Favorite Card Games for the Family

Does your family enjoy playing games together? I remember going to my grandparents house as a little girl and playing Rummikub, Skip-Bo, and Chickenfoot. As I got older I would go to game nights with my parents and their friends. So, it only makes sense to pass this tradition down to my children. They love going to their KK’s house to play Tic and Joker.

My favorite games are card games. I like being able to take games on vacation, and card games are the easiest to travel with. Today I am going to share our Top Ten favorite card games.

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Tips for Playing Games

We have tried a lot of games over the past couple of months because #quarantine. Typically we play a game right before bedtime. The kids shower, get ready for bed, and come downstairs to play. They don’t love the getting-ready-for-bed process, so this motivates them! If they do it quickly and without complaints, a game is waiting for them.

Also, I noticed when we first started playing games the kids would get upset if they lost. This looked different for each of them, but it is fairly typical for children. The more we play, the easier this gets. They know that if they want to continue playing games, they must show good sportsmanship. If they get upset or argue, the game is over. end of story. Israel and Joelle both love playing games, so they have learned how to lose and move on!

Last tip: Google the name of the game and watch videos of how to play on YouTube. Our favorite tutorials come from Gather Together Games because they show the game being played with multiple players. Sometimes we watch multiple videos together so that we can learn all of the rules. This limits the confusion!

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Sometimes even Marley gets involved, ha! It’s funny because she is normally sleeping BUT when we pull out a card game she always comes and sits right on top of them!

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Our Favorite Games

I asked the kids to make a list of their top ten games and put the games in order starting with their favorites. I’ve also gathered links to all of the games from either Target or Amazon. Some of the games can be found on both sites, and some can only be found on one site. I provided links to both sites if possible, and noted the more affordable option. Some of the games are half the price at Target, but some can only be found on Amazon!

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  1. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is hands down their favorite. This game will make EVERYONE giggle. We just laugh and laugh when we play this. (AMAZON link, TARGET link)
  2. Avocado Smash is similar to Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. You are laying down cards as you are saying a sequence of numbers. If the number said matches the number laid down, you slap the cards. My kids love anything with slapping down hands! (TARGET link)
  3. Uno Flip is 100 times more fun than regular Uno! It is a two-sided Uno game. There are really fun wild cards in this game. (AMAZON link, TARGET link– Target is more affordable)
  4. Sushi Go! involves a little bit of strategy, but once you understand the cards it is fun and simple! (TARGET link)
  5. Dos: So many people recommended this game, but I also got a lot of feedback from people who don’t care for it. Once we watched a few YouTube videos and understood the game, we really enjoyed it. (AMAZON link, TARGET link– Target is more affordable)
  6. Phase 10: I can’t believe I’ve never played this before. We have to help Israel a little, but I think he will be able to do it on his own soon. (AMAZON link, TARGET link- Target is more affordable)
  7. Monopoly Deal: This is a MUCH faster way to play than the Monopoly Board game and you don’t need 10000 little pieces. There are a few rules that you have to become familiar with, but it gets easier and more fun with practice! (AMAZON link)
  8. Guess Who? This is played the exact same way as Guess Who, but with cards. I like this one because it’s a two player game so my kids can play without me. Great for travel, but if you are just playing at home the card game isn’t necessary. (AMAZON link)
  9. Dutch Blitz came highly recommended by so many people. It is a fast moving card game that is a lot of fun! (AMAZON link)
  10. Skip-Bo: I don’t think this is actually their least favorite, it’s just the one we’ve been playing for years so the newness has worn off. It’s a game I’ve been enjoying for over 25 years! (AMAZON link, TARGET link)

Organizing the Card Games

I cannot stand card game boxes. Some of the games come in nice tins, but I wanted it to be more streamlined. We also had FOUR games of Skip-bo in baggies that were all mixed up. Because they weren’t organized we just kept buying a new set which is a complete waste of money. I decided to buckle down and organize the games.

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I ordered a Craft Keeper and threw away all of the boxes. It holds 18 games. We put one game with the instructions in each container. Now all of our games are in one spot and easy to locate/put away. All of the card games fit nicely into the small containers.

Craft Keeper on Amazon, Craft Keeper at Target (Target is more affordable but it has colored boxes rather than clear)

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favorite family card games

I hope your family enjoys playing these games together. If we are missing your favorite card game, let us know! We always love trying new games.

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