Easy card games for kids

Before you start

Play for fun and keep the mood light. Shuffle by sliding the cards together, which is easier for small hands. If you want a tally, use tally marks on paper or nothing at all. A grown-up can help with numbers and picture cards.

1. Snap

Players and age: 2 to 4 players. Age hint: 4 and up.

Setup: Shuffle and deal all the cards face down, one pile each. Leftover cards go back in the box.

1. Take turns turning your top card onto a shared pile in the middle.
2. When two cards in a row show the same number or picture, the first player to say "Snap!" and tap the pile gently wins it.
3. Put the won cards under your own pile and carry on.

How it ends: One player ends with all the cards, or you stop after an agreed time.

Make it easier or harder: Easier: snap on matching colours. Harder: snap only when the numbers match but the suits differ.

2. Go Fish

Players and age: 2 to 4 players. Age hint: 5 and up.

Setup: Deal five cards each. Put the rest face down in the middle.

1. On your turn, ask one player for a number you hold, such as "Do you have any sevens?"
2. If they do, they hand over all of them and you ask again. If not, they say "Go fish!" and you take the top card from the middle.
3. When you hold all four cards of one number, put them down as a set.

How it ends: Play ends when every set is made. Compare sets, then shuffle again.

Make it easier or harder: Easier: use only Ace to 6. Harder: use the full pack and remember who asked for what.

3. Pairs (Memory)

Players and age: 1 to 4 players. Age hint: 4 and up.

Setup: Take all four cards of six numbers, such as 2 to 7, making 24 cards. Shuffle and lay them face down in rows.

1. Turn over any two cards so everyone can see.
2. If the numbers match, keep the pair and have another turn.
3. If not, turn them back in the same places and pass to the next player.

How it ends: Play ends when all cards are taken. Count the pairs.

Make it easier or harder: Easier: lay out only twelve cards. Harder: use all 52, or count a pair only when the colours match too.

4. War

Players and age: 2 players. Age hint: 5 and up.

Setup: Agree whether the Ace counts high or low. Deal 26 cards each, face down.

1. Both players turn over their top card together.
2. The higher number takes both cards and puts them under their own pile.
3. If they match, each player puts down one card face down and one face up. The higher face-up card takes the lot.

How it ends: One player has all the cards, or you stop after an agreed time. It depends on luck, so there is nothing to practise but patience.

Make it easier or harder: Easier: take out the picture cards. Harder: each player turns two cards and adds them, and the bigger total wins.

5. Old Maid

Players and age: 3 to 6 players. Age hint: 5 and up.

Setup: Take one queen out of the pack and put it away, leaving 51 cards. Three queens stay in, so two of them make a pair and one has no partner. That last queen is the old maid. Deal every card, even if hands are uneven.

1. Put down every pair of cards with the same number. Keep the rest hidden in a fan.
2. Take turns: offer your fan, face down, to the player on your left, who picks one card without looking.
3. If the picked card makes a pair, the picker puts the pair down. Then the picker offers their own fan to the player on their left.

How it ends: Play ends when all pairs are down. The player left holding the last queen is the old maid. Shuffle for the next game.

Make it easier or harder: Easier: play with fewer cards. Harder: count a pair only when number and colour both match.

6. Match the number or suit

Players and age: 2 to 4 players. Age hint: 6 and up.

Setup: Deal five cards each, or seven for two players. Turn one card face up to start a pile and leave the rest face down beside it.

1. Play a card that matches the top card's number or suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs or spades).
2. Eights are special: play one any time and say which suit comes next.
3. If you cannot play, take one card and play it if it fits. If not, the turn passes.

How it ends: Play ends when someone plays their last card. If the face-down pile runs out, shuffle the played cards, keep the top one, and turn them over.

Make it easier or harder: Easier: match colour or number and skip the special eights. Harder: say "One card left!" when you have one, or take an extra card.

More to do on Rangooo

Find more ideas in family game night ideas, draw your own game with make your own board game, practise numbers with easy maths games, play memory games for kids, fill a wet afternoon with rainy day activities, browse more stories and activities, or see resources for teachers.

Questions

What if some cards are missing from the pack?

Snap, War and the match game still work with a few cards gone. For Pairs and Go Fish, set aside any number that is not complete. For Old Maid, exactly one card should be left without a partner. If a card is missing, put away one more card of that same number so the rest still pair up.

What ages are these card games for?

Snap and Pairs suit many children from about four with help, Go Fish, War and Old Maid from five, and the match game from around six. Keep the pack away from babies and toddlers, who may put cards in their mouths.

How can children learn to be good losers?

Start each game with a handshake or a kind word, and praise good plays from everyone. Remind children that cards are partly luck. If feelings are big, take a slow breath, then play one more round.

Do we need to keep score?

No. These games are for fun, and many families simply play another round. If your child likes counting, tally sets or pairs at the end, using tally marks on paper or nothing at all, then shuffle and start fresh.