Top 5 Card Games For Kids
22 September 2023
Playing cards is a classic pastime, but not all games are suited to playing with kids. Here we’ve put together a list of the top 5 card games for children, so you can keep them entertained on rainy days and holidays with a deck of cards.
Snap
Snap is a classic card game that is perfect for kids of all ages and easy for them to understand, requiring focus and fast reactions to win. All you need is a regular deck of 52 cards. Split them between two or more players. Players take turns laying down a card from their hand onto a central pile. If the card laid down matches the rank of the card on top of the pile, then the first player to say "snap" wins the current round and gets to take all of the cards in the pile. The winner of the game is the player that collects all of the cards.
Go Fish
Go Fish is another great option for kids. The object of the game is to collect as many sets as possible, which is four cards of the same rank. To start, each player is dealt seven cards from the deck. The remainder of the cards are set face-down in the middle of the players. Players ask one another if they have a certain card. For example, player 1 might ask player 2 if they have any threes. If they do, they must give one to player 1 and if they don't, they say "Go fish" and player 1 draws one card from the deck and their turn ends. The winner is the player with the most sets at the end of the game.
Old Maid
Old Maid is a classic game that even younger kids will enjoy. Start by removing one Queen card from the deck. Then, deal out all of the other cards evenly among the players. Each player looks at their hand and discards any pairs they may have. Once all players have discarded their pairs, take turns asking the player next to you if they have a certain card. The goal is to get rid of all of your cards by collecting pairs. The player left holding the Old Maid at the end of the game loses.
Memory/Pairs
Memory, also known as Pairs, is another classic card game that is perfect for kids. To play, place all of the cards face down. Players turn over two cards at a time, looking for matches. If the two cards are the same, the player collects those cards and has another turn. If they don't match, the cards are turned over again and it's the next player's turn. The game ends when every card pair has been identified. The aim of the game is to have more pairs than your opponents when the game ends.
Higher Or Lower
This card game is a great way for kids to practise their number recognition and counting skills. To play Higher Or Lower, you will need a deck of cards with the Ace being worth 1 point, 2-10 is worth face value, and Jacks, Queens, and Kings being worth 10 points each. shuffle the deck and deal out 5 cards to each player face down. Players then take turns flipping over their top card and guessing whether the next card in the deck will be higher or lower than their own. If they guess correctly, they get to keep the card. The aim of the game is to collect as many cards as possible. The player with the most cards at the end wins.
There are countless card games out there, but these are our top 5 favourites for kids. These games are easy to learn, provide hours of fun, and can be enjoyed by the whole family. So next time you're looking for something to do, break out the cards and give one of these games a try.