Here's a game that tests your memory. Use this online version if you want to play by yourself or with a friend. Use the "Party Game" version if you want to play with a group of people and compare your memory to theirs.

 

1

Memory Solitaire

What do I need?

  • A piece of paper and a pencil
  • Optional: A timer or a clock with a second hand and someone to tell you when two minutes are up.

What do I do?

On the next web page, there are pictures of 20 different things.

To Play:
Set your timer for two minutes then click the GO button below to see the pictures. Look at the pictures for two minutes. After two minutes the browser will automatically return you to this page. If it doesn't
, press the BACK button to return when your friend tells you two minutes is up.

Ready, set, GO!

Now write down as many of the things as you can remember on your piece of paper.

After You've written down as many things as you can remember, press the Check button below and check your list. How many of the 20 things did you remember?

  CHECK

 

How can I do better?

Maybe you think you'll get better at memorizing things if you practice a lot. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way.

Back in 1927, a scientist tested 187 university students on their ability to memorize poetry, the meaning of Turkish words, dates of historical events, and other things.

Then some students practiced memorizing things. Others learned techniques for remembering things. And the rest did nothing at all related to memory.

When the scientist tested the students again, the group that had learned techniques for memorizing things did much better on the test than the others. The students who had practiced memorizing things and the students who had done nothing at all did about the same on the test as they did before.

Scientists have discovered that you don't get better at memorizing things just by doing it more. But you can get better by learning some clever tricks that help you out.

On the following pages, we'll give you a few tricks you can try. They'll help you remember -- they'll also tell you something about how your memory works.

Continue

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