Five Games, One Deck

How to Play

Each game uses the same Anchor It deck — morpheme cards and meaning cards matched by image.

Anchor It cards come in two types: Morpheme Cards showing a word part like chron, aqua, or bi, and Meaning Cards showing what it means — time, water, two. Each pair shares an illustration. Match them to win.

Below are five ways to play — for 2 players, small groups, or a whole classroom.

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1

Memory Match

Flip, Find, and Learn!

Two kids playing Memory Match

What you need

  • All the Morpheme and Meaning cards

How to play

  1. Shuffle all cards together and lay them face down in rows.
  2. The first player flips over two cards.
  3. If they match — like chron and time — keep the pair and go again!
  4. If they don't match, flip them back in the same spot.
  5. Next player's turn.
  6. Keep going until all cards are matched.
  7. The player with the most pairs wins.
Try to remember where you saw each card — it pays off on your next turn.
Team variant: Play in pairs, working together to remember and match faster.
2

Morpheme Charades

Act It Out!

Kids acting out Morpheme Charades

What you need

  • Morpheme Cards only (or both types for more options)

How to play

  1. Split into two teams.
  2. One player from Team A draws a Morpheme Card — say, aqua — but doesn't show it.
  3. Without words or sounds, they act out the meaning (pretend to swim or splash).
  4. If Team A guesses the morpheme or meaning within 30 seconds, they keep the card as a point.
  5. Team B's turn.
  6. Keep rotating until all cards are used.
  7. Most cards wins.
Advanced: award a bonus point if someone names a real word using the morpheme — like aquarium or aquatic.
3

Morpheme Draw Battle

Draw What You Mean!

Kids drawing in Morpheme Draw Battle

What you need

  • Morpheme Cards
  • Whiteboard or paper and markers

How to play

  1. Split into teams or pairs.
  2. One player picks a Morpheme Card and keeps it secret.
  3. They have 1 minute to draw the meaning — no letters or numbers allowed.
  4. Their team guesses the morpheme or its meaning.
  5. Correct guess = keep the card as a point. Incorrect = play passes to the next team.
  6. Rotate who draws. Most points wins.
Think of an example word first — like geology or geography for geo — then draw clues from that word.
Advanced: players must draw something different from the image already on the card.
4

Guess the Morpheme

Can You Guess the Word?

Kids playing Guess the Morpheme

What you need

  • All Morpheme and Meaning cards

How to play

  1. Split into two teams or play as a group.
  2. One player picks a Meaning Card but doesn't show it.
  3. They describe the meaning without saying the word — "This means time!"
  4. Other players guess the matching Morpheme Card.
  5. Correct guesser keeps the pair (morpheme + meaning card).
  6. Take turns describing and guessing.
  7. Most pairs at the end wins.
Advanced: earn up to 3 bonus points for each real word you can name that uses the morpheme. Track on paper.
5

Go Fish

Fish for Root Matches!

Fish illustration for Go Fish

What you need

  • All Morpheme and Meaning cards

How to play

  1. Deal 5 cards to each player. Put the rest face down as a draw pile.
  2. On your turn, ask another player for a specific match — "Do you have the meaning for micro?"
  3. If they have small, they give it to you and you keep the pair. Go again!
  4. If not, they say "Go Fish!" and you draw from the pile.
  5. If you draw a match, show it and go again. Otherwise, your turn ends.
  6. Keep playing until all pairs are made.
  7. Most pairs wins.
Pay attention to what others ask for — it tells you exactly where the matching cards are.