DLTK's Holiday Crafts for Kids
St Patrick's Day Jigsaw Word Match Worksheets

I have used picture clues and simple Saint Patrick's Day themed words to create some "learn to read" jigsaw puzzle piece word matching templates for young children.

Materials:

• thin cardboard (ex:  old cereal boxes)
• printer,
• paper,
• glue,
• something to color with

Instructions:

• Print out the word match template of choice.
• Glue the template onto a piece of thin cardboard or cardstock.  I'm cheap *grin* so I always use old cereal boxes or granola bar boxes instead of buying cardstock when I need thin cardboard as a base for making crafts or templates sturdy.
• Let dry.
• Color the template if using the B&W version.
• Cut out the template, separating the jigsaw puzzle pieces.  This may require the help of an adult or older child.
• Mix together all of the pieces and allow the child to pull the pieces out and match the words with the picture clues.
• You can reuse these over and over if you like and you can mix them with other sets to make them more complicated.
• You can make up games (of varying complexity) to play with children with these templates:
   
  • Line up all of the picture clue cards.  Each player picks a word card and tries to match it with one of the picture clue cards.
  • Go fish:  I like to print two sets for this game.  Players each get 6 cards.  If they have a MATCH, they put the match down in front of them (with two sets, a match can be picture + picture, word + word or picture + word)  If player1 has no match, they can ask player2 for a card (ex:  Do you have a flower?)  Player2 either gives the flower if they have one or says GO FISH if they do not, requiring player1 to pick a new card from the pile of unused, face down cards.
  • Memory Game/Concentration.  All cards should be turned face down.  Players take turns flipping two cards up.  If the cards match (ex:  picture of a flower with the word flower) that is a MATCH -- those cards stay face up and the player gets another turn.  If there is not a MATCH, the cards get turned back face down and the next player gets a turn
• ALTERNATIVE:  Instead of making reusable puzzle pieces, you can just print the paper pieces and allow the children to glue the matching pieces together onto a blank piece of construction paper.

Templates:

• After printing, close the template window to return to the main page.
• If the template doesn’t fit on one page, adjust your printer margins:
  • In most browsers: Print → More settings → Margins → Minimum
  • Or use Page Setup / Printer Setup in your printer dialog

St. Patrick's Day Jigsaw Word Match Worksheets:

harp, hat, shoe (color)   or   (B&W)	flag, Ireland, shamrock (color)   or   (B&W)	gold, pot, rainbow (color)   or   (B&W)