5 Easy Card Games For Kids – You Only Need A Standard Deck Of Cards!

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Video games are overrated and will never be as much fun as the awesome games we played with our family and friends as kids! There I said it 😉   Not only are kid-friendly card games really fun, but they are an awesome way for you to bond with your children, especially when you would prefer them to have less screen time or if it’s rainy outside and outdoor games are out of the question! Card games also teach kids how to socialize with others and play fair, so there really isn’t any downside!

Some of the best card games for children are pretty easy to learn, even for young kids, yet they are still challenging and interesting enough for even adults and older kids to play along with. Here are a few of our favorite easy card games for kids – no special equipment or cards needed! Use just a standard deck of cards for hours of family fun!

Snap

Snap is probably one of the easiest games to play and it is perfect for kids of all ages!  It teaches young children how to pay attention, concentrate, and react quickly.

  • Number of Children: Two Or More
  • Equipment:  One or Two Decks Of Cards Depending On The Number Of Children Playing
  • Time:  About 5 Minutes Per Round

Snap begins by dealing the cards out equally to all the children who are playing.  Cards must be dealt facedown and peaking isn’t allowed!

Once each child has their set of cards, the first child places their first card face up at the center of the playing area.  The second child then does the same.  If the two cards do not match then the third child has a turn to place a card face up in the center on top of the previous two.  This continues until the two consecutive cards match.  When they do, the first child to shout “Snap!” wins the entire pile of cards at the center of the play area.  They place these facedown at the bottom of the deck and play resumes.

When using a standard deck of cards you can either use the numbers to create matches or the suits depending on how quickly you want the game to progress.

If a child shouts “Snap!” and there isn’t a match, then they need to give each player one of their cards as a penalty.

The first child to win the entire deck of cards is the winner!

Snap – Variation 1

Sometimes it can be tricky to decide who shouted “Snap!” first.  To make it a bit easier you can create a rule where either the child needs to quickly slap one hand over the pile of cards while shouting “Snap!”. Alternatively, they could grab a specific object such as a ball, for example, to confirm that they were first.  Of course, this could lead to sore fingers so an adult might need to supervise if the game is getting a bit rowdy!

Snap – Variation 2

Instead of children falling out of the game when they have lost all their cards, they can still continue calling “Snap!” when matches are made thereby giving them a chance to get back into the game.

Old Maid

Easy Card Games For Kids - Old Maid
  • Number of Children:  Three To Five
  • Equipment: One Deck Of Cards
  • Time:  About 10 Minutes

Before the game begins you will need to remove all the Queens from the deck with the exception of the Queen of Hearts – she will become the Old Maid.  When playing the game, the person who is left with the Queen of Hearts loses the game.

To begin the game, shuffle the cards and deal them evenly to the children.  The children check the cards they have received and remove any pairs that they have.

Pairs are made when card color and numbers match.  For example, the red (hearts and diamonds) number 7 cards will be a pair.

The children fan the cards in their hands with the other players only seeing the back of the cards.  The child who begins the game will draw one card from the player on their right. If the card drawn can be paired with another card they already have in their hands then they will remove the pair from their deck.  If there isn’t a match then the card is simply added to the cards they already have.

The second child will then go ahead and draw a card from the child sitting on their right.  The game continues until all the cards are paired with the exception of the Queen of Hearts.  Whichever player is left with the Queen of Hearts loses the game.

Slap The Jack

  • Number of Children:  Two Or More
  • Equipment:  One Deck Of Cards
  • Time:  5 to 10 Minutes Per Round

Slap the Jack is very similar to snap with the exception being that instead of waiting for cards to match up the children need to keep an eye open for any of the Jacks in the pile.

The game begins by dealing all the cards out evenly to the children who are playing.  They hold the cards face down in their hands without looking at them.  The first player then places their first card faceup in the middle of the play area.  If the card isn’t a Jack then the second player places their first card face up into the center.  This continues until there is a jack.  When the Jack appears the first child to quickly slap their hand over the Jack wins the pile.  As with snap, this can lead to sore hands and sore egos so supervision may be required if the play becomes too boisterous!

Donkey

  • Number of Children:  Three Or More
  • Equipment:  Four Cards Of The Same Number For Each Player
  • Time:  5 to 10 Minutes

Before starting the game you will need to remove sets of number cards according to the number of players there are.

Easy Card Games For Kids - Donkey

Sets are created by grouping cards with the same number. For example, the four of hearts, the four of diamonds, the four of spades and the four of clovers will form a set.  You can also use the four Aces as a group. Same goes for the Kings, Queens and Jacks. If there are 3 children playing then there will be three sets of cards ie. 12 in total.

The cards are then shuffled and 4 cards are dealt to each of the children. The children may look at their cards but they should be kept hidden from the other players. 

The object of the game is to be the first person to get all four cards in a set before anyone else does.

The game begins with the first player giving an unwanted card to the person sitting on their right.  An unwanted card is one that isn’t part of a set – the child will want to hang on to any cards of the same number that they already have. 

The second child will then go ahead and pass an unwanted card onto the player on their right.  The game continues until one child has all the cards in a set (all the cards of the same number).  When a child has a full set he must quickly lay the cards down in front of him.  When the other players see him doing this they must also lay down their cards regardless of whether they have a set or not.  The last child to lay down their cards loses the round and is the “donkey”.

Concentration!

  • Number of Children:  Two or More
  • Equipment:  One Deck of Cards
  • Duration:  About 10 Minutes Per Round

Shuffle the cards and lay them all out facedown in the middle of the play area (for fewer players you can remove some of the pairs to make the game move along quicker).

Pairs are made when card color and numbers match.  For example, the red (hearts and diamonds) number 7 cards will be a pair.

The first child will turn over two cards checking whether they are a pair.

If there is a pair then the child will remove the matching pair and keep them. Because they have created a pair they can have another turn.  If there is not a pair, then the cards are turned over again and the next child turns over two cards trying to remember where each card is so that they can make a pair.

The object of the game is to match and collect as many pairs as possible.  When all the pairs have been collected then the child with the most cards will be the winner.

Conclusion

Easy card games are fun for kids of all ages and adults enjoy them just as much! They are perfect for rainy days or when you are stuck in the car during a long road trip.

If you are looking for other fun things to do on rainy days or if you would prefer less screen time for your kids, then you can’t go wrong with our free children’s books and coloring pictures and pages.