Animal Footprints Memory Game

I made this awesome wooden memory game for my daughter in about two hours. You can, too! You'll need thirty 1.5 inch wooden disks or squares and a black non-bleeding pen. I used a Sharpie pen - not a sharpie marker, but the pen in fine point. It looks like this. You will also need a pencil and a large eraser.

The wooden disks I purchased for a great price from My Heartfelt Designs on Etsy. You can grab 30 of them for $4.45 plus shipping.

First, choose the animal footprints that you would like to use. I used the following: human, bear, opossum, raccoon, cat, dog, deer, elk, pig, porcupine, beaver, bird, duck, rabbit and horse. For younger kids, be sure to avoid footprints that look too much alike or there may be some confusion during the game. I found pictures of most of the animal tracks at Bear-Tracker.

Carefully draw the outline for each footprint using a pencil. Work lightly or you will have a hard time erasing your mistakes. Place each footprint slightly above center so you will have room to write the name below. Be sure to add the name in pencil as well.

Once you have your matching footprints all drawn, use your pen to carefully trace over the pencil. Once your drawings are completed, carefully erase your pencil lines. Then use your pen to shade in the footprint shapes.

This game is great for kids of all ages. My three year old loves it and learned the names of all of the animal tracks after playing it only twice. It's a bit of work, but it's worth it and you can do it. Have fun!