11 Fun + easy cards games for kids and adults!

In today’s post: Find 11 easy cards games that are super fun to play! Each of these games is easy enough for kids and fun enough for adults or teens.

Do your kids get grumpy when they’ve spent too much time on screens? Mine do! When we need an hour or two of electronic free time we often turn to card games. They’re easy to learn and easy to play anytime and anywhere. And if you know a variety of games you can choose a quick one or a longer one depending on how much time (and parental energy) you happen to have at the moment.

Easy card games

Today I’m sharing some of our favorite easy card games. Each of these games can be learned in five minutes or less, making them easy enough for kids, but they’re also really fun, unlike some card games I’ve suffered through as parent (I’m talking about you, Go Fish).

Each card game requires nothing more than a deck of cards. And maybe some other easily accessible items, like a paper to keep score on, or in the case of Spoons, some spoons. The point is that these card games are easy to play anytime and anywhere!

Spoons Card Game

Spoons has got to be the best easy card game of all time. Game play is ridiculously simple – you just pick up and discard cards until you get four of the same number – so even young kids can play. But the addition of spoons turns a normal card game into an exciting, fast paced competition that’s super fun! Teens especially love this game, which can be played with as many people as you’d like. Watch the video below to learn how to play, and try not to break anything once you get started ?. Find full instructions + strategy tips here: how to play the Spoons card game

 

California Speed

California Speed is our very favorite two player card game. As the name implies, it’s a fast paced game where speed is of the essence. Each player starts by laying four cards on the table, face up. Then players race to cover any cards that have a match showing with new cards, continuing until all matches have been covered. At this point players pick up the piles in front of them and play starts over, with the object being to play all of your cards before your opponent plays all of hers. It’s a fun game because it goes so fast there’s no chance to get bored, and each round is relatively quick (although rounds between two opponents who are both good will go longer!) Watch the video to learn how to play, and get more tips here: How to play California Speed

 

War

War may be the easiest card game around, which makes it great for playing with kids. However, since it moves quickly it doesn’t get boring like other “kids” card games. War is generally played between two people, although you could play with three of four (you’d probably want an additional deck of cards for 4 players). Watch the video for instructions:

Spit Card Game

Spit is a fast paced, easy card game for two players. Both players play down whatever cards they can at the same time, so if you’re a person who doesn’t like waiting for other people to take their turns this is the game for you!

Kings in the Corners

Kings in the corner is a game for 2-4 players that is based on luck and skill, not speed. Each player plays in turn, drawing a card and then playing as many cards from their hand as they can. Cards are played on piles with numbers going down, alternating red and black, and piles can be moved on top of each other when the right number is reached. The first person to play all her cards wins.

Golf

Golf is an easy card game for 2-4 players. Each player has four cards in front of them and the object of the game is to get your 4 cards to total a lower score than your opponent’s 4 cards. The catch? Your cards are face down and you only get to look at 2 of them, plus you never know what cards your opponent has.  Each round is fairly quick, with the idea being that you play 9 rounds and total your scores. Watch the video for full instructions:

Scat

Scat is similar to golf, in that game play consists of drawing and discarding cards, but in this game you are trying to get a higher score than your opponent, and you can only score points if the cards in your hand are all in the same suit. This is a great one to play with kids to help reinforce early math skills!

Egyptian Rat Slap

Rat Slap is another super fun card game that involves speed. It can be played with two or more players, and you begin by dividing the cards between all the players. The object of this game is to collect all the cards in the deck by winning them from your opponents. When players lose all of their cards they are out of the game, but there’s always a chance to slap back in when two cards of the same value are played, meaning you can come back from nothing to win the game. Rounds can go quickly, or they may take up to 45 minutes or so.

Crazy Eights

Crazy Eights can be played with 2 or more players, although you’ll want additional decks of cards for more players. It shares a lot fo similarities with the game UNO but can be played with a standard deck of cards. Additionally, it’s usually played in rounds with your score carrying over from one round to the next.

 

Garbage

Garbage is a great card game for 2 or more (you’ll want to use an additional deck for 4 players). Each round is fairly short, but you’ll need to win 10 rounds to complete the game, so it’s a great game to play when you have some time to kill. Of course, if you don’t have that much time, you can just play until someone has won 3 or 5 rounds. Watch the video to see how to play:

Slap Jack

We can’t forget Slap Jack! This is another super easy card game that is great for kids to play on their own with no adult help needed. Players take turns playing down one card at a time, and whenever a Jack is played all players slap it. The first to slap gets that pile of cards. Play continues until one player wins all the cards.

Want more fun ideas for kids? Visit these posts:

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Ultimate Rock Paper Scissors

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