Free Chinese New Year Memory Card Game Printable

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Celebrate Chinese New Year with Our Memory Card Game Printable! Chinese New Year is a time of vibrant celebrations, and what better way to add to the festivities than with a fun game?

Our free printable memory game cards are perfect for playing the classic Concentration game—although you may have called it Matching Pairs, Match Match, or something else entirely!

Featuring 48 pairs of cards showcasing Chinese New Year symbols like the majestic Chinese zodiac animals, traditional foods, and colorful decorations.

Don’t have time for the printable memory cards now? Tap the share icon in the bottom right of the screen, then tap the heart icon ♥ to save it for later!

Memory Card Game Printable

The premise of our free memory game is simple—flip over two cards; if they match, you keep them and take another turn; if they don’t, play moves to the next player.

As kids, Concentration was one of those card games we would play with a regular deck of playing cards, but a themed set of cards is so much more fun and suitable for kids of all ages!

We have been sharing Chinese New Year Printables since the Year of the Monkey in 2016, and these printables are updated annually to reflect that year’s zodiac animal.

For the Year of the Dragon, we’ve introduced a new printable to the collection – Chinese New Year Memory Cards!

10 February 2024 is the start of the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon!

Your Chinese zodiac is Dragon if you were born in one of these years: 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 200, 2012, and 2024.

It also happens that the Year of the Dragon was one of the first big things we celebrated on The Purple Pumpkin Blog back in 2012 with a Chinese Banquet!

If you are planning your own dinner party, be sure to take a look at these 50+ Delicious Recipes for Chinese New Year.

Where are the Free Printables?

• You will find the download links for the printable set of cards further down this page, surrounded by a purple box outline.
• Tap the purple download buttons to save the PDF file(s) to your device.
• You can open this type of file with Adobe Reader.
• Printables are available in two sizes – A4 and US Letter (8.5″ x 11″). 
• Download the paper size that is appropriate for your printer or send it to a print shop.
• UK Readers! No printer? No problem! Get your printables printed and sent to you with Doxzoo!

Chinese New Year Memory Cards

There are six printable sheets with eight pairs of cards on each. There is an additional backing sheet too. Each one is (roughly) themed:

• Chinese Zodiac Animals: Of the 12 illustrations, 9 are our buildable animals, including this year’s Build a Chinese Dragon. This printable will be updated in the coming years to include all of our animals! For now, there are placeholder animals.
• Auspicious Animals: Such as the Lion Dance and Fortune Cat.
• Symbolic Items: There are many things associated with China and the Chinese New Year, and these images cover three pages! This includes objects such as Firecrackers, fortune cookies, mandarins, and lucky bamboo. As well as Red Money Envelopes, the Fu character, and family reunion dinner.
• Food: Food is a big part of the Lunar New Year celebration in China and across Asia, and so we have included foods like moon cake, money bag dim sum, and tang yuan (glutinous rice balls).

DIY Memory Game Cards

• Print the Game: Print as many of the Chinese New Year memory match games as you need onto regular printer paper or cardstock for a sturdier set, using a printer at home/school/office/print shop (online or in-store).
  • We have provided the backside for the cards, which you can print out using the duplex function if your printer has that.
  • Or by printing out the front and back for each set of cards and gluing them together before cutting them out.
  • Alternatively, mount the free template onto colored construction paper or cardstock to create a nice reverse side to the cards. This is optional—you can leave the back of the cards white if you prefer, but bear in mind that if you use thin paper, you may see the images through the paper.
• Cut the Cards: Each printable page contains eight pairs of cards, so you will need to use scissors or a paper trimmer to cut them to size.
  • Cut around the whole sheet of cards first, then down the middle of the thicker black lines horizontally and vertically to make the cards.
• TIP! For longevity, laminate each card after cutting to protect them. Leave a slight edge around each card when cutting the laminate sheet so as not to fall apart.

How To Play Memory (Concentration)

The rules of this game are so simple that everyone, from young children to seniors, can play. It’s a great multi-generational game to play.

Memory is a great game to play in a small group (2-4 players), in larger groups (up to 8 players), and even as a solo player.

Setting Up the Game

• Shuffle the Cards: You want to mix all the pairs of cards as much as possible!
• Place the Cards: Lay the cards face down in a grid formation on a large, flat surface such as a table or the floor. 
• A grid makes remembering where different cards are easier. Or you could place them more haphazardly if you prefer!
• For Younger Children: Use just one set of cards, which has fewer pairs for them to match.
• For Older Kids: Use all 48 pairs for a challenging and fun game.
• For Adults and Seniors: Use any number and formation of cards that you like. This is a great way to exercise those memory skills that can lose function with age.

Game Rules

• The first player flips two cards of their choice, trying to match pictures on the front of the cards. If they match, they keep the pair and have another go. If not, the next player takes their turn.
• The game continues until all pairs are matched. 
• The person with the most pairs wins!

Benefits of Memory Match Games

• The rules are very simple for all ages, from younger kids to older children to adults and seniors.
• Not only are the rules simple, but it’s fun to play whether you’re in 1st grade, middle school, high school, or playing as a family; this game is a blast!
• The game helps to develop concentration skills by having to pay close attention to the face of the cards and their position on the table.
• The game is a fun way to develop and nurture memory skills.
• It can help with visual discrimination, which is the ability to see differences and similarities—such as differences in size and shape.
• Printable matching games help to develop turn-taking and teach you how to be a gracious winner or loser!
• Depending on the theme, the game can help with color recognition, letters, words, numbers, and shapes, and in turn, improving literacy and numeracy.

More Printable Memory Match Games

Looking for more free printable memory games to download? Check these out next:

• Free Printable Star Wars Memory Matching Game Cards for May the 4th!
• Free Printable Mardi Gras Memory Card Game (Matching Pairs)
• Free Printable Watermelon Memory Game
• Free Printable Shark Memory Matching Cards

We have created over 200+ Free Printables for you to download and use. They include seasonal crafts, decorations, puzzles, coloring sheets, and more!

Download the Memory Card Game Printable Below

The downloads are in the purple box below. Click the purple download button link to save the printable file(s) to your computer.

The free printables are in PDF format and can be opened with the free-to-use Adobe Acrobat Reader (or other PDF Readers). If the download is a Zip File, it can be downloaded with WinZip, WinRar, or other software typically bundled on computers. Printables designed and created by The Purple Pumpkin Blog and its Designers are for PERSONAL USE ONLY and NOT FOR RESALE under any circumstances. Please read our full Terms and Conditions. You are welcome to print these free printables at an online print shop or print shop in-store if you don’t have access to a printer; however, some print shops may not print licensed characters. Colors may vary slightly on printing due to different screen and printer settings. You may share this free printable blog post on social media, including Pinterest, and on your blog/website with a link to this blog post. Please DO NOT share the PDF on social media or your blog/website. If you use any of our printables, it would be awesome to know about it! Post a picture on the social media platform you hang out on, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Use the hashtag #TPPBprintables so we can find you!

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