Tabletop Game DIY: A Little Helper to Train Toddlers’ Hands and Brains

This post is all about what I did when Nai was 3 years old (now 3 years and 7 months). Why did I do it? Let’s start with tabletop games. There are many kinds of games available on the market (I myself love buying them), but there are relatively few suitable for this age group (kids generally need to be at least 5 years old with better comprehension skills to understand the rules). There are so many dazzling options on the market, from expensive to cheap, and of course, as someone who loves DIY, I enjoy making my own too!

What are the benefits of playing tabletop games? Children learn through play from an early age. Playing together at home with family helps foster shared joy, emotional exchange, and lays the foundation for future interpersonal interactions with friends and classmates. In the school-age stage, kids can also learn things not taught in school, develop greater perseverance and logical thinking, and through thinking and strategy, they can unleash creativity and build problem-solving skills.

After all that rambling, this time I designed a “memory game.” It can be played from as early as 1 year old (starting with 2 cards), and the materials needed are very simple~ (I made 2 versions):
1. Photos of the child, family members, or people they know (or choose animals or cartoon images the child likes), layout and print them out
2. Double-sided tape or glue
3. Scissors
4. Laminating film
5. Thick cardboard (as shown in the photo below, available at bookstores, or you can cut it from cardboard boxes)

Once the patterns are printed, you can use glue or double-sided tape (this step can be done together with your child—they’re usually very happy to help), stick them onto thick paper, then cut them out, and you’re done. Isn’t it super simple?

Another cartoon-style version

You can start with 4 cards (2 sets) and gradually increase the number. Kids’ memory can sometimes be beyond adults’ imagination~ (I didn’t take photos of the actual playing process—ha!)

Next, another thing I think moms who want to help their kids develop puzzle skills might like to try: making a unique, one-of-a-kind puzzle. I think homemade puzzles are great because you can choose the images yourself, and using pictures of the child, family, or friends can more easily spark interest and resonance (okay, that’s just what I, as a mom, think). The materials are actually the same as above~ I’m being lazy and not retyping them.

The photos I shared show replacing the thick cardboard with magnets, so the puzzle can stick to the fridge or a magnetic wall and be played with when passing by (if you have a magnetic wall, that is). The benefit of making your own is that some puzzle piece counts are hard to find in stores—you can cut the number or shapes you need according to your preference (who says puzzles have to be square?). Come see how Nai tried it out~

Actually, my initial idea was to make it on magnets—using the board I had made before to play with (all A4 size), with one side for assembling the puzzle and the other side for spreading out all the puzzle pieces to observe them. Later, I found that because it’s magnetic, it has strong attraction, and it’s harder to move pieces when you’ve placed them wrongly (remember, kids are impatient—they’ll just get angry and say why won’t it move!). But anyway, it’s done~

Later, I switched to using thick cardboard (same as the tabletop game materials) for all my homemade puzzles, which is also more cost-effective. But I got a bit carried away and made an outer frame as well~ (as shown in the photo below—you can obviously play without the frame too), it’s made by cutting and pasting cardboard from a box, very rudimentary~ hahaha~ just as casual as me!

Further reading: