Working Memory Activities for Children: 12 Games and Exercises That Actually Work

Your child hears three instructions and remembers only the first one.

They start a math problem correctly but forget what the teacher asked them to do next.

They read an entire paragraph and then cannot remember what it was about.

Or you ask them to get their shoes, backpack, and water bottle—and they return with the shoes.

These situations can be frustrating, but they may have less to do with effort than with working memory.

Working memory is one part of the broader executive functioning system. It allows a child to temporarily hold information in their mind and work with it. It is involved in everyday activities such as following directions, completing multi-step assignments, remembering what they just read, doing mental math, and keeping track of where they are in a task.

The good news is that parents can practice working memory through simple activities at home. You do not need expensive equipment or complicated programs. Many effective exercises can be turned into games that take only a few minutes.

The key is consistency, gradual increases in difficulty, and connecting practice to real-world skills.

What Is Working Memory and Why Does It Matter?

Think of working memory as a mental whiteboard.

Information appears on the whiteboard temporarily. Your child uses it, updates it, and eventually clears it to make room for something new.

For example, if you say:

“Go upstairs, get your math book, put it in your backpack, and bring your water bottle downstairs.”

Your child has to remember several pieces of information while physically moving through the task. If they forget the water bottle halfway through, working memory may be part of the reason.

Working memory also plays an important role in school.

A student solving a multi-step math problem has to remember the original question while performing calculations. A student reading a story needs to remember earlier details to understand what is happening later. A student listening to a teacher has to hold instructions in mind long enough to act on them.

Working memory is closely connected to other executive functioning skills , including attention, planning, organization, and self-monitoring. You can learn more about the broader skill set in Groza’s Guide to Effective Executive Functioning Skills.

Because working memory is used throughout the day, practice does not have to look like traditional schoolwork. Games, conversations, movement, and everyday routines can all provide opportunities to exercise the skill.

Category 1 — Card and Board Games

Games are an easy way to practice working memory because they naturally require children to remember information while simultaneously making decisions.

The best games are not necessarily the most complicated. What matters is that your child has to hold information in mind and use it.

Activity 1: Memory Matching

What you need: A standard memory-matching card set, or pairs of homemade cards.

How to play: Place all cards face down in rows. Players take turns flipping over two cards. If the cards match, the player keeps the pair. If they do not match, both cards are turned face down again. The player has to remember where those cards were located for future turns.

Start with a small number of pairs for younger children. As your child becomes more comfortable, add more cards.

You can also make the activity more challenging by asking your child to name the location of a card before flipping it: “Where was the blue star?”

Why it builds working memory: Your child has to remember the identity and location of previously revealed cards and use that information later. They are continuously updating what they know while keeping earlier information available.

Recommended age: Approximately 4–10+ years, depending on the number of cards and complexity.

The important part is not simply remembering that a card exists. Your child needs to remember where it was and use that information to make a decision later.

Activity 2: Go Fish

What you need: A standard Go Fish card deck.

How to play: Deal cards to each player according to the usual rules. Players ask one another for specific cards. The working-memory challenge comes from remembering what other players have previously requested and what cards may still be in their hands.

To increase the challenge, encourage your child to remember previous requests without looking at notes.

For example:

“You asked Sarah for sevens earlier. Did she have any?”

Your child has to retrieve information from previous turns before deciding what to ask for next.

Why it builds working memory: Go Fish requires players to maintain information about cards, previous requests, and other players’ responses while continuing to make decisions. It combines memory with attention and reasoning.

Recommended age: Approximately 5–10+ years.

You can make the game easier by allowing reminders or make it harder by increasing the number of cards or asking your child to explain what they remember before making their next request.

Activity 3: Uno With a Twist

What you need: A standard UNO deck.

How to play: Play UNO normally, but add one simple memory rule.

Before playing a card, the player must say the card’s color aloud.

For example:

“I am playing a red seven.”

Once your child understands that rule, add another:

“Before playing, tell me the color of the card that was played immediately before yours.”

Keep the rules manageable. The goal is to exercise working memory, not make the game frustrating.

Why it builds working memory: Your child must remember the current game state, hold the additional rule in mind, and retrieve recent information while deciding what to play.

Recommended age: Approximately 6–12+ years.

You can increase the challenge gradually. The child might eventually have to remember the last two cards or identify a pattern from several previous turns.

This type of modification is useful because it transforms a familiar game into a working memory exercise without making it feel like another worksheet.

Category 2 — Verbal and Storytelling Games

Verbal games are particularly useful because they require children to hold information without relying on visual materials.

They also make it easy to practice working memory while driving, eating dinner, waiting at an appointment, or walking around the neighborhood.

Activity 4: The Grocery List Game

What you need: Nothing.

How to play: Begin with the classic phrase:

“I’m going to the store and I’m buying…”

The first person names one item.

“I’m buying apples.”

The next person repeats the first item and adds another:

“I’m buying apples and bread.”

The next player repeats both and adds a third:

“I’m buying apples, bread, and milk.”

Continue building the list.

For younger children, stop after three or four items. Older children can work toward longer sequences.

You can also introduce categories. For example, everything purchased must be a fruit, breakfast food, school supply, or item found in a particular room.

Why it builds working memory: Your child must maintain an expanding sequence of information and retrieve the entire sequence before adding something new.

Recommended age: Approximately 4–12+ years.

If your child struggles, reduce the number of items rather than immediately giving the answer. You can provide the first letter as a cue or repeat the list once and then try again.

The objective is gradual growth.

Activity 5: Story Chain

What you need: Nothing.

How to play: One person begins a story with a sentence:

“Yesterday, Mia found a mysterious box in the backyard.”

The next person adds a sentence:

“She opened it and found a tiny golden key.”

The next person continues the story.

After several sentences, stop and ask your child to retell everything that happened in order.

For younger children, use three to five sentences. For older children, build a longer story with characters, locations, and events.

You can make it more challenging by asking questions:

“Where did Mia find the box?”

“What was inside it?”

“What happened after she opened it?”

Why it builds working memory: The child must retain earlier story details while incorporating new information and maintaining the sequence of events.

Recommended age: Approximately 5–12+ years.

This activity also connects working memory to reading comprehension because stories require children to hold earlier information in mind while processing what comes next.

Activity 6: Backward Spelling

What you need: A list of age-appropriate words.

How to play: Choose a word your child can already spell.

Start with something simple such as:

CAT.

Have your child spell it normally:

C-A-T.

Then ask them to spell it backward:

T-A-C.

Gradually move to longer words.

For example:

TABLE → ELBAT

PLANET → TENALP

You can make it interactive by saying the word aloud and asking your child to hold the letters in mind without looking at it.

Why it builds working memory: The child must temporarily store the sequence of letters and mentally manipulate that information in reverse order.

Recommended age: Approximately 6–12+ years.

The backward component makes this more than a spelling exercise. It requires the child to maintain information while transforming it.

Start with words the child knows well. The goal is to challenge working memory, not introduce unfamiliar spelling at the same time.

Category 3 — Movement-Based Activities

Working memory does not have to be practiced sitting at a table.

Movement-based games can be particularly useful for children who have difficulty staying engaged during traditional exercises. They combine physical activity with remembering, sequencing, and responding to information.

Activity 7: Reverse Simon Says

What you need: Nothing.

How to play: Play Simon Says, but reverse the expected response.

If the leader says:

“Simon says touch your head,”

the child must not touch their head.

If the leader says:

“Touch your knees,”

the child should touch their knees.

You can begin with only one reverse rule and gradually increase the complexity.

For older children, create several rules:

• If I say “Simon says,” do the opposite.
• If I don’t say “Simon says,” do the action.
• If I clap twice, freeze.

Why it builds working memory: The child must remember the current rule while listening to new information, inhibit their automatic response, and choose the correct action.

Recommended age: Approximately 5–12+ years.

This activity also exercises inhibitory control and attention, demonstrating how executive functioning skills often work together rather than independently.

Activity 8: Five-Step Obstacle Course From Memory

What you need: Safe household objects that can be used to create a simple obstacle course.

How to play: Create five steps.

For example:

1. Walk around the chair.
2. Touch the wall.
3. Jump over a pillow.
4. Crawl under a table.
5. Put a beanbag in a basket.

Walk your child through the sequence once.

Then ask them to complete the entire course without additional prompts.

Once they master five steps, increase the sequence to six or seven.

Why it builds working memory: Your child has to remember a sequence of instructions and retrieve each step at the correct moment while physically completing the task.

Recommended age: Approximately 5–10+ years.

Safety comes first. Use open spaces and age-appropriate movements, and avoid anything involving heights, sharp objects, or unstable furniture.

You can also turn this into an everyday activity by giving your child a sequence of household tasks:

“Put your plate in the sink, put your cup away, get your backpack, and bring me your homework folder.”

Activity 9: Digit Span Taps

What you need: A table or another safe surface.

How to play: Tap a simple sequence with your finger.

For example:

Tap-tap-pause-tap.

Ask your child to repeat the exact sequence.

Start with three taps. Gradually increase the number.

Once your child is comfortable repeating sequences forward, reverse the challenge.

You tap:

1-2-3-4

Your child must tap:

4-3-2-1.

You can use sounds instead of taps or combine taps with movements.

Why it builds working memory: The child must temporarily store an auditory or motor sequence and reproduce it accurately. The backward version adds mental manipulation to simple recall.

Recommended age: Approximately 5–12+ years.

Keep the exercise brief. A few minutes of focused practice is enough. If your child becomes frustrated, shorten the sequence and build up gradually.

Category 4 — Academic Skill Builders

The most useful working memory practice often connects directly to the situations in which your child needs the skill.

That means you can practice working memory through reading, math, spelling, and other academic tasks without turning every exercise into a formal training session.

Activity 10: Mental Math Warm-Ups

What you need: Nothing.

How to play: Give your child a short sequence of calculations that must be completed mentally.

For example:

“Start with 10. Add 5. Subtract 3. Then add 4. What’s your answer?”

Your child has to remember the current number while applying each new operation.

Start with two operations.

Then increase to three or four as your child becomes more comfortable.

For older children:

“Start with 20. Divide by 2. Add 7. Multiply by 2.”

Do not allow writing or a calculator during the warm-up.

Why it builds working memory: Your child must hold the current result in mind while applying the next operation. This combines working memory with attention and mental manipulation.

Recommended age: Approximately 7–12+ years, adjusted to the child’s academic level.

The math itself should be easy enough that the working-memory demand—not the underlying math concept—is the main challenge.

Activity 11: Read-Aloud Then Answer Questions

What you need: A short age-appropriate book, passage, or article.

How to play: Read a short passage aloud to your child. When you finish, ask several questions without allowing them to look back immediately.

Start with straightforward questions:

“Who was the main character?”

“Where did the story take place?”

“What happened first?”

Then gradually introduce questions requiring more connections:

“Why did the character make that decision?”

“What happened because of it?”

“What was the problem in the story?”

Why it builds working memory: Your child must retain information from the passage and retrieve it after the information is no longer directly in front of them.

Recommended age: Approximately 5–12+ years.

If your child struggles, shorten the passage rather than immediately repeating the entire story. You can also begin by asking one question and gradually increase the number.

This activity is particularly useful because it connects working memory to reading comprehension, where children must remember earlier information to understand what they are reading now.

Activity 12: Retell the Story — In Order, Then in Reverse

What you need: A short story, personal experience, or familiar event.

How to play: Ask your child to retell a story or event from beginning to end.

For example:

“Tell me what happened at the birthday party, starting with when we arrived.”

Once they can retell it in order, introduce the harder version:

“Now tell me what happened, starting with the last thing and working backward.”

You can also ask your child to identify three specific details from the story.

Why it builds working memory: The child must hold multiple events in mind, preserve their sequence, retrieve information, and then mentally manipulate the sequence when retelling it backward.

Recommended age: Approximately 6–12+ years.

This activity can be practiced naturally after reading a book, watching a movie, taking a trip, or completing an everyday activity.

It also gives parents useful information. If your child can remember isolated facts but struggles to organize them into a sequence, the difficulty may involve more than working memory alone. Planning, organization, language processing, or other executive functioning skills may also be involved.

How Often Should Children Practice Working Memory?

You do not need to turn working memory activities into another long homework assignment.

Short, consistent practice is usually easier to maintain than occasional marathon sessions.

Try incorporating 5–15 minutes of working memory practice into everyday routines several times a week. Rotate activities so your child does not become bored.

For example:

Monday: Memory Matching
Tuesday: Grocery List Game
Wednesday: Mental Math
Thursday: Reverse Simon Says
Friday: Story Chain

You can also practice naturally during activities you already do together.

Ask your child to remember a short grocery list.

Give them two or three instructions before they begin a chore.

Ask them to retell something that happened at school.

Have them mentally calculate a simple price while shopping.

The objective is not to create a perfect training schedule. It is to give your child repeated opportunities to hold, manipulate, and retrieve information.

Difficulty should increase gradually. If your child can comfortably remember four items, try five. If five becomes easy, try six.

If the activity consistently produces frustration, reduce the difficulty.

Working memory practice should feel like a challenge—not a daily test your child is destined to fail.

Research on Working Memory Training

Research suggests that working memory performance can improve with targeted practice, but the findings are more nuanced than the phrase “working memory can be trained” might suggest.

A well-known randomized controlled trial by Klingberg and colleagues (2005) studied 53 children with ADHD, ages 7–12. The children completed systematic working-memory training or a comparison program. The researchers found improvements on an untrained visuospatial working-memory task, as well as improvements on measures of verbal working memory, response inhibition, and complex reasoning. Parents also reported reductions in symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, with some effects remaining at three-month follow-up.

That study is important, but it should not be interpreted as proof that any memory game will automatically improve grades or resolve attention difficulties.

Later research has produced mixed findings about how far training gains transfer to everyday academic and behavioral outcomes. For example, a randomized trial of computerized cognitive training in children with ADHD found a replicated benefit for visuospatial working memory but did not find corresponding treatment effects on academic performance or classroom behavior.

The practical takeaway is important for parents: practice the skill in contexts that resemble the situations where your child needs it.

That is why activities involving instructions, stories, schoolwork, routines, games, and real-life sequences can be valuable additions to a child’s day. They give children opportunities to practice holding and using information while completing meaningful tasks.

What NOT to Do — Why Working Memory Apps Alone Don’t Transfer

Working memory apps can be engaging, and some structured training programs have demonstrated improvements on working-memory measures. But parents should be cautious about assuming that getting better at a particular app automatically means a child will become more organized, read better, or complete homework independently.

A child can become extremely good at a specific memory game because they have learned the game’s patterns and demands.

That is different from remembering three classroom instructions, keeping track of a multi-step math problem, and remembering what needs to go into a backpack at the end of the day.

Research on cognitive training has raised important questions about transfer—whether improvements on the trained task carry over to different cognitive skills or everyday functioning. The evidence is not uniformly positive, particularly for broad academic and behavioral outcomes.

That does not mean games are useless.

It means they should be treated as one tool, not the entire intervention.

Instead of relying exclusively on an app, combine practice with real-life opportunities:

• Give your child two or three instructions and ask them to complete them.
• Practice remembering a grocery list.
• Ask them to summarize a story without looking back.
• Use mental math during everyday activities.
• Have them plan and complete a short sequence of chores.
• Practice remembering what materials they need for tomorrow.

These activities connect working memory to the situations where your child actually needs it.

And if working memory difficulties are significantly affecting school performance, simply doing more games may not address the underlying issue.

When Working Memory Struggles Point to a Bigger Need

Occasional forgetfulness is normal.

Every child forgets instructions, loses track of a task, or needs something repeated from time to time. The concern becomes greater when working memory difficulties are persistent, pronounced, and present across multiple settings.

For example, you may notice the same pattern at home, school, extracurricular activities, and during everyday routines.

Your child may:

• Frequently forget multi-step directions.
• Lose track of instructions almost immediately.
• Struggle to remember what they just read.
• Need repeated reminders for routine tasks.
• Have difficulty completing multi-step assignments.
• Forget materials even after being reminded.
• Become overwhelmed when several pieces of information must be managed at once.

When these difficulties consistently interfere with school, relationships, daily routines, or independence, it is worth looking beyond individual memory exercises.

Working-memory difficulties can occur alongside ADHD and other learning or processing challenges, but working memory problems alone do not establish a diagnosis. A broader evaluation may be appropriate when difficulties are persistent or significantly impair functioning.

For more information about broader executive functioning patterns, see Signs of Executive Functioning Challenges. Families can also explore Groza’s Executive Functioning and ADHD Guide for additional information about the relationship between executive functioning and ADHD.

The goal of professional assessment is not simply to determine whether a child has “bad memory.” It is to understand which skills are creating barriers and what type of support is most likely to help.

How Executive Functioning Coaching Can Help

Working memory does not operate in isolation.

A child may have difficulty remembering instructions because they are distracted before the instruction is fully encoded. They may forget an assignment because they lack an organization system. They may lose track of a multi-step project because planning is difficult.

This is where executive functioning coaching can be useful.

An EF coach can help identify patterns in how a child approaches school and everyday responsibilities, then develop practical strategies that reduce the amount of information the child has to hold in their head.

For example, rather than simply telling a child to “remember your homework,” a coach may help establish an assignment-tracking system.

Rather than repeatedly reminding a child of every step, the coach may teach them to externalize instructions using a checklist.

Instead of expecting a child to estimate how long a project will take, the coach may help them break the project into smaller steps and use time-management tools.

The goal is not to make a child rely on an adult forever.

The goal is to gradually help the child build systems that support greater independence.

You can learn more about Groza’s Executive Functioning services and how structured coaching can address the broader skills surrounding working memory.