Mensch Match

(A variation of Memory/Concentration)


Recommended Ages: 3 and up
Number of Players: 2 or more

Goal: To be the player with the highest number of matching pairs at the end of the game.

Set-Up:
1. Decide how many Kindness Card Categories you will be using in your game.
[Note: With 3 categories (i.e. Be Kind to Animals, Honor Elders, Give Tzedakah) and 2 players, the game will take approximately 10 minutes.]
2. Remove the Mensch Card from the deck
3. Shuffle cards
4. Lay out all the cards, face down, in even rows.

Play:
1. Player #1 turns over two cards.
2. If the two cards match (meaning if they display the same Kindness Category, illustration, and words), Player #1 wins the pair. If the cards do not match, Player #1 flips the cards back over, so that they are once again face down.
3. Play moves on to the next player.
4. Play continues until all of the pairs have been matched. The winner is the player with the most pairs.

Games for Little Mensches:

Variation #1-Face-Up Mensch Match

Recommended Ages: 3 and up
Number of Players: 1 or more
1. Use only 1-2 categories of cards.
2. Allow children to leave the cards face-up after flipping.
3. Play continues until all of the pairs have been matched.

Variation #2 -Mini-Mensch-Match

Recommended Ages: 2 and up
Number of Players: 1 or more
1. Use only 1 category of cards.
2. Arrange the cards in matching pairs. Take one card from each pair and place these 4 cards face up , forming a line front of the child. Place the remaining 4 cards in a pile (the Search Pile).
3. Hand the child a card from the top of the Search Pile. Ask the child to look at the card and then place the card on top of its matching partner.
4. Continue handing the child cards (one at a time) from the Search Pile and asking the child to find matching pairs until there are no cards left in the Search Pile.

Variation #3-Hide and Seek Mensch Match

Recommended Ages: 2 and up
Number of Players: 1 or more
1. Use only 1 category of cards.
2. Arrange the cards in matching pairs. Take one card from each pair and hide those 4 cards in 4 fairly obvious locations in the room (i.e. on top of a table, on top of a couch cushion, etc.).
3. Place the remaining 4 cards in a pile (the Search Pile).
4. Hand the child a card from the top of the Search Pile. Ask the child to look at the card and walk around the room, searching for a card that will match the card in his hand.
5. Once the child has found a match, give him a new card from the Search Pile and ask him to find its match.
6. Play continues until there are no cards left in the Search Pile.