Let's take eyes off screen some time and experience how card games fun! Children's card games have many characteristics: portability, hidden learning, social interaction and family bonding. No matter what situation, a suitable card game can immerse children and parents.
In this article, we'll look at Top 10 card games for kids that are entertaining, skill-building, and easy to play. Also consider games' age-appropriateness, educational value, replayability, and, of course, fun! Let's take look at these card games for kids.
Why Card Games Are Fantastic for Kids:
Before introducing games, we need to understand why we let children play card games.
l Cognitive Development: Many games involve memory, strategy, pattern recognition, counting, and basic math skills.
l Social skills: taking turns, following rules, maintaining good attitude, communication and cooperation are all practiced.
l Fine Motor Skills: Catching, shuffling, dealing and handling cards all help develop dexterity.
l Focus and Concentration: Paying attention to state of game, opponent's moves, and remembering the rules, all can helps develop focus.
l Affordable and portable: One deck cards can be used to play multiple games. Cards are usually inexpensive and easy to carry.
l Screen-free entertainment: Saying goodbye to electronic devices and enjoying face-to-face interaction, That is a great way to relax.
The Top 10 Card Games for Kids:
1. Go Fish (Classic Deck)
* Recommended: This card game is classic for children. Have simple rules, and focus on matching, turn-based and basic game structure.
* How to play: Each player dealt 5-7 cards. The remaining cards are placed face down as the "ocean". Players take turns asking specific opponent for specific number of points. If the opponent has it, they must give all their cards to questioner, who takes another turn. If not, they say "Go Fish!" and the questioner draws cards from the "ocean". The collected pairs of cards are the deck. Who draws the most pairs wins!
* Age range: 3 to 7+
* Skills: Memory, matching, turn-based, social interaction, number/face recognition.
2. Uno (Mattel)
* Why it's great: Uno is a global hit, and uses special colorful deck that includes action cards (skip, reverse, draw two) both exciting and strategic. Fast-paced, easy to play, and suitable for children of all ages. Rich themed versions (Pokemon, Minecraft, Disney) .
* How to play: Each person dealt 7 cards. The remaining cards placed face down as the draw pile; and the top card turned over as the discard pile. Players match the cards in the discard pile by color, number or symbol. Action cards have special effects. If can't play card, then draw a card. The first person to play all cards (when there is only one card left) shouts "UNO!" and then win the round.
* Age range: 6 years old and up.
* Skills: Color and number matching, strategy, fast turn-taking, dealing with unexpected situations.
3. Memory/Concentration (Classic Deck or Themed Sets)
* Pros: Pure visual memory test, suitable for any age. Use standard decks, or buy sets with children's favorite pictures (such as animals, vehicles, people). Simple and effective.
* How to play: Shuffle the deck and lay all cards face down in grid. Players take turns turning over two cards. If they match, player keeps the pair and starts over. If they don't match, the cards are turned back and let next player tries. Who has the most pairs will be winer.
* Age range: 3+. Difficulty increases as more cards are used.
* Skills: Visual memory, concentration, focus, turn-taking, visual discrimination.
4. Old Maid (Dedicated Deck)
* What makes it great: Simple, suspenseful, and fun! The special deck contains fun pairs (animals, professions) and one "Old Maid" card. Goal is avoid being left alone! This game teaches matching and dealing some chance events.
* How to play: Remove a card from standard deck to be "Old Maid" (Like a Queen), or use special card. Deal the cards. Players discard all pairs. Then, players take turns passing their cards face down to next player, and that guy draws a random card. If a pair is formed, Then discard it. The player left with an unpaired Old Maid loses.
* Age range: 4+ to 8+
5. Crazy Eights (Classic Deck)
* Pros: This game combines simple matching game like Go Fish and strategic game like Uno. Uses standard deck cards, So that make it easy to play. The "8" acts is wild card, Suitable for different ages children.
* How to Play: Each person dealt 5-7 cards. Place the remaining cards face down and become a draw pile; turn over top card as discard pile. Players must match the top card suit (such as hearts or diamonds) or rank. The 8 can be placed on any suit, and players can choose a new suit! If player can't play a card, draw cards from pile until they can. The first player who play all cards will be winer.
* Age Range: 5+
* Skills: Suit and rank identification, simple strategy, adaptability.
6. Spot It! (Blue Orange Games)
* Pros: Game is fast, easy to learn, Also, adults and kids can played. Each card has multiple symbols, and there is only one matching symbol between two cards. Players race to see who finds a matching symbol first!
* How to Play: Each player is dealt a card, face up. Place the deck face down. Flip the top card of the deck to the middle. Players scan their own cards and the middle card simultaneously, looking for a single matching symbol. The first player to call out a symbol wins the middle card, and the deck is placed face up on top of their own deck. When the deck is exhausted, the player with the most cards wins.
* Age Range: 6+
* Skills: Visual Perception, Processing Speed, Concentration, Reaction Time, Pattern Recognition.
7. Rat-a-Tat Cat (Gamewright)
* Recommended: Game requires memory and light strategy, Is entry-level game. Players compete for lowest score by exchanging cards, but only peek their own cards twice!
* How to play: Each player dealt four cards, face down. Players can peek their two outermost cards once. Draw a card from draw pile or discard pile each round. Player can exchange one card with one of face-down cards, or discard it. During the game, player have one more chance to peek. When someone knocks on the door, everyone has one last chance. Turn over all cards. And the one with the smallest sum of numbers wins.
* Age range: 6 years old and up
* Skills: Memory, risk assessment, basic addition, simple strategy.
8. Sleeping Queens (Gamewright)
* Pros: An imaginative and engaging game created by a 6-year-old children, Players use number cards and action cards to wake up sleeping queens or snatch them from opponents.
* How to Play: Lay out 12 queen cards face down. Each player dealt 5 cards. On each turn, play or discard a card, then draw to 5. Play king to wake up the queen or snatch opponent's queen. Play a knight to steal the queen, unless blocked by dragon. Play scepter to cancel an attack. Play number cards and discard cards in pairs/groups to draw more cards. The first player to collect certain number of queens or points wins.
* Age Range: 7+
* Skills: Simple combinations, strategy, reading, memory, imaginative play.
9. Sushi Go! (Gamewright)
* Recommended: A lighthearted introduction to "pick card" mechanic and card collecting. Cute sushi-themed cards passed around the table. This game is quick and easy to learn, but it also adds depth as kids strategize which cards collect to get highest score.
* How to Play: Deal each player a hand of cards. Everyone simultaneously draws one card and plays it face down, then passes remaining cards to next player. Turn over cards. Repeat until all cards have been played. Score points based on the number of cards collected. Play 3 rounds and tally total score.
* Age Range: 8+
* Skills: Card collecting, pattern recognition, simple probability, strategic planning, adapting changing options.
10. Dragonwood (Gamewright)
* Recommended reason: Combining dice and cards, Let players get wonderful and exciting fantasy adventure experience. Players collect adventure card sets to get dice, and then roll the dice to capture monsters and collect treasures. For children who like fantasy, this is an advanced version of the card game, allowing them to experience more complex card games.
* How to play: Collect adventure card sets. Use these card sets to "attack", "stomp" or "scream" on the creatures in the scene. Roll dice equal to the strength of the card and try to reach or exceed the capture points of the creature. Successfully obtain the creature card and may obtain the treasure card.
* Age range: 8+
* Skills: Card collection, dice probability, resource management , simple strategy, interpreting card effects.
The Final Deal: Why Card Games Rule
Nowadays, card games are preferred over online games because they are easy to play, low barriers entry, and suitable for different ages children. No batteries are required, and face-to-face interaction is promoted. From the simple "Go Fish" to the "Sushi Go!" of strategic choices, there is always one card game suitable for children, so pick up the cards, gather friends, and play together!