Card Games

Child Card Games

Snap, Go Fish, Concentration and More...

Child card games have been popular since Victorian times when parlour games were played by the whole family as a means of entertainment. These days they are a great way to spend time indoors particularly for rainy days or on holidays where there is no tv! The kids card games here are suitable for children aged four and up. It is best to start with the simpler games and gradually teach skills so that they can learn the more complex ones.

Children can start by playing with picture cards, often with popular cartoon or television characters. They can soon move to a real deck of cards and grasp the values of the jack, queen and king. Playing card games give good practice with basic mathematical principles and also the value of gamesmanship which is a valuable lesson for children. These games focus on fun, some of them can become quite frantic as it is often speed that becomes the winning factor.

Cheat (I Doubt It)
Players- three or more
Duration- 5-10 minutes per round

Shuffle the cards and deal out the entire deck to the players. Players guard their hands closely, some players may have one card more which does not matter.
The first player places a card from his hand face down in the middle and annouces its rank. He may or may not be telling the truth! Following players do the same, claiming a higher rank than the previous card.
At any time a player may call out 'Cheat!' or 'I doubt it!' as a challenge. The card just layed down is turned up and if it was truthfully laid then the challenger picks up the centre pile. If a falsehood is revealed then the offending player must pick up the pile.
The pressure increases as the card's rank climbs towards ace high as the players are more likely to have to allege fraud.
The opening player can choose a middle or low ranking card to start the game. Similar to poker in the deceptions and ability to maintain a 'poker face'.

Concentration (Pelmanism)
Players- two or more
Duration- 5-10 minutes per round

After the cards have been shuffled they are all laid out randomly. Each player has a go to turn over two cards. If they are a match, the player keeps them and has another turn. If they are not a match then they are turned facedown in their original positions.
A game often better for children as they often have better memory than adults. This can also be played with picture cards especially for children. The winner has the highest number of pairs.

Go Boom
Players- two or more
Duration- 10-15 minutes per round

Each player is dealt seven cards with the remainder going facedown into the middle as the stockpile. The first player places a card in the middle faceup. Each player to follow must place another card on top that matches the previous either in rank or suit. Any player who cannot lay down a card must begin drawing from the stock, continuing to add cards to their hand until they draw a playable card. If the stock has all been used then the player must pass.
The first with an empty hand shouts 'Boom!' and is the winner. If the play reaches a stage where all players must pass then the winner is the player with the fewest number of cards.

Go Fish
Players- two to five
Duration- 5-10 minutes per round

For two or three players, seven cards are each dealt out; with four or five players, five cards each. The remainder of the deck is placed facedown in the middle becoming the 'fishpond'. Each player is attempting to collect a set of four cards, this may change as the game progresses and new cards fall into their hands.
The first player turns to his right and requests a card, say a king. If that player holds any kings they must be handed over. If not he announces 'Go fish,' and the original player selects a card from the fishpond. If the card matches the original request (in this case a king) then the player says, 'I fished upon my wish' and can now make another demand of the player on his right.
As each set of four is completed they are laid down. The player to completely empty their hand by converting it into sets of fours is the winner, or the one with the most sets when the fishpond dries up.

Old Maid
Players- three to five
Duration- about 10 minutes per round

Three queens are removed from the deck leaving the queen of clubs as the Old Maid. The deck is shuffled and all cards are dealt. From their hand each player matches up pairs that are the same rank and colour and they are discarded.
The first player now draws a card from the player on his right and the game continues until all of the pairs have been matched up and removed from players hands and only the Old Maid remains. The player holding the Old Maid loses the game.

Slapjack
Players- two or more
Duration- about 15 minutes per round

All of the cards are dealt out, it does not matter if some hands have an extra card. Each player recieves a pile of facedown cards which they place in front of them, unseen. The first player turns her top card and places it into the middle. This continues around players until a jack is turned. The first player the slap a hand over the pile wins it. The game ends when one player has won all of the cards. If any players run out of cards they remain in the game as they cab begin playing again if they can win a pile.

Snap
Players- two or more
Duration- about 15 minutes per round (two decks will be required for four or more players)

Probably the easiest of all child card games.
All of the cards are dealt out, it does not matter if some hands have an extra card. The cards are stacked facedown in front of each player.
Starting to the left of the dealer each player deals one card face up in the centre of the table, making a pile of cards.This continues until one player deals one card on top of another player's card, which is of the same value, suits do not matter. When this happens the first player to call out "Snap" and slap the deck wins the pile.
The game continues until one player holds all of the cards.

Spit (Speed)
Players- two
Duration- about 10 minutes per round

The deck is shuffled and dealt out with each player receiving half of the deck. Each player lays out their cards the same way beginning from the left.
A stack of five cards with top card turned over, then a stack of four, three, two and one. The remainder of each of their hands goes into the middle  to form two stockpiles, each having the first card turned up beside it, starting the 'spit pile'.

Once the cards have been laid out the players call, 'One, two, three, spit!' and the game begins. Each player using only one hand plays cards from their upturned piles onto their respective spit piles. The cards must correspond in rank either up or down- so a jack can be covered by a queen or a ten. Kings are high and can only be covered by queens, and similarly for aces, they are low and can only be covered by a two.
As a player removes a card from the layout pile the next card is turned over. Players can place upturned cards within their own layouts, thus keeping the game progressing as new cards are exposed.
If the game reaches a point where neither player can lay down a card then a fresh card is overturned from each players stockpile and the game continues. The round concludes when both players stockpiles have been exhausted. The ultimate winner of the game is the first player to get rid of all of their cards from both their layout and stockpile, having cards only on the spit pile.