Match a ladybug, bumblebee, butterfly, dragonfly, snail, caterpillar, ant and grasshopper in this garden bug memory game. One printable sheet gives you sixteen full-colour cards: two copies of each picture. Start with a four-card round or use the complete eight-pair set. The companion guide shows how to prepare opaque cards and play without needing printed card backs.
Choose Your Download
The complete pack contains 2 pages. Both paper sizes include the same content. Downloads open directly without an email sign-up.
| File | A4 | US Letter |
|---|---|---|
| Complete pack (2 pages) | A4 PDF | Letter PDF |
| Cut-out cards (1 page) | A4 PDF | Letter PDF |
| Illustrated guide (1 page) | A4 PDF | Letter PDF |
Eight Pictures, Sixteen Cards
A red spotted ladybug, striped bumblebee and patterned butterfly sit alongside a slim dragonfly, spiral-shelled snail, green caterpillar, brown ant and long-legged grasshopper. The pictures have different outlines as well as colours. The same exact illustration appears twice for each pair. The spiral shell and large folded grasshopper legs offer clear details to compare before choosing a partner.
The cards form a four-by-four block with one shared straight cutting line between neighbours. There are no headings or footers to trim off individual cards. At actual size, each card measures 42 by 60 mm.
Print and Cut One Sheet
Choose the A4 or US Letter card file for the paper in your printer. Use portrait orientation and actual size, or 100%, to keep the stated dimensions. The two formats have the same pictures and card sizes; their outside margins differ. Print the separate guide only if you want a paper copy of the rules.
Colour printing preserves the coloured illustrations. A black-and-white printer will reproduce the same shapes in grey tones; these filled pictures are not outlined designs intended for coloring. Check one sheet for complete wings, antennae and legs before making extra copies.
Make Every Back Look the Same
For a face-down game, the pictures must stay hidden. Use opaque card stock that your printer accepts, or glue the whole uncut printed sheet to plain card and let it dry flat. Hold the sheet toward a light before cutting: if a picture is recognisable from behind, add an opaque backing.
Trim the outside of the card block, cut it into strips along the shared grid, then separate the cards. An adult can prepare the set for children who are not ready for cutting. There is no separate patterned back to align, and no double-sided printing is needed.
Start with Two Complete Pairs
Pick two animals and take both copies of each. Shuffle those four cards and place them face down in a square. Leave the other twelve cards aside. Turn over two cards, keeping them in their original places. A matching animal pair is kept by that player, who takes another turn.
If the pictures differ, let everyone see them, then turn both back over in those same positions. Pass the turn to the next player. The illustration in the printable guide shows a ladybug pair revealed; it is an example during play, not the starting arrangement.
Play with All Eight Pairs
Add another complete pair when the small game feels comfortable. Always add both copies of a picture; a single unmatched card cannot be collected. For all eight pairs, shuffle the sixteen cards and arrange them in a four-by-four layout with a little space between them.
Keep the card positions stable after an unsuccessful turn. Continue until every pair is collected. You can work together to find all eight pairs, or count each player's pairs at the end. Equal totals are a tie. To restart, gather the cards, shuffle and deal a fresh face-down layout.
Try Face-Up Matching
Try face-up matching with one copy of each picture spread on the table. Give the other copies to a child to place beside their partners. The snail has a curled shell, while the caterpillar has a long segmented outline, offering different details to look for without reading labels. For a hidden game, return to the turn rules and keep every back plain.
After play, count two copies of each of the eight pictures before storing them in an envelope. Keep complete pairs together so the next round has no unmatched card. Reprint only the card sheet if a card is lost; the guide is a separate optional download.
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