are enough.
Keeping it friendly
- Keep it short. Three to five rounds, then stop while it's still fun.
- No "wrong!" If the answer isn't right, bring the hidden object back, look at the tray together and try another round.
- Take your turn seriously. When you guess, you will sometimes get it wrong for real. Children love that, and it shows them that forgetting is normal.
- It isn't an exam. If your child isn't in the mood, leave it for another day.
In Dologi, "What vanished?" puzzles in the Memory topic work the same way: a few objects are shown, then covered, and the scene comes back with one missing. Children pick the object that was there before.
In short
- Look, cover, take one away, uncover: the whole game fits on a tray.
- Start with three to five very different objects and add more as your child succeeds.
- Teach memory tricks: naming, grouping, a silly story, places, counting.
- Swap roles, keep it short and treat mistakes as part of the fun.
Read more: A homemade memory card game: paper pairs that train memory for the whole family