Card games are a great social activity that involve critical thinking and a healthy dose of competition. There are plenty of games that are perfect for children of any age to play. Here are five fun card games to play with your kids.
War
In this two-player game, the entire deck is dealt out between the two players face down. Without looking, the players draw the card from the top of their deck and place them face up in the center. The player with the higher value card wins. The winner takes both cards and adds them to the bottom of the deck. This continues until two cards of the same value are dealt—then a "war" ensues. Read the rest of the rules on TodaysParent.com.
Concentration/Memory
This is one of the first card games a child learns. An even number of cards is placed face down in rows. Players flip cards face up, two per turn, to try to find a match. If a match is not made, players must flip the cards face down again. Players try to remember which cards are where for when it is their turn, they are able to make a match and keep the cards. Get the full explanation from HowStuffWorks.com.
Go Fish
The goal of this iconic card game is to win the most "books" of cards (four of a kind.) Players ask one another if they have a card they need to make pairs/books from their own hand. If the player they ask doesn't have any of the requested card, they tell the player who asked them for the card to "Go Fish!" Get the full rules from BicycleCards.com.
Slapjack
Like the name suggests, the object of the game is to slap any jacks that are played. Players simultaneously add cards to the center pile until a jack is drawn. The player who slaps the jack first wins the center pile. Read the rules on PlayingCardDecks.com.
Old Maid
The goal of this card game is to avoid being the player who has the Old Maid card at the end of the game. A normal deck of cards may be used instead of a specialty Old Maid deck. Read the rules on TheSpruceCrafts.com.