There’s nothing quite like gathering your family around the table for a night of card games. Whether you’re playing classic games like War or Uno, or trying something new, these games are sure to keep everyone entertained. In this article, we’ll list 22 different card games that will keep your next game night exciting!
Reasons to play games with your kids
1. Card games are a great way to spend time with your kids, and they provide the perfect opportunity for quality family bonding time.
2. Playing games can also improve coordination and dexterity in your kids
3. Card games also help develop important social skills like communication, teamwork, and critical thinking.
Tips for a successful card game night
1. Set clear rules before starting the game and make sure that everyone understands them. This will help prevent arguments and disagreements during play.
2. If you’re playing with younger kids, try to keep the games simple so that they don’t get frustrated or overwhelmed. Choose easy-to-learn games like Go Fish or Old Maid.
3. For older kids and adults, try introducing some of the more challenging card games on our list that are sure to keep everyone on their toes!
4. Grab one of these card holders for kids. We have had so many fights about siblings peeking, setting cards down so everyone can see, and more. These make card playing with younger kids so much easier and my family fights less during card games if we are using them!
Kids Card Games List
There are many wonderful card games for kids, and we’ve picked our top 30 favorites for your next family game night. Here goes!
Go Fish
This is one of the first games for our kids card game list because it is so simple to use! Our kids love matching numbers and trying to figure out who has what. It has also prompted a lot of conversations about how to play “fair” and being a good sport.
Old Maid
Don’t be the last person holding the “Old Maid” at the end of the game! This can be played with a regular deck of 52 cards. Simply take out all the queens but one from the deck. Anytime you get a pair, you place it in front of you. On your turn the person left of you gets to choose a random card from your hand. Cards are matched and the old maid often “travels” around the group. The person holding the “Old Maid” at the end of the game loses.
Memory
Memory is a classic card game where you must match 2 of the same cards to win. To play, deal all of the cards out face down. The goal is to pick up as many pairs as possible. As you find matches, you can take them and place them in front of you on the table. The player with the most matches wins. Play with a cute game like shown above, or with two standard 52 card decks.
Snap
Snap is a fast-paced card game that requires quick reflexes. Each player has an even amount of cards placed face-down in front of them. Going clockwise, each player flips the top card from off their face-down deck. Anytime your flipped card matches someone else’s card, you must yell “snap!” The person who is fastest at doing this gets to keep both cards and add them to their deck. Whoever wins all the cards wins the game.
Spoons
Spoons is a fun card game where you have to think fast and act even faster. You can play this game with a regular 52 card deck. Place a several spoons in the middle of the table. One fewer spoon than there are players. Each player gets 4 cards. The dealer picks up a card and can either pass it or put it in their deck to make 4 of a kind. The goal of the game is to be the first player to get 4 of a kind. If you are that player, you quickly grab a spoon from the middle of the table. Once one player grabs a spoon, all players race to get the remaining spoons. The player with no spoon is out.
War
War is a great 2 player game! Divide a 52 card deck into two stacks of 26 cards. Each player gets a face down deck. Without peeking, players will both turn over one card from their deck at the same time. Whoever has the higher card wins both cards. If both cards are the same, than it’s war. When war happens, players deal three cards out face down. Then a fourth face-up card. Whoever has the highest face up card wins all 10. Players keep playing out cards until one player is out of cards.
Crazy Eights
You can play with a 52 card deck. Each player gets five cards, face down. The remainder of the deck is placed in the middle. Dealer turns over the top card from the stack and places it in it’s own pile. If that card is an eight it is placed back in the deck and you try again. Each eight is worth 50 points. Kings, Queens, Jacks, and 10 cards are all worth 10 points. All other cards are worth their written value on the card.
Starting left of the dealer, each player plays one card face-up in the pile. This card must match either the suit or the number of the card. For example, a 5 of Hearts must be played on another 5 card or heart card. If no one can play, the dealer draws a new card from the middle pile. Eights are wild can can be used anywhere.
Once someone is out of cards, they win and collect from all the other players the value of the cards remaining in their had. We like to use candy pieces or just keep score instead of money for kids!
52 Card Pickup
Great for young kids (or kids who are driving you batty). You toss the whole 52 card deck on the ground and the kids race to pick all the cards up as fast as they can. Silly, but it can feel really good to just toss those cards down too!
I Doubt It!
To play, divide the whole 52 deck between the players. Ace of Spades starts the game by placing that card in the center. Moving clockwise, the next player places all of their 2’s in the center, face down. If they don’t have any 2’s they place any cards available face down and “bluff” their way through their turn. The next player would do the same with 3’s, 4’s, and so on. Anytime another player doubts that the person actually has those cards, they say, “I Doubt It!” If they are right, the bluffer has to pick up the whole middle pile. If incorrect, the doubter has to pick up the pile. First player to get rid of all their cards wins. My kids love this game because they can usually call out each other when they are lying.
The Bears and the Bees
This is a super-cute, and beautifully illustrated game. The main goal of the game is to get rid of all your hexagonal tiles first!
Beggar My Neighbor
Cards are evenly dealt between players in face down piles. The first player turns over their top card. If that card is a number card their turn is over. If it’s a face or ace card, they next player must “honor” that card by turning over “honor” cards. They should turn over 4 cards for an ace, three for a king, two for a queen, and one for a jack. If tese “honor” card are all number cards, the first player gets to keep them. However, if any of them are face or ace cards, the next player pays a new “honor” to the second player. This continues until the one person has all the card.
Slapjack
Play with fun kid-themed cards (above) or a regular 52 card deck. The deck is dealt completely between players and the cards are left face down on the table. Game play starts with the person left of the dealer. They play a card face up on the table. If it’s a jack, the each player tries to “slap” the jack first by placing their hand on top of it. The last person to “slap” has to keep the pile. If the card is not a jack, then the next player lays their own card and this continues until someone no longer has any more cards. That person wins!
Kings in the Corner
Be the first player to get rid of all your cards. Each player has seven cards. The remaining cards as placed in the center with one card on either side flipped. You’ll be stacking cards in sequence, but the opposite color. For example, play a 7 of hearts, then 6 of spade or clubs. Kings can be laid on the table “in the corner” to begin a new pile.
Snip, Snap, Snorem
You’ll need 3 or more people to play. Deal out all the cards amongst players. Everyone looks at their cards. Left of the deal goes first. They play a card face-up on the table. When the next player goes, they must match the rank in other suits. Players can pass if they can’t. The player who plays the fourth card get to choose any card in their hand for the next round. This game is call Snip, Snap, Snorem because plays should say “Snip” when the second card is played, “Snap” when the third card is played, and “Snorem” for the last card. First person to get rid of all of their cards wins.
Forehead Poker
Forehead poker is a great 2 player game for younger kids. The deck goes in the middle. Each player takes one card and without looking, places it on their forehead. This way your opponent can see your card, but you cannot. Take turns guessing if your card is higher or lower than your opponents. If you are right, you keep the pair of cards. If you are wrong the other person gets them! Work your way through the deck. At the end, the player with the most cards wins.
Uno
This is the first game that we taught each of our kids. It’s great for helping them learn colors and numbers! Our family has spent countless hours playing Uno and getting mad at one another about that pesky Draw 4 card!
Blink
This two-player game lets you race head-to-head, to play all your cards. Match shapes, numbers and more in a high speed game!
Happy Salmon
This 90 second game is great for people who don’t think they love games (or those with short attention spans!) Each player is dealt their cards. Once game play begins, players shout to find a match to their cards. Once they find a match, they do the actions, discard the card, and repeat until all of their cards are done. First player to finish all of their cards wins!
Throw Throw Buritto
Part card game, part dodgeball with a soft rubber burrito, this game is satisfying for all ages!
Gnoming Around
Cards are placed face down in a 3×3 grid! Just like golf, you are going for the lowest score possible!
Sleeping Queens
Be the first to flip over 4 queens, or 40 points! Invented by a 6-year-old, this game is full of all things queens, kings, knights, and even dragons!
Sushi Go!
Earn points by choosing great sushi combos. Combine cards with each hand to create the best sushi menu. After each person has laid down a card face down, the whole group turns over their cards. The person with the most points at the end of the hand wins.
Whether you are looking for a quick and simple card game to play with your kids or something more challenging that requires strategy and skill, there is sure to be a card game out there for you. From traditional favorites like Rummy and Twenty-One to newer games like Switch and Sushi Go!, there is something for everyone when it comes to playing games with cards. So what are you waiting for? Grab a deck of cards and start playing today!
Need more game ideas? Read:
35 of the Best Games for 4 Year Old’s
20+ Games to Play During Winter Break
