Best Card Games For Kids

When home educating we often need something to break up the day. Here are some of the best card games for kids that encourage skills such as communication, reading, strategy, maths and many more skills.   

So take a break and enjoy a few games of cards with your kids and check out some of our favourite card games.

Easy Card Games for Kids 

What Are The Easiest Card Games To Play With A Standard Deck Of Cards?

War

Players: 2

How to Play: 

Deal the entire deck face down between the two players. Each player now has a stack of 26 cards. Without looking at the cards each player simultaneously turns over one card on the table ⏤ the higher number wins both cards. 

If both cards are the same, it’s a ‘war.’ Players then deal three cards face down on the table. Then each player places one card face up.  The higher number of the face up card wins and takes all 10 cards. 

Play continues until one player is out of cards.

Crazy Eights

Players: 2+ 

How to Play: 

The cards are assigned points. Each eight is 50 points, each King, Queen, Jack, or 10 is 10 points, each ace is one point, and each other card is worth the face value.

Deal five cards, face down to each player. Leave the rest of the cards face down in the center of the table. This is the stack.  The dealer turns the top card up from the stack and places it in a separate discard pile. If an eight is turned, it’s buried in the middle of the pack.

Starting to the left of the dealer, each player must place one card face-up on the discard pile that matches the suit or number of the card showing on the discard pile. 

For example if a Jack of spades is placed on the discard pile the next card played has to be either a Jack or a spade. If no one can play, the dealer draws from the stack and puts a new card face-up on the discard pile. 

If the player cannot match the top card by suit or number they must draw cards from the deck until they can play one.

All eights are considered wild cards and can be used at any time in a turn and can represent any card or suit. When a player plays an eight, they then get to pick the current suit, whether that be hearts, clubs, spades, or diamonds

The player who is the first to have no cards left wins the game.

Other Fun and Easy Card Games For Kids

Dobble

Dobble is a fast-paced observation game that is great for all the family.  Players race to match the symbols between cards. Each card has only one picture in common with every other card in the deck.  Keep your wits about you though as the symbols could be a completely different size.

There are 5 mini Dobble games to play: Fill the Well, The Towering Inferno, Hot Potato, Catch Them All and The Poisoned Gift. In each game, players try to spot the matching symbol between cards. Be the first to name the matching symbol to win the card.

Exploding Kittens

We love this card game as it is just so funny.  If you like kittens and explosions then you will love this game.

The game is quick to learn thanks to the enclosed instruction sheet.  The rules are set out clearly and simply making it easy for all.

Yugioh 

My son loves this trading card game from konami.  It can be a difficult game to learn as there are so many different mechanics. If you can find a local game shop you will usually find people willing to help show you how to play.  

With so many great card games for kids, it is definitely worth checking some out.  They provide a great opportunity for screen free entertainment for the whole family. 

BrainBox

BrainBox is a memory and quiz card game and they cover a huge range of subjects. These are great little games to play and educational. The games comes with cards, 1 sand timer and 1 die.  It can be played with 1 or more players and is suitable for ages 8 and up, although we have played with my son since he was younger and allowed him more time for the memorisation stage.

Filling in short periods of time during the day is so easy with the Brainbox games when you’re looking for quick and easy activities for your kids.