Are you looking for a fun game that your family can play together? Do you have young children and need something exciting and age-appropriate to keep everyone entertained? Look no further—we’ve got just the thing! Classic card games are delightful, but they also help teach younger players important lessons about strategy, counting, memory retention, and making sound decisions.
With an abundance of different classic games available, each person in the family can find a suitable option suited to their interests or skill level. In this blog post, we’ll look at some of our favorite (and funniest!) classic card games, ideal for keeping all ages laughing and playing for hours on end!
Kickstart Your Child’s Interest in Classic Card Games
Card games can make children experience various emotions, whether Spades or Slapjack! They might be confusing initially, but your kids will have a great time once they get the hang of it. Below are the perfect games you should introduce to them first!
Beggar My Neighbor
The first game on our list will force the competitiveness out of your child, and it’s called Beggar My Neighbor. Here, the goal is to collect all the cards to win! It uses a standard deck of 52 cards, and two to four kids can participate in the game. The best part of this game is that players aren’t required to decide.
The cards are shuffled and dealt to all players as evenly as possible, which they must place in front of them into a neat pile face-down. The player to the dealer’s left begins by flipping over their top card and placing it in the middle. If the card has a rank of between 2 and 10, the play passes to their left and follows the same mechanic.
If an Ace of a Face card (court cards) appears, the next player must pay an honor, depending on the card. For Aces, the player turns over four cards one at a time, Kings turns over three cards, Queen turns over two cards, and Jack turns over one. If all honor cards are number cards, the player who played the court card gets to take all cards from the pile. If it’s a court card, the one paying an honor stops, and the next player must pay an honor.
Spades
The next game on our list is Spades, a great introduction to your kids if you want them to learn the trick-taking mechanic. It was a popular game in the 1940s and remains a staple today! Therefore, teaching them this game is only the right thing to do. Remember, Spades are always trump.
How to play Spades:
- The game requires only four players in two partnerships.
- Each player receives 13 cards, and the bidding begins with a minimum of one.
- No player can pass in the bidding phase.
- The play starts with the player to the dealer’s left, who will play a card, and all players must follow suit.
- Players can play a trump or discard a card if they can’t follow suit.
- Tricks are won by whoever played the highest trump or card from the leading suit.
- The first team to win 500 points wins.
Play spades online for free to master its game mechanics before teaching your children. It’s best to be familiar with them so that you will have a smooth time explaining the rules to them. Ensure they’re old enough to understand concepts that may be difficult to grasp.
UNO
An iconic card game for those who are familiar with Crazy Eights is UNO. Instead of a standard deck, UNO uses UNO cards. These contain colorful and special cards, which make them attractive to kids. But what makes UNO so unforgettable are the special cards, which can break or make friendships!
Special cards include Wild Cards, Skips, Reverses, and Draws Two and Four. Unlucky players who get a Wild Card with Draw Four might want to say goodbye to their friendships. These cards will lead to chaos, but it’s all part of the fun! The goal is to be the first player to get rid of their cards, which is done by discarding cards with the same number or color as the one in the middle.
Teach your kids to play the special cards first to be one step ahead of their opponents! Once they no longer have cards, they must shout UNO or be penalized with two cards. Overall, UNO is an exhilarating card game kids will surely love.
Slapjack
A game with a weird game mechanic is Slapjack. As the name suggests, the game incorporates slapping the Jack card! Players must aim to collect all cards to win, which can only be achieved if they are the first to slap those Jacks in the center pile.
How to play Slapjack:
- All cards are equally dealt to each player face down.
- Players must put their cards into a neat pile still facing down.
- Players flip over their top cards individually and place them in the middle.
- The fun begins when a Jack appears, so players should quickly slap the Jack card to take all the cards underneath it.
- The first player to get all the cards wins the game.
As you can see, it doesn’t require strategizing or decision-making. It’s perfect for kids with short attention spans, as this game requires quick reflexes. Don’t worry about your child’s safety; they shouldn’t slap too hard to avoid accidents.
Old Maid
Last on our list is Old Maid, a drinking card game in the Victorian Era. Now, it’s more of a dare game where the holder of the Old Maid is dared to do something funny. So, the goal is not to be the last one to have it. Remove one Queen so there’s only one odd card, which becomes the Old Maid.
The game begins with the dealer distributing all cards equally to all players. Afterward, they must look for pairs and place them on the table. Once all pairs are exhausted, the player to the dealer’s left begins by offering their hand face-down to the next player, who will choose one card to add to theirs. If there’s a pair, they place it on the table and offer their hand to the next player.
The last player to have the Old Maid loses, and the remaining players win. Remember, you need more than two players in this game. This game is perfect to encourage your children to be daring and try new things.
Keep Your Child Engaged with Fun Card Games
Card games are a great way to develop your child’s cognitive and social abilities. However, they mostly appreciate it due to its enjoyable gameplay and mechanics. So, if you’re a parent who wants to have a meaningful bonding experience with your child, consider teaching them these card games today!
