Card games using traditional playing cards have been around for thousands of years. The earliest evidence of their use dates back to China in the 9th century, when it is believed the cards doubled up as a form of currency. It wasn’t until the 14th century that they began to spread throughout Europe; today, the suits we are most familiar with (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) are of French descent.
Card games remain a popular pastime all around the world for both children and adults. Whether you’re a parent in search of ways to entertain during the school holidays, or you’re a teacher or youth worker looking for activities that stimulate young minds, here are our suggestions for the best free kids’ card games to play!
Here are 20 easy and fun card games for kids that you can play today – all you need is a pack of cards (and maybe a couple of other items you can easily find around the house)! These games are perfect for a sleepover.
Age: 3+
Players: 2-6
Snap is a delightfully simple game that kids everywhere love and it only requires a single pack of cards. This is one of the most entertaining matching card games for kids, and it only takes a minute to learn the simple rules.
Deal the entire pack between all players, so every player has their own little stack of cards, placed face down on the table in front of them. Then, the first player flips over their top card and starts a pile in the center of the table.
The second player, on the left of the first player, flips over their top card and puts it on the pile face-up as well. Keep continuing around the circle, with each player taking turns to flip over their topmost card onto the face-up discard pile in the middle of the table.
When one card matches the one beneath, players must quickly yell, “SNAP!” The player who says it first wins the whole pile! If someone uses up all their cards, they’re out of the game. And the player who manages to win all of the cards wins!
Age: 5+
Players: 2 or more
A great memory card game for kids that encourages concentration, this card game is one that will get your little ones thinking while having fun at the same time. Here are the rules for Memory, also called Concentration.
To start playing, spread the whole deck all over the table, with every card face down, making sure that none of them overlap.
Each player takes their turn flipping just two cards, trying to make a match – a match being two cards of the same rank. If unsuccessful, flip the two cards back over, and the next player takes their turn. Continue playing until every card has been matched in pairs.
The player who matched the most pairs wins!
Age: 4+
Players: 2+
This fun and simple game is one of the best card games for kids to play that adults love too, and it improves hand-to-eye skills. All you need is a full deck of cards.
HOW TO PLAY
Before play commences, remove both Jokers and all but one Queen from the deck. This single Queen is the designated Old Maid card.
After shuffling, deal out all the cards face-down to all players. Players may then look at their cards and have a moment to sort them into as many pairs as possible. Once in pairs, these cards can be placed face-up before each player.
The dealer goes first and creates a fan with their cards from which the player to their left must choose one card, which they keep hidden from everyone else.
The game continues, with everyone making pairs in their hands before laying them on the table. The person left with the Old Maid loses.
To find more in-depth rules, check out our full article on how to play Old Maid.
Age: 6+
Players: 2-8
Slapjack is a super fun and energetic game that is closely related to Snap and is great for improving coordination and reaction times in kids.
HOW TO PLAY
To start playing Slapjack, deal out the entire pack of cards between all players.
Players take turns to flip over a card from their stack, laying each one face-up on the table, one after the other.
If a Jack is laid down at any point, the players must race to be the first to slap it. The slap champion then wins all the cards, shuffles them, and returns them to their own hand.
Ultimately, the player who wins all the cards by slapping the jacks wins!
Age: 6+
Players: 2-6
Another one of those classic card games to play with kids, Beggar My Neighbor is easy to learn and can be played with as few as two players!
HOW TO PLAY
To play, start by dealing out the deck of all the players. All players must keep these cards face-down in a pile in front of them.
Player One takes their first card, flips it, and lays it down face up on the table. If it has a rank of 10 or lower, it’s the next person’s turn.
If a Jack, Queen, King, or Ace (a “court card”) is turned over, stop flipping in this manner. Instead, the next player must pay a forfeit. For a Jack, the next player needs to lay down one card, for a Queen, it’s two, for a King, it’s three, and for an Ace, it’s four.
If nothing higher than a 10 is laid down, the player who put down the “court card” wins the entire pile of cards. If the player turns over another court card while paying the forfeit, they don’t have to flip over any more cards. However, the next player must then pay another forfeit according to the new court card!
Age: 7+
Players: 2-10
While you may not be able to play Uno with a standard deck of cards, this is a popular enough game that you should be able to find a deck of Uno cards pretty much anywhere. If you simply don’t have an Uno deck, you can also play with a standard deck by adding new rules, such as:
HOW TO PLAY
Each player starts with a hand of seven cards, and the top card of the deck is placed face up to start the discard pile. Players take turns matching one of their cards to the top card of the discard pile by number or color, whatever works. If a player cannot play a card onto the discard pile, they must draw from the deck.
Special cards add twists to the game:
Players must announce “Uno” when they have only one card left in their hand. The first person to get rid of all their cards wins!
Age: 7+
Players: 2-5
Exploding Kittens is a strategic and humorous card game where players draw cards from a deck with the goal of avoiding the dreaded Exploding Kitten cards. This game requires you to have a specific Exploding Kittens deck, but don’t worry; it’s totally worth the money for the fun you’ll have!
HOW TO PLAY
To begin, deal each player one defuse card and six other cards, making sure there are no Exploding Kittens cards in the mix when you do so. Then, add one fewer Exploding Kitten card to the deck than the number of players.
To play Exploding Kittens, each player plays a card or cards from their hand. To end their turn, players must draw a card from the middle draw pile. Play moves clockwise.
If a player draws an Exploding Kitten card, they are eliminated from the game unless they have a Defuse, which allows them to defuse the kitten with fun tactics like belly rubs or laser pointers. Other cards in the deck offer various actions such as peeking at the deck, skipping turns, or forcing opponents to draw additional cards. Players can strategically use cards like Nope cards to counteract actions played against them. The last player remaining in the game, who hasn’t exploded, is the winner!
For an in-depth look at how to play this game, check out our full article on Exploding Kittens rules.
Age: 8+
Players: 2-8
Did you know that the classic Monopoly board game can also be played as a card game? Monopoly Deal is a super fast-paced game you can play in just 15 minutes!
HOW TO PLAY
To set up the game, deal each player five cards, with the rest of the cards making up the draw pile. Then, to play, players take turns drawing two cards and playing up to three cards. But keep in mind that players cannot have more than 7 cards in their hand at the end of their turn!
Players collect sets of property cards, money, and action cards to build their property empire. Action cards allow players to charge rent, steal properties, or sabotage opponents. Players can also use action cards like Just Say No to counteract opponents’ actions. The game ends when a player successfully collects three complete property sets!
Check out our full game rules on Monopoly Deal!
Age: 6+
Players: 2-6
Rummy is one of the most classic card games that you should introduce to your kids! There are a huge variety of Rummy games that you can play once you know how to play the original, so Rummy is an absolute must for any child interested in card games. While this card game may be a bit more complicated than, say, Go Fish or Snap, it is still simple enough to play with children.
HOW TO PLAY
In this kids’ card game, players aim to form sets or runs of cards in their hand. Start by dealing each player between 6 and 10 cards, depending on the number of players. All other cards remain face-down in the middle of the table. Flip over the top card of the face-down draw pile to create the discard pile.
The goal of the game is to create sets and runs and get rid of all the cards. A set consists of three or four cards of the same rank, while a run comprises three or more consecutive cards of the same suit.
Players take turns drawing from the draw or discard pile. Then, they can place any melds on the table. To end their turn, the player must discard a card.
To start the game, players must form at least one valid set or run in their hand. Once a player has formed valid sets and runs, they can add to other players’ melds as well. The first player to go out by playing all their cards wins the game!
Age: 6+
Players: 6-12
Looking for a super fast party game you can play in around 90 seconds? Happy Salmon is the game for you! Created by the same people who made Exploding Kittens, you know Happy Salmon is going to be super entertaining, high-energy, and straight-up hilarious.
HOW TO PLAY
In this game, your objective is to match cards and perform silly actions as quickly as possible. Start by separating the decks by color, with each player taking a deck. Each player has a deck of cards with actions like “High 5,” “Switcheroo,” and the signature “Happy Salmon” action, where players slap each other’s forearms.
Players race to find a match with other players and perform the action depicted on the matching cards. But keep in mind: Only two players can match an action, so if a third person has the same action, they’ll have to move that card to the bottom of their stack and move onto the next one for the being!
The first player to get quickly rid of all their cards by completing the actions in their deck wins the game!
Age: 8+
Players: 2-4
Probably one of the most entertaining and fast-paced games out there is Dutch Blitz. In fact, while this is, in fact, a kids’ card game, even adults will fully enjoy the game! You’ll need to get yourself a Dutch Blitz deck to play.
HOW TO PLAY
In Dutch Blitz, players aim to empty their Blitz pile as quickly as possible by playing cards onto shared center piles. Each player has their own deck of colored cards consisting of numbered cards 1 through 10.
The game begins with players simultaneously flipping cards from their Blitz pile into the center piles. If there are any 1s face-up, the player must move this 1 to create a new center pile, after which players can build on it in numerical order and in the same color.
The game is played at a rapid pace, with players continuously flipping cards and strategizing to play their cards as quickly as possible. The first player to empty their Blitz pile shouts “Blitz!” to end the round, and points are scored based on the cards remaining in opponents’ Blitz piles. The game continues with subsequent rounds until a player reaches 75 points.
Dutch Blitz is a rather complicated game, so make sure to check out our full article on rules for Dutch Blitz.
Age: 8+
Players: 3-10
Also called Cheat, Bluff is a super thrilling game of deception and strategy where players aim to get rid of all their cards by, you guessed it, bluffing about the cards they play. To play, you need a single deck of cards.
HOW TO PLAY
Make sure to distribute the cards evenly among the players. Players then pick up their stack of cards.
The first player starts the game by putting down one or more cards of a rank of their choice. They must then announce the rank of this card. Play moves clockwise, and players can either pass or place one or more cards in the same rank.
As players put down their cards one by one, other players, at any point in the game, can choose to challenge it if they believe the player is bluffing about the cards they have.
If challenged and caught in a lie, the bluffing player must pick up the entire discard pile. However, if the challenge is unsuccessful, the challenger picks up the pile instead.
Continue the round until all players pass or someone calls a bluff. If a player is challenged, the player who wins the challenge starts a new round. If everyone passes, discard and push all the cards to the side, and the last person to pass starts the next round.
The first player to get rid of all their cards wins!
Age: 5+
Players: 2-9
Also known as 31 or Blitz, Scat is a straightforward and fast-paced card game where players strive to get as close to 31 points as possible in a single suit. This is a great game to practice some math skills!
HOW TO PLAY
In this game, aces are worth 11 points, face cards are worth 10 points, and numbered cards are worth their face value.
The dealer deals each player three cards. The rest of the cards form the draw pile, with one card flipped over next to it to start the discard pile.
The player to the left of the dealer starts first. A single turn consists of drawing a card from the top of the draw or discard piles, and then discarding a card. Play continues clockwise.
Players can strategically choose to “knock” if they believe they have the highest hand or if they think their hand is close enough to 31.
Once a player knocks, all other players have one final turn before the round ends. Points are scored based on the value of each player’s hand, with the player closest to 31 (without going over!) being the winner of the round.
Age: 6+
Players: 2
Gin Rummy is a captivating two-player card game where players aim to form sets and runs of cards in their hand. If you’re a big fan of rummy games and want to introduce it to your kid, this is a great game to start with!
HOW TO PLAY
To start, deal each player 10 cards, with the rest of the cards forming a stock deck and one card flipped over next to it to create the discard pile.
Players then take turns drawing and discarding cards, with the goal of creating melds (sets or runs) in their hand. Once a player has formed their entire hand into melds, they can “knock” to end the round.
The other player then has a chance to lay off any unmatched cards to the other player’s melds before points are scored.
Points are tallied based on the value of cards left in the opponent’s hand, with bonuses awarded as well. The first player to reach a predetermined point total wins the game!
For more in-depth rules, check out our guide on how to play Gin Rummy!
Card games are a whole lot of fun, but there are many other benefits to playing card games with kids. In fact, in a world where digital entertainment is increasingly becoming the norm, many are concerned with the amount of time children spend in front of screens. Not only does prolonged screen time result in less physical activity, but the passive nature of much screen-based entertainment means children are not engaging their brains in a way that stimulates growth and imagination.
With this in mind, playing card games for kids is a welcome antidote to the constant TV show streaming and social media, and they have several unique benefits for children of all ages, including:
As you can see, there are tons of benefits to be had from card games kids will love, and they’ll be having so much fun they won’t even realize they’re nourishing their minds at the same time. What more could you want?
