Puppy Color Matching Game (Toddler And Preschool Printable PDF)

Uh oh, the puppies have wandered off and none of them can remember which house is theirs! Luckily, every pup is wearing a collar that matches its dog house. Can your little learners look closely and get each one home?

This simple puppy color matching game is a lovely way for toddlers and preschoolers to practice their color recognition and learn the color names.

And here is a fun one to share while you play: dogs do not actually see colors the way we do. They only have two types of color-detecting cells in their eyes, so they see the world mostly in blues and yellows, while reds and greens look brownish and dull. Good job your little ones are there to do the matching!

And there is more going on here than color spotting too. Picking up the cards and placing them carefully gives those little hands some super fine motor practice.

If your little ones enjoy this one, our fish color matching game works on exactly the same skills with a different theme.

What Skills Can Your Little Ones Learn?

For a simple game, there’s actually quite a lot of skills that can be learned and practiced!

With this pet themed color matching game your little ones can develop:

• Color recognition practice – they will need to look closely at the colors, to ensure that they are pairing the dogs with the right homes.
• Fine motor skills – as they’ll need to be able to pick up the cards, and hand-eye coordination and hand control as they place them.
• Speech and language development – If you make sure you are getting them to say the colors when they are matching, it will help the color names become embedded as they associate the name of the color with what it looks like. You can also ask them questions – what else do you know that is green? Can you see anything else in the room which is pink? Where is it? This kind of questioning will keep them engaged and is great for language development as they describe what they are thinking and can see.
• Patience and persistence – They’ll have to carry on even if they find it tricky at first.

Who’d have thought such a simple game can help your children develop so many skills – that’s the power of play!

How To Prepare This Puppy Color Matching Game

First you’re going to want to download the color matching game by clicking on the download box at the bottom of the page.

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Then, print it out on to paper or card.

Next, cut the pieces out and you’re pretty much good to go.

There’s 10 pairs of matching cards.

I’d advise laminating them after as it will keep them nice if you want to use them again.

Now you’re all set and ready to play!

Some Tips to get Some Extra Language Development In

I mentioned above that these kinds of games can be great for language development as well as color recognition.

Talking about what they can see while they’re playing is always great.

Ask them to think about the colors. What colors can you see? What else in the room is that color? Do you know any animals that have that color on them somewhere?

Ask them about the shapes. What shapes are the kennels made of? What else do you know that is that shape?

Talking about shapes can be great to enhance their early math skills as well!

This kind of questioning will keep them engaged and make them think more about what they are doing. It’s also awesome for language development as they describe the cards.

Get Even More Out of This Color Matching Game

Here’s a few more ways to keep the learning going once the cards are cut and laminated.

Rainbow Order

Once children can match all 10 pairs confidently, challenge them to lay the matched pairs out in rainbow order. This adds a sequencing dimension to the game. It’s a natural extension that doesn’t need any extra materials and works brilliantly as a slightly more challenging version for kiddos who are ready for it.

Odd One Out

Mix up all 20 cards together, then remove one card secretly before play. Children sort and match as normal – but one card won’t find its pair. Can they spot the odd one out? This simple twist introduces early logical reasoning and makes the game feel like a little detective challenge.

Memory Game

Flip all 20 cards face down and spread them out. Players take turns flipping two cards at a time, trying to find a matching pair. If they match, the player keeps them and they get another go, if not, they go back face down. This helps build working memory, concentration and turn-taking alongside the color recognition practice.

Go Find Me Something…

Challenge your little ones to go find something the same color as a card. They will have to hunt around the room until they find something that matches, then bring it back and place next to the right card. Adds a bit of gross motor and connects it to the real world.

Hide the Puppies Around the Room

Tuck the puppy cards around the room (nowhere too tricky!), lay the dog houses out in a line and send your little ones off on a puppy rescue mission. Each pup they find has to be delivered to the right colored house. 

Add a Sensory Twist

Bury the laminated puppies in a sensory bin of rice, dried pasta or shredded paper and have your little ones dig them out one by one, delivering each rescued pup to its matching house. The digging and pinching is great for finger strength!

Enjoy!