Choose a bright cartoon deck or a soft watercolor deck, then print all sixteen cards on one sheet. Each deck contains eight animal pairs: cat, dog, rabbit, panda, lion, koala, bear and frog. The pictures are already colored, so there is no coloring step before playing.
The cards share straight edges in a four-by-four grid. There are no gaps between cards, no rounded corners to follow, and no title or footer on the cutting sheet. Print the fronts on opaque card stock for the simplest preparation. A separate optional backing sheet and a cutting guide are available below.
Bright Cartoon Cards
Choose this deck for clear dark outlines, cheerful faces and strong color shapes. The orange cat, floppy-eared dog and green frog have different silhouettes as well as different colors. Each animal appears twice on the sheet; there is no need to print a second copy to make the pairs.
Soft Watercolor Cards
This deck uses softer painted textures and gentle expressions. It has the same eight animal subjects and the same game rules, with a different illustration style. Choose one style for a game; printing both would give four cards for each animal rather than the two used in this matching game.
Optional Whole-Sheet Backing
If your card stock hides the pictures when held face down, leave the backs plain and skip this download. If you want a dotted back, print the backing on the same paper size as your chosen front sheet.
The backing is one continuous dot pattern, not sixteen rectangles to match up. Glue the two sheets with their blank sides together and align the paper edges. Keep the pictures and the dots facing out. Let the joined sheet dry flat before making any cuts. Every finished card should have the same reverse; do not add identifying marks.
Check that neither the animal nor its name is visible from behind in your playing light. A printed pattern alone does not guarantee opacity. Use opaque backing if the picture still shows through.
Optional backing - A4 | US Letter
Print and Cut on Shared Lines
Choose portrait orientation and Actual size or 100%, with A4 or US Letter matching both the file and your paper. Each finished card is 45 by 60 mm at that setting. The sixteen-card block measures 180 by 240 mm; ordinary printer margins remain outside it. Check that the whole outer rectangle appears in the print preview.
An adult prepares the cards in three stages. First, trim the four outside edges of the card block. Next, cut along the three horizontal lines to make four strips. Finally, cut each strip along its three internal vertical lines to make four cards. The straight shared edges leave no narrow strips of waste between neighboring cards.
If you are using the optional backing, glue first and make these cuts through the joined sheets. You do not need to cut and attach individual backs or arrange a double-sided print alignment.
Separate cutting and game guide - A4 | US Letter
Color or Black-and-White Printing
Both supplied decks are full-color files. A color printer can print their colors; a printer set to black and white will print them in gray tones. These are ready-colored game pictures, not blank coloring cards. Match the animals by their faces, ears and other picture details rather than relying only on color.
Start Small or Use the Whole Deck
For a short first game, choose two complete animal pairs: four cards in total. Shuffle them and place them face down in two rows of two. Turn over two cards. If the animals match, keep the pair and take another turn. Otherwise, show both pictures, turn them back in the same positions and pass the turn.
For the full game, use all sixteen cards in four rows of four. Keep their positions fixed during play. One person can find all the pairs alone, or players can take turns. There is no timer. The example layouts show one matching pair turned face up; all cards start face down when you begin.
Optional Complete Packs
Each three-page pack contains one chosen front sheet, the optional backing, and the separate guide. For the quickest print, use the one-page front download above instead.
Bright Cartoon complete pack - A4 | US Letter
Soft Watercolor complete pack - A4 | US Letter
Keep and Share the Set
Check for two of each animal before putting the cards flat in an envelope or small container. You may print copies for personal, family and classroom activities. Please share this page’s link instead of rehosting or selling the files. Downloads need no email sign-up.