Family Card Games For Rainy Days

By Hayley Dean, ellaslist

In the event you are ever stuck inside on a rainy day, here are 6 card games you can play with the kids.

1. Snap

Age: 2+ Players: 2+

Old Favourite around the world. Any old pack of cards will do. You could even play this with coasters or business cards (empty out that handbag!).

Divide the pile in 2 (or the number of players you have) face down. All players turn out their cards at the same time into a pile in front of them. When two cards match, the winner of the hand is the person that yells out “SNAP” as they slam their hands down on to the pile of cards.

Loads of fun for everyone.

 

2. Memory

Age: 2+ Players: 1+

 You can buy special game boards for this and there are plenty on the market available or you can also just use a standard deck of cards for the same fun.

You just need even numbers of pairs e.g. 10 pairs for older kids and maybe 3 pairs for younger kids. Lay them out in a square and turn one over at a time until the pairs are matched.

 

3. Go Fish

Age: 4+ Players: 2+

The aim of this game is to get the most number of matches.

Each player is dealt 7 cards each. The rest are placed in a pile face down.

Oldest player goes first by asking their opponent if they have a selected card e.g. “Do you have any 7’s?”. If they do, they must hand them over, if they don’t, they say the words “Go Fish” and the player must pick up a card off the top of the remaining deck.

The winner is the player with the most matches. A match is generally a set of all four suits thought with younger kids, a pair can make the game a little faster and more fun.

 

 

4. Old Maid

Age: 3+ Players 2+

Another classic old favourite.

Use a standard 52 card deck and remove one of the Queens. The aim of this game is to form pairs and the winner will be the person with the most number of pairs who isn’t stuck with the old maid (the old Queen card). Essentially, the dealer removes any pairs they have first and puts them aside. They then offer their hand to the player of the left who will select one card from the hand to essentially form their own pair. Then that player offers their hand to the player on their left and the cycle continues until a winner is found.

 

5. Crazy Eights and Uno

Age: 5+ Players: 2+

Uno and Crazy Eights are essentially the same game though Uno offers more cards by way of skipping and reversing. In both games, the aim is to get rid of all your cards.

Each player is dealt 5 cards, the rest are placed in a pile in the centre with the top card face up. Players go around clock wise, matching their hand to the card on top of the pile by either number, suit or colour (depending on if you are playing Uno or with a standard deck of cards).

As the name suggests, 8 is a special card. It can be played at any time to change the suit.

 

6. (Gin) Rummy

Age: 4+ Players: 2-6

This is one that’s fun for the while family, even Grandma likes to play a hand.

Each player is dealt around 7 cards, the rest are placed in a pile in the centre with the top card face up. Each player then takes a turn to either draw one for the pile mentioned above or a “discard pile” that forms as the game begins.

The winner is the player with the most amount of points. For more detailed instructions, click here.

 

Which card games to you like to play with the kids?