Summer’s just around the corner! For many, this means warm weather, barbecues, and bathing suits galore.  But you know what else it means for me?  Card games for the whole family!

When I was growing up, a large portion of our summers was spent playing card games with the family. We would learn new games and challenge ourselves to get better at the ones already drilled into our memory banks. Those were times when we’d share laughs, bickered less, and simply enjoyed each other’s company. 

At the time I didn’t know any better, but as it turns out we were actually getting a lot of benefits from playing these games.  According to the article published in the Wall Street Journal How Family Card Games Teach Math, Memory and Self Confidence we were strengthening our family ties while exercising our brains.

Now that I’m an Aunt with greater awareness of childhood development, I capitalize on the benefits of playing card games with my family.

When my niece and nephews come for visits, we often turn to card games when we need an indoor activity. How many of you are planning to have your niblings over for a visit this summer?  Or maybe you have children of your own that you’d like to play with.  Yes, we always have a lot of fun together, but they’re also secretly learning at the same time.

Everyone knows about Go Fish which is a great introductory card game, but what about Garbage, Crazy Eights, Spoons, or Animal War?!

I challenge you to put down your iPhone, put away the iPads, turn off your T.V’s and try these great card games with the kids this summer!

 

These are some of my favorites card games to play with children. In case you haven’t heard of these, here’s how to play.  Ages 5+

Garbage

Playing with 2 people:  Use a standard 52 deck of cards

Deal 10 cards to each player. As the cards are being dealt, start lining them up, face down, in two rows, with five cards on the top and bottom. The remaining cards should then be placed in the middle of the two players.

The objective of this game is to get the cards in order starting with an Ace (for one) in the top left corner and ending with 10 in the bottom right corner.

Jokers and Kings are wild, meaning they can be moved anywhere and can be used as any card you need.

Queens and Jacks have no place in this game and therefore considered Garbage. I often yell “hot gaaaabage!” when I pull one of those cards.

How to play:

After the cards are dealt and the rows have been formed, the remaining cards are placed face down between the two players. The player who did not deal goes first (or the youngest player is how we usually play).

Player 1 selects its card from the center pile and determines whether or not that card can be used. For instance, if a 3 is pulled from the center pile, the player counts in 3 spots starting from the top left corner and flips over the face-down card to reveal the other side. This player’s turn continues on by placing each card in their respective positions as they are turned over. Their turn ends when they reveal a Queen, Jack, or any duplicate card that has already been turned over. When this happens, Garbage is called out and the next player starts their turn.

Player 2 should pay careful attention to what’s being discarded because one man’s garbage can be another man’s gold. If Player 2 is in need of Player 1’s discarded card, Player 2 can pick the garbage to begin their turn. If Player 2 does not need the card, they must pick up a card from the center pile.

At the beginning of the game, nearly every card is needed. Once slots begin filling up, it can take awhile before you get another card you need.

Wild Cards: Jokers (2) and Kings (4). These cards can be used to represent any of the cards that are in need.

Example: Looking for an 8, but get a King instead? Your King can now take its place. If at any point you receive an 8, the wild card can be moved to replace another spot that needs to be filled.

The winner is the first player to successfully fill the spots from A -10.

The game continues afterward, only the winner on the previous round will then be dealt 9 cards instead of 10.  Each time a round is won, the number of cards dealt to the winner of the previous round is decreased by one.

Playing with 3 Players: All the same, rules apply, except instead of dealing 10 cards, begin the game with 8 cards. If more than 3 players want to join, an additional deck of cards is needed.

Crazy Eights

This is a great game and very similar to UNO but is played with a standard deck of cards.

How to play:

Deal 5 cards to each player. Place the remaining cards in between each player and flip over the first card in the pile.

Organize the cards in your hand by suit. Tip: I find that younger children have a hard time remembering clubs and spades, so we call them clovers and shovels respectively. 

The player that did not deal goes first. The card that was flipped-over determines the suit that must be followed. Should the first card be a 2 of hearts, the player must discard another heart or another 2 from a different suit. The other option is to put down an 8 and call out the suit that they would like to change it to. If the player can’t make any of those moves, they must pick up a card from the center pile until a move can be made.

Once a player is down to one card in their hand, they must yell out “Crazy Eights!” Should they forget and the other players notice, they can make the player pick up one card from the center pile.

It’s easy for children to forget this rule, so I’ll usually give them a little reminder the first time it happens. If they’re really young, I’ll remind them only to get used to the idea, but I’ll never make them take a card. If they’re older and can handle friendly competition, I’ll usually give one warning, but after that…it’s game on!

The winner is the player that discards all of the cards in their hand first.

Make it harder!

For tween and teenagers, you can make the game even harder and more competitive!! Deal the cards as previously mentioned.

Differences:

2’s – are now draw two. If player 1 puts down a 2 card, then player 2 must draw two cards from the center and will lose their turn.

HOWEVER! If Player 2 also has a 2, he may put his 2 onto of the previously discarded 2. Then Player 3 must now draw 4 or place another 2 on top of the discarded pile. There are only four 2’s in a deck, so there is the possibility of the last player having to draw 8 cards.

Aces – draw four.  Should any player discard an Ace, the next player must draw 4 cards from the face down pile.

HOWEVER! Should he also have an Ace, he may discard it onto of the previously discarded Ace and the next player must draw 8 cards, or put down another Ace. This can continue and may result in the last player needing to pick up 16 cards (if all 4 Aces are put down at once).

Jacks – skip the next player’s turn

Queens – Reverse the direction of play. If you are in the middle and discard a Queen, and the player to your right should go next, the Queen reverses the direction, so now the plater to your left will go next.

War

The deck of 52 cards in split in half and held face down.

How to play:

Each player simultaneously flips the top card from their portion of the deck to reveal a card. The winner of each mini card battle is the player holding the card with the greatest value. Aces are always played high and it will trump all other cards. The objective of the game is to be the person holding all the cards. To date, I’ve never seen someone win this game, but it’s still fun.

Should the two players reveal the same card, for example, if both are displaying 2’s they’re now at war.

How to win a War battle:

Each player deals 3 cards face down in front of them. On the count of 3, they both turn over their next card from the top of their hand. Whoever has the highest card wins ALL the cards, both face up and face down. If both players reveal the same card again, another War has broken out and the same steps need to be repeated.

Animal War:

The same rules are followed as traditional War, but with a minor twist. 

How to play:

Before the cards are dealt, each player must choose an animal for their opponent to yell out. If the same card is revealed and you’re forced into a war, the player that shouts their opponent’s animal first wins the hand.

I’d suggest using one with similar syllables to make it fair. When I was a kid my sister would always pick duck-billed platypus for me and I’d naively pick something like cow.  Don’t be us.  It’s never fair for the youngest child. But if they’re older – make it as hard as possible. It’s fun.

 

 

Movie Line War/Movie Title

Another fun variance on this classic card game is movie line or movie title war.

Movies have always been a big deal for my family. We’d watch the same movie over and over until we could recite nearly every line. I’m not sure who suggested we start using movies or movie lines in war, but whoever it was is a genius.

How to play:

Before the game begins, pick which version you’ll play, either movie or movie line.

Players must shout out their opponent’s movie title or movie line in order to win any war.

In really close calls we call it a tie and each player takes back their cards. A favorite movie line to use when I was growing up was “This is war Peacock!” from Clue. But I guess the next time I play this game I’ll have to choose something more up to date like “Fart Poop Doody” from Boss Baby.

Spoons! – The musical chairs of card playing.

Playing with 3 to 13 people: 

Use a standard 52 deck of cards & Spoons (one fewer than there are people)

How to play:

Arrange the spoons in a small circle or line in the center of the table. Deal four cards to each player. Players may look at the cards dealt to them.

The dealer takes one card off the top of the deck and now has five cards in his hand. He must remove one card from his hand to pass facedown to the left. Each player must pick up the card handed to them and discard one to the person on his left.

The last player makes a trash pile to their side.

Each player tries to make four of a kind (4 of the same number or letter). Once a player has four of a kind, he reaches into the middle and grabs a spoon. All the remaining players must also grab a spoon as quickly as possible. The player left without a spoon now has an S! Each round is repeated until someone is knocked out by getting all the letters in S-P-O-O-N-S.

If at any time the draw cards run out, pause to reshuffle the trash pile and keep going.

Note that players can be sneaky about taking a spoon…so you better pay attention!!

I hope you’ve found these suggested games useful!  But more so, I hope you enjoy playing these games with your family!  Let me know about some of the card games you like to play with kids in the comments below!

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