TOP 5 CARD GAMES FOR KIDS
Kids today have so many forms of entertainment available to them. It warms my heart to say that, despite advancements in technology, card games are still thriving today. Something about playing with friends or family in a circle with a handful of cards is timeless, and I hope that never changes. We’re going to count down the top five card games for Kids – most loved and popular card games amongst children today. They may not surprise you, but it’ll be a pleasant stroll down memory lane.
CONCENTRATE
Coming in at number 5 is Concentrate. It’s also known as Memory, but the goal is the same. Place cards in a grid (smaller children may want to use fewer cards) and take turns flipping them to make pairs. Flipping all the cards ends the game, and the person with the most pairs wins!
An easy to learn and play game, that is fun for the whole family. Though the exact time of the invention of modern Concentrate is not known, there was a similar game from Japan called Kai-awase. It was being played as early as the 9th century.
This fact makes Concentrate the oldest-dating game on our list today. It’s a great game to teach younger kids; matching helps improve their memories. Plus, there are all the wonderful memories you’ll make playing this game together.
OLD MAID
Next on the list is Old Maid, coming in at fourth place. It is a game that has been around for a long time, first dating back to the 17th century. It is a popular game whose art beautifully depicted the times.
It can be played either with an official Old Maid deck or a regular deck of cards. The game consists of 51 cards that get dealt out face down to players until all cards are gone. Pairs are placed face up in front of you and then you take turns randomly drawing one card from the person to your left. The person left with the unmatched card (the old maid) loses.
It’s another memory-based game to start teaching kids about strategy. Though it might leave you being called the old maid at the next dinner party. Single people beware!
WAR
Already halfway through our list at number three, we have War. A game of luck, where two people play with half the deck and draw the top card. Highest number takes both cards, but if the card value matches, then you go into a state of “War.” Two more cards are added to the table face down. Both of you will flip one at the same time, the highest value wins all six cards. The person at the end with the most cards is the winner. The history of War the card game is unknown, having no definitive answer to when it was invented. Though people suspect it’s been around for centuries, some claim as long as actual war itself. Though War holds no strategy to it, kids can still enjoy it as a peaceful way to pass the time.
CRAZY EIGHT’S
We are getting close now with number two on our list. We are talking about Crazy Eights. A fun game for the whole family, that lives up to its name.
Crazy Eights is for 2 to 4 players and deal hands depending on that number. With two people, seven cards are dealt, for any other number five cards are dealt, and the fun starts from here. The remaining cards form a deck and flip the top card to start a discard pile. The starting player must either put a card with a matching number or suit into the discard pile and if they cannot, they pull from the deck until they can.
Considered wild cards, eights can be played as any suit and the play continues with the suit played under it. (Example: if there is a queen of hearts and I play an eight of spades, the next player has to play either a queen or a heart.) Play continues with the player to the left until someone has no cards in hand, this person is the winner. This card game originated in the 1930s but didn’t coin the name Crazy Eights until the 1940s. Before then it was only called Eights. It’s a more complicated game that will teach children about matching and strategy, and the first time they beat you it will definitely drive you crazy.
GO FISH
At the top of my list, and in the number one spot is…. Go Fish, because you can’t beat the classics. Go Fish is a card game staple. Though the rules and name we know today were invented in 1984, variations of this game have been played for over a century, starting in China. You would be lucky to find even one person who does not know what Go Fish is, but one of the best things about this game is how easy it is to teach them.
Deal hands of seven to the players and, starting with the youngest, they ask other players if they have any of a certain number or face card. If they do, they hand all the cards matching the request, and the player continues asking the same person for cards until told to Go Fish (i.e. they do not have what they are looking for.) The player draws one card from the remaining deck and passes play to the person that was asked for cards before. You may place any complete set of four (i.e. all four of the kings) in front of you face up. The game ends when a player has no cards in hand or if two people have no cards in hand, the player with the most complete sets. It’s great for little ones learning numbers and patterns and is still fun for the child in all us adults who like to revisit our childhood.
CONCLUSION
While card games today have to compete against more than they did when we were children, they still thrive. They hold fond memories and future ones to be made, and though not every game could make it on this list, they all hold a special place in our hearts. Whether you are five years old or a hundred, these games remind us what matters: friends, family, and fun.