The Memory Game: Canoe Plants

A fun, educational twist on the classic memory game. Match the canoe plants and animals that Polynesian voyagers carried to Hawaiʻi.

Misprint edition, special price. This print came back with a few kahakō missing and a typo on the back. The game plays perfectly, and we couldn't let a perfectly imperfect game go to waste. So we added in the kahakō, fixed the typo, and priced it at $20 while they last.

Polynesian voyagers sailed to Hawaiʻi by waʻa with everything they needed to start a new life. That included the plants they couldn't live without, for food, medicine, cloth, rope and tools. We call them canoe plants. They brought animals with them too.

The Memory Game: Canoe Plants brings 15 of them to the table, with artwork by Mika Yamada. As your keiki find matches, they learn the Hawaiian name for each one. From there, look up how our Polynesian ancestors used them and learn it together as an ʻohana.

What's inside

• 15 matching pairs (30 cards), one for each plant and animal
• The Hawaiian name on every card, with the missing kahakō added in
• Durable cards made for lots of play
• Ages 3+, 1 to 4 players

Featured plants

ʻAwa, Hala, ʻIpu, Kalo, Kukui, Maiʻa, Niu, ʻŌlena, ʻUala, ʻUlu and Lāʻī

Featured animals

ʻĪlio, Moa, Puaʻa and ʻIole

Ways to play

• Classic memory: turn the cards face down and find the pairs
• Flashcards: learn each name in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi
• Scavenger hunt: hide the cards and send keiki looking
• Garden walk: take the cards outside and find the real plants in your neighborhood
• Moʻolelo: pick three cards and tell a story

Why we made it

Canoe plants are how our Polynesian ancestors fed and cared for their ʻohana. When keiki can name the kalo in the loʻi or the ʻulu in the yard, they're connecting to the people who planted them first.

Perfect for families, kumu and classrooms, birthday and holiday gifts, and anyone sending a piece of home to keiki on the mainland.

Pairs with: The Memory Game: Mauna Kea ($30) and our canoe plants and animals pepili (stickers).