Make a Clay Matching Game

Have you ever made a homemade matching game? Many years ago, I used to make them with the kids I babysat. We would draw pictures of like objects on little squares of paper and when we were finished, we would play the game. Folks, it’s the simple things. I always liked the idea of choosing items that kids can relate to. They are much more likely to get excited about the game which is the point to games, right? 🙂

I’ve made matching games before for my daughter and thought using air-dry clay might be really fun. When I made air-dry clay pendants a few weeks ago, I had so much fun playing with the clay, I ended up making lots of items for later projects. These flat pieces have been sitting in my craft drawer ever since, waiting for their day to shine.

How to Make a Matching Game

You will need:

Air-dry clay (I used the Crayola brand)
Water
Wax paper on a tray
Sharpies or gel pens

First, take a piece of clay out of the main bucket. Separate the clay into seven small pieces. (I recommend making one extra so you can experiment when it comes time to decorate.) Roll into balls and carefully press flat. If the clay edges crack, dip your finger in water and smooth the clay.

Place the clay pieces onto a tray that is lined with wax paper. Let the clay dry completely. (Check the manufacturer’s directions for how long this will take. For me, it was about 24 hours.)

When the clay is dry, decorate with your pens or Sharpies. Practice your designs on a piece of paper and then on the test piece of clay. Draw your designs onto the clay and let dry.

Have fun playing with your new matching game!

After creating these matching clay pieces, I realized that they could also be used as a tic-tac-toe game. Simply draw a tic-tac-toe grid on a piece of paper and use the clay pieces as your Xs and Os. In this case, I would use the cats as the Os and the flowers as the Xs.

Have you ever played with air-dry clay before? It’s a lot of fun!

Here’s another air-dry clay project you might like:

How to Make a Clay Necklace

Hope you have a lovely {and creative} day!