Picture Dominoes - Colours and Shapes - Matching and Pairing Cards
Picture Dominoes Activity Guide
Age-adapted play ideas for families, classrooms, and group settings
What You Need
- One set of Picture Dominoes cards (see product links below)
- A flat table surface
- 2–6 players (or small groups for classroom or facility use)
Basic Setup (All Ages)
- Shuffle the cards face-down in the centre of the table.
- Each player draws 5 cards to form their hand (reduce to 3 for younger players).
- Place one card face-up in the centre to start the line.
- Remaining cards form the draw pile.
Activity Menu
1. Classic Matching Turn (Ages 3+)
On your turn, place a card from your hand next to any open end of the line, matching by colour, shape, or pattern. If you cannot match, draw one card from the pile. First player to use all their cards wins.
Facilitation prompt: “Can you find a card that looks the same colour as the end card? What shape do you see?”
2. Contrasting Turn (Ages 5+)
Add a rule that players may also place a card by contrast — a card that is the opposite colour or a clearly different pattern. Name the contrast aloud to claim the point.
Facilitation prompt: “That’s very different — can you tell us how it’s different from the card next to it?”
3. Vocabulary Builder (Ages 4–8 / EAL Learners)
Before placing a card, the player names the colour and shape on the card. Correct naming earns a bonus point. Use the name cards (where included in the set) to extend to reading and labelling.
Facilitation prompt: “What colour is this? What shape? Can you find its name card?”
4. Memory Match Variant (Ages 5+)
Lay all cards face-down in a grid. Players take turns flipping two cards — if they match by colour and shape, keep the pair. Most pairs wins. This variation supports visual memory and concentration.
Facilitation prompt: “Try to remember where you saw that colour before — it might still be face-down on the table.”
5. Small-Group Adaptation (Classrooms & Facilities, 6–20 players)
- Divide into teams of 2–3.
- Each team shares a hand and must agree on which card to play — encouraging communication and turn-taking.
- Rotate team roles each round: one player holds the cards, one places, one names the match.
Facilitation prompt: “Talk to your team — which card do you all think fits best, and why?”
6. Aged-Care & Low-Vision Adaptation
- Use a reduced hand of 3 cards to lower cognitive load.
- Place cards in a single straight line for easier tracking.
- High-contrast sets (Blue and Squash) work well for players with reduced colour differentiation.
- Allow unlimited draw time — remove competitive scoring and focus on the social and conversational experience of play.
Facilitation prompt: “Take your time — which of your cards feels like it might belong next to this one?”
General Facilitation Tips
- Celebrate process over winning — praise observations like “you noticed those are both blue!”
- Adjust hand size to control game length (fewer cards = shorter game).
- For mixed-age groups, pair younger and older players so older players can model thinking aloud.
- Use the name cards (included in some sets) to layer in literacy and language goals.
Shop Picture Dominoes
Choose the set that suits your group — or grab the full bundle for maximum variety and more players:
- Picture Dominoes – Blue Card Set — a great starting set with bold, high-contrast colours
- Picture Dominoes – Green Card Set 2A — expands colour and shape variety
- Picture Dominoes – Green Card Set 2B — pairs with 2A for larger group play
- Picture Dominoes – Squash Card Set — distinctive warm tones, ideal for contrast activities
- Bundle – 4 Sets of Picture Dominoes — best value, supports larger groups and all activity variations above
How to Play — Game Rules
Conga
Players take turns to match cards by placing them face up in a circle or along a line on the table next to a similarly coloured pattern or shape.
The player who finishes first after using all his cards, wins the game and claims the prize.
Snap
Players match two cards with the same pattern, colour and shape.
For this game all the cards from the two-packet set of cards are evenly distributed amongst players, with the last card left face up on the table. The game moves around in a circle and each player in turn places a card onto the centre pile. When two cards match, ANY PLAYER can claim the pack by placing his hand onto the pile and shouting out -SNAP-. That player can then pick up and use the cards from the pile and the game continues. The game ends when one player has no cards left to play and none to snap up. The winner is the person who has SNAPPED UP the most cards by the end of the game.
Flower Pots
The flower pots, are made of the same design on the base of a set of at least three cards. Either as similarly coloured shapes or as similarly coloured patterns. The other half of the designs with the different colours, patterns and shapes are the flowers. Players place cards onto the table in groups of three or more. Cards which are used in flower pots are worth a point each. When a player starts by placing a flowerpot with five or more cards — double the point score.
For this game each player is given eight cards and the other cards are left in reserve, face down on the table — to be picked up when needed. To start, each player puts down a flower pot group, discards a card and replenishes his hand from the reserve pile. The game then moves to the next player. At the next round the player can make another flower pot group or add to his existing group. However if he is holding at least two flower pot cards, he can use his turn to pick up another player’s same flowerpot group from the table and add these to his, thus collecting the total point score. The player who finishes with the most flower pots and the largest point score at the end of the game, wins the game and claims the prize. Each flower pot has a different pattern which can be named after a particular flower and when you are finished you can use the flower pots and spin a few yarns with them.
Buy Now
Picture Matching and Pairing Cards — Australian Flowers
———digital download
You can play a Memory Match Game with these Matching and Pairing Cards. In the 24 picture card set the flower pictures are not the same — they are shown as individual blooms and can be seen growing as part of their environment so you need to recognize and match the flower. As an additional challenge, the game also has name cards which you can match to the flower pair. This game contains 36 cards to match.
With a 48 picture card and 24 name card double set, you can match the pictures exactly, to obtain 24 pairs and then add their name cards. More people can play and have fun collecting cards and matching scores. This double set has a total of 72 cards to match.
To play a memory and matching game — give every player four cards and place the others face down on the table. The players take it in turns to lift a card and collect it, if it matches a card in hand. If not it is replaced on the table — face down.
Challenge each other with a game in which you collect point scores — Let each matched pair score two points, and then double the point score when you can also add the name of the flower to a pair.
Try the game out and enjoy a card matching and pairing game with your family.