Alphabet Card Game – Printable Alphabet Animals

For a while I wanted to turn the illustrations I created for my alphabet animal puppets into a fun alphabet card game – that can be used for Memory Matching, Go Fish, or Old Maid! And it’s finally here! This post contains affiliate links.

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Animals are such a fantastic way to teach kids a little more about the sounds that letters make and these animal alphabet drawings are fun, quirky, and include only real animals. Each one actually begins with that letter! I’ve turned it into a fun alphabet card game for you.

Table of contents:

• About the animal alphabet card game + how to play Old Maid, Go Fish, and Memory Match
• Get the alphabet animal card game
• What you get
• Here are previews of the individual files
• Get it here
• What you need to print and assemble your alphabet card game
• For hand assembly
• For Cricut Assembly
• For all
• How to assemble your alphabet card game
• Cricut Print then Cut
• Assembling by hand
• Assembling the box
• Haven’t grabbed it yet? Download your alphabet card game right here!

Here’s the full list of alphabet animals:

• A is for Alligator
• B is for Bear
• C is for Cat
• D is for Dog
• E is for Elephant
• F is for Fox
• G is for Goat
• H is for Horse
• I is for Iguana
• J is for Jellyfish
• K is for Koala
• L is for Lion
• M is for Monkey
• N is for Narwhal
• O is for Octopus
• P is for Peacock
• Q is for Quokka
• R is for Rhinocerous
• S is for Snail

• T is for Tiger
• U is for Umbrellabird
• V is for Vulture
• W is for Whale
• X is for X-ray Fish (X-ray Tetra)
• Y is for Yak
• Z is for Zebra

About the animal alphabet card game + how to play Old Maid, Go Fish, and Memory Match

This is a printable game for you to print as many times as you want (for personal or classroom use) and have fun playing!

It’s designed as an “Old Maid” game – with the “old maid” being the monster.

However, there is a lot you can do with a simple deck of cards!

If you remove the monster card, you can also play Go Fish or Memory Match!

• Old Maid Card Rules – in a nutshell, you need to match up the cards in your hand, and get rid of them all. Each kid takes turns picking cards from their opponent’s hand blindly. The Old Maid has no match so that’s the one you hope your opponent chooses from you.
• Go Fish game play – here, each kid will request a specific card from an opponent. They must have one of those cards, so other players can remember which they requested if they have the same. Read full game play rules here.
• Memory Match – This game is the simplest, for the youngest players. Simply flip them all over (besides the monster, of course) and flip them back up two at a time to match them up!

I designed these as a printable with rounded end cards (but if you’re short on time, just cut your cards as rectangles). You can also assemble the included box template if you want, or leave it out!

Print these and cut by hand, or use the Cricut-friendly files I included to Print then Cut for a beautiful, professional touch!

When you’re done, laminate them if you want.

Get the alphabet animal card game

The printable game is available as a PDF and PNG on Etsy or in my shop here. EU customers are requested to purchase form Etsy for VAT purposes.

What you get

It includes:

• PDF printable files:
  • Cards
  • Box
  • Game play instructions
• Cricut Print then Cut files:
  • Individual PNG cards
  • PNG cards laid out to fit max Print then Cut size
  • PDF of game play instructions to print separately
  • PNG box file with all markings. You’ll need to add score lines over the dotted lines in Design Space (instructions below)

Here are previews of the individual files

The PDF printables:

The PNG files:

Get it here

Or grab it in my Etsy shop

Get the full-color bundle (game + puppets) here!

Get the FULL bundle with all four alphabet animal crafts and activities here!

Or choose your alphabet animal craft and bundles from the gallery below:

What you need to print and assemble your alphabet card game

For hand assembly

• Paper cutter
• Scoring tool (if assembling box)
• Ruler
• Scissors

For Cricut Assembly

• Cricut Explore Air 2 or Maker (for Print then Cut feature)
• LightGrip Mat (included)
• Fine Point Blade (included)
• Scoring wheel (Maker only) or Scoring Stylus (either machine)
• Basic Tool set – recommended – for the spatula tool

For all

• Color printer
• Card stock (use this to print your cards) – the heavier the better!
• Tacky glue, strong glue stick, or glue lines

How to assemble your alphabet card game

Cricut Print then Cut

Note: Images are from other projects but the instructions are the same.

1. Extract your files to an unzipped folder. On most newer PCs you can do this simply by opening your ZIP folder moving them to a new folder. Or right click on the folder and “extract”.

2. Open Cricut Design Space. Open a new project. Click “upload” and choose the first image from your computer. Choose “complex” as your image type then click “continue”. Don’t worry about erasing any part of the image (the background is already removed on these). Choose “save as a print then cut image” and save. 

3. Repeat this process for all the included images, select them all, and “insert images”.

4. Resize each image to a maximum of 6.75 inches wide or 9.25 inches high. The layout on each image was designed having in mind an ideal size for your playing cards and to make the project layout easier for you. If you want a different size (either smaller for more efficient assembly or larger for easier use with little hands) use the individual cards that I included as well.

5. Resize your card box as well. Make sure that all your cards are pretty much the same size, and that they fit in your box. To add score lines, click on shapes and choose score line. Lay them over your card box on the dotted lines. Make sure they don’t overlap outside your box or your design will register as too big for Print then Cut. Select the score lines and the box and click “attach.

6. Once your have your cards laid out, click Make it. Go through the print then cut process on card stock, following the machine prompts as you go along.

You’ll notice that your printer adds a black box around your cards. That’s “registration marks” that your Cricut scans to see where to cut.

Tip: use a spatula from the Cricut Basic Tool Set as well as the weeding tool to help you remove unwanted parts. Try pulling the mat away from the cards so that they don’t curl up (but if they do, it’s easy to flatten them.)

Assembling by hand

1. Cut out your cards by hand, preferably using a straight edge cutter. Cut around the rounded corners if you want. Cut out your box as well.

2. Score on the dotted lines of the box.

Assembling the box

1. Fold on the score lines.

2. Glue the tab to the opposite side.

3. Allow it to dry and insert your cards.

Haven’t grabbed it yet? Download your alphabet card game right here!

Or grab it in my Etsy shop

Get the full-color bundle (game + puppets) here!

Get the FULL bundle with all four alphabet animal crafts and activities here!

Or choose your alphabet animal craft and bundles from the gallery below: