There are times at home or during short waits when you want to play without relying on your phone or the TV, right? That’s when a deck of cards—with its countless ways to play—really shines.
In this article, we introduce a variety of card games that kids will love and get totally absorbed in.
From heated card battles that test memory and reflexes, to games that train calculation skills, to quiet solo play you can enjoy on your own, we’ve gathered a rich selection.
The thrill that comes with flipping each card is something only analog play can offer.
Find your favorite way to play, and spend a heart-pounding, joy-filled time together!
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Easy and fun! Playing card games you and your kids can get hooked on (1–10)
TakoyakiNEW!
This is a card game inspired by flipping takoyaki balls.
Use a standard 52-card deck without jokers.
Deal 10 cards to each player, then place them face down in two rows of five.
Number the cards 1 to 10, with the leftmost card in the top row as 1 and the rightmost card in the bottom row as 10.
The remaining cards form a draw pile.
Players take turns drawing from the pile and flip face up the hand card whose number matches the value of the drawn card.
The first player to flip all of their cards face up wins!
Old MaidNEW!
Remove one Joker from a deck of cards, shuffle, and deal to the players.
If players have any pairs in their hands—by number or by face—they should discard them.
The remaining cards become their hand.
Decide who goes first (e.g., with rock-paper-scissors), then starting with that person, proceed clockwise, drawing one card from the person to your right.
If the drawn card forms a pair—by number or by face—with a card in your hand, discard the pair.
Continue reducing your hand, and anyone who reaches zero cards leaves the game.
The player who ends up with only the Joker loses.
It’s a simple game that also offers psychological battles, so be sure to play it with everyone!
High & Low
High & Low is a two-player card game where you guess whether a number is higher or lower.
The rules are simple, so even children can play easily! Remove the jokers and deal the cards to each player, then place them face down as a draw pile.
Taking turns as the dealer, you guess whether your own face-down card is stronger or weaker than your opponent’s face-up card.
In terms of card strength, Ace is the weakest and King is the strongest.
It’s a game that can get very exciting when played as a family, so be sure to give it a try!
Pig’s tail
This is a simple card game—great for kids—where you lay the cards in a circle like a pig’s tail and flip them over in turn.
Decide the order, then each player flips any card from the circle and places it in the center.
If you flip a card with the same suit as the previous player’s card, you must take all the cards in the center! The cards you collect can also be used as your hand.
The player with the fewest cards in hand wins.
You can also try a variation where matching numbers, not just matching suits, require you to collect the pile.
Give it a try!
Blackjack
Blackjack is a card game with very engaging strategy and is fun to play with kids.
Using a deck with the jokers removed, each player first draws one card face down from the stock.
Then each draws another card face up from the stock.
Secretly check your face-down card so your opponent can’t see it, and try to get the total of your cards as close to 21 as possible to win.
Remember that jacks, queens, and kings count as 10, and aces can be used as either 1 or 11!
Doubt
Since the rules are simple, I imagine almost everyone has played it at least once.
“Doubt” (a.k.a.
BS) is a card game best enjoyed with several players.
Remove the jokers and deal the 52 cards as hands.
In turn, each player places one card face down in the center while saying the next rank aloud—A, 2, 3, and so on.
The thrill of the game is that when you don’t have the required rank in your hand, you can lie and play a different rank! If you think another player has lied about the card they played, you can call “Doubt.” If the lie is exposed, the player who lied must take all the cards in the pile.
It’s a heart-pounding game where you try to catch lies—or keep your own lies going.
Splash
Dobon is a game similar to the UNO card game.
Using a standard 52-card deck with the jokers removed, deal five cards face down to each player.
Stack the remaining cards face down in the center as the draw pile.
Flip the top card of the draw pile face up and place it next to the pile as the first discard—then the game begins! Players take turns playing a card that matches the suit or number of the top discard.
The first player to run out of cards wins.
A key to the game is using special “power cards” and making a “Dobon,” where you can play multiple cards at once, to hinder other players.
Give it a try!