In the age of iPads and PJ Masks, card games might seem like a total snoozefest but here’s the deal (pun intended): That simple deck of cards offers endless fun for multiple age groups, including plenty of options for family night. So the next time you’re stuck indoors on a rainy day or at grandma’s house where the Wi-Fi is practically non-existent, bust out one of these awesome card games for kids to keep ’em entertained.
15 Great Card Games for Kids
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Published Apr 15, 2020
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1. taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Age: 8+
Number of players: 2+
How to play: The rules of this wacky game are simple: Players go around in a circle and take turns putting down a card while saying, “taco,” “cat,” “goat,” “cheese” and “pizza.” If the word spoken by a player matches the picture card then everyone slaps the deck. The player with the slowest reflexes gets stuck with all the cards. It sounds easy enough but your mind will play tricks on you in this fun and fast-paced competition that will have adults and kids alike rolling with laughter.
2. spot It Jr. Animals
Age: 4+
Number of players: 1+
How to play: Looking for an exciting card game that’s educational, to boot? This picture activity is just the thing. Two cards are pulled from the deck and players compete to be the first to identify the image that's on both cards—there will always be a match, but it won’t always be easy to find. Manufacturers recommend enjoying this game with two to six players but we’ve had luck giving this one to our kid to play on her own, as a quiet brain-teasing activity that boosts visual perception and attention skills.
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3. snap
Age: 4+
Number of players: 2+
How to play: Break out the bicycle cards for this timeless classic with a clear, kid-friendly objective: get as many cards as possible. To begin the game, the dealer distributes the entire deck among the players. The individual piles are placed facedown in front of each kid and the game proceeds around the circle, with each player turning over the top card from their deck to create a second faceup stack. When someone turns over a card that matches a faceup card in another pile, the first player to notice yells “Snap!” and collects both decks, before adding them to the bottom of his own facedown stack. If two players shout out at the same time then both piles are combined to make an additional faceup deck in the middle—a “Snap Pot” to be won by any player who spots a match. Whoever collects the entire pack of cards, wins.
4. 99
Age: 8+
Number of players: 3 to 4
How to play: Get your kid practicing for poker nights down the road with this fun game that's played for stakes (we're talking pennies here, not Benjamins). To get the game going, each player is dealt three cards and three tokens—just about anything will work but coins or sweets are a popular choice. Players then take turns putting one card down in the middle of the table. The cards in the center are counted as part of a pot that must not exceed 99 in point value. Every new card put down adds its face value to the pot (i.e., a 6 is worth six points and face cards are worth 10 points). There are a few exceptions, however: A 4 reverses the direction of play but doesn’t add points, a 9 is a pass, a King takes the total straight to 99, and anyone that plays an Ace gets to decide if it counts for one or 11 points. Whenever a card is played, the player must announce the new point value of the pot by adding the value of the card to the existing total. If unable to put down a card without bumping the pot above 99 points, that player loses a chip and a new round of play begins. Players are eliminated when they lose all three tokens, and the winner is the last one standing. Kids love this high-stakes game and parents call it a clever hack to get kids practicing their math skills.
5. clue Card Game
Age: 8+
Number of players: 3 to 4
How to play: It’s the classic board game of strategy and technique, condensed into a deck of cards. This whodunnit mission makes for plenty of intrigue, and the difficulty of the game depends on who you’re playing with (and how good of a detective they are). Case file and evidence cards are played to facilitate the investigation—instead of crossing suspects, rooms and weapons off on a notepad, the cleared cards go in a discard pile. This version of Clue is engaging, quick (a game can be completed in as little as 15 minutes) and easy enough for the elementary school crowd.
6. kids Against Maturity
Age: 8+
Number of players: 3+
How to play: A kid-friendly version of the popular adults-only game Cards Against Humanity that can be played with a small group on family game night—but the bigger the group, the bigger the laughs. In each round, one players asks a question from a blue card (example: “Hey everybody! I just won the___eating contest!”) and everyone answers with their funniest white card. The player then picks their favorite response. To play you must be able to read, to win you must be funny. (Warning: Potty humor features heavily.)
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7. slap Jack
Age: 4+
Number of players: 2+
How to play: Hand-crushing fun for all ages, this classic doesn’t require a complicated strategy—just speed, focus and catlike reflexes. Cards are turned over from the deck one at a time, while excited players wait for a Jack to appear. The first player to slap the Jack wins the discard pile and the player with the most cards at the end wins the game. Any child old enough to recognize a Jack can join in on the energetic, frantic fun of this one.
8. war
Age: 3+
Number of players: 2
How to play: Clearly invented by a parent of two, set a couple kids up with a game of war and you’ll be the one winning because this competition can keep players occupied for a very long time. To start, each player gets half the deck; the game proceeds with both players simultaneously dealing a card from their facedown stack. The player with the higher value card in the pair collects it. Where’s the war, you ask? If the two cards are of equal value then both players deal an additional four cards from their deck—three facedown and the fourth faceup—and the winner of the “war” takes all ten cards. The objective is to have the most cards, but the game doesn’t end until someone runs out of cards completely (or until someone figures out they just got played by a parent in desperate need of some downtime).
9. go Fish
Age: 3+
Number of players: 3 to 6
How to play: Easy enough to teach a three-year-old yet interesting enough to keep a ten-year-old busy, this old-school favorite is suitable for a wide age range. The objective is to make pairs from your hand, and players go around “fishing” for a desired card from another player. If the player has the card in question, it must be surrendered; if not, the asker must draw a new card from the deck. The game ends when someone empties their hand, but the title of winner goes to whoever has put down the most pairs. This game can be easily played with a plain pack of cards, but younger kids might benefit from this adorable deck that features pictures of fish instead of the typical four suits.
10. red Light Green Light 1-2-3
Age: 5+
Number of players: 2 to 6
How to play: This family-friendly game requires both luck and strategy, but the rules are simple enough for those older than five to follow. On each turn, kids either play a card from their hand to keep the sequence going or, if stuck with a bad hand, players must draw from the deck and wait for their next opportunity to shed a card. The first person to play all their cards wins the game. This easy, repetitive activity incorporates some of the same principles as more grown-up card games, so it’s a fun option for cardsharpers in the making.
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11. memory
Age: 5+
Number of players: 1+
How to play: Calm, quiet and the game of choice for honing concentration and—you guessed it—memory. To play, kids simply spread out a deck of cards facedown on the floor and turn them over two at a time in hopes of making a match. When a match is made, the child keeps both cards; after a failed attempt, the cards are returned to their original facedown position and mental notes are made for success in subsequent turns. Given the number of cards in play, this game is a challenge for adults and kids alike, but easier versions with fewer cards can be purchased, too. Bonus: Memory can be played by just one, for times when a playdate isn’t in the cards.
12. uno
Age: 7+
Number of players: 2+
How to play: Played with a special deck of cards, the goal here is the usual race to empty one's hand but here's the twist: Game-changing action cards (like skip, reverse and color-changing wild cards) can either help or hinder a person’s strategy. Players take turns matching a card in their hand to one played from the deck, but if no match can be made then a new card must be drawn. The first person to get down to a single card wins the game...as long as they remember to shout out “UNO!” as a declaration of victory.
13. hasty Baker
Age: 7+
Numbers of players: 2+
How to play: Baking and competition combine as players race to be the first to fill their pantries with the ingredients required to complete a recipe. The deck, which includes cards that allow players to rob the pantries and spoil the ingredients of their opponents, helps teach kids about strategy—and playing dirty. Great for kids with a sweet tooth since they can have fun with dessert minus the cavities and the clean-up.
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14. pig
Age: 4+
Number of players: 5+
How to play: This matching game couldn’t be easier to play and requires the kind of silly gesturing that’s right up every kid’s alley. The catch: You need a decent-sized group to play, so it's best for birthday parties or whenever you can get the whole family involved. Each player starts with a hand of four cards. Then the game takes off with speed as players choose one card from their hand to give to the person to their left, while receiving a card from the person to their right. As soon as someone assembles a set of four cards of the same denomination, that player stops passing and taking cards and puts a finger to their nose (whether they do this discreetly or loudly is up to them). All the other players must then follow suit and the last person to pick up on the pause in play is the pig!
15. crazy Eights
Age: 4+
Number of players: 2+
How to play: Crazy Eights is a go-to game for kids of all ages, preschool through primary. Each player receives five cards and the remainder of the deck is placed in the center of the table. The dealer then starts the game by turning the top card faceup and placing it next to the deck to form a starter pile. Play goes around the circle with each person trying to put down a card that matches the top card of the starter pile, either in suit or denomination. (For example, if a five of hearts is at the top of the starter pile, any heart or any five can be played.) If a player cannot put down a card, he must draw from the deck. So what does this have to do with eights? They are the wild card: Any 8 can be played anytime and the player only needs to specify a suit for it—the next player must match the suit or play another crazy eight. The first person to shed their hand wins in this entertaining game that hones visual reasoning skills (matching) and concentration.