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Dealing a Hand of Family Time

Classic card games and a new twist on an old favorite!

By Melissa Hucal November 5, 2014
Looking for a low-cost family night? Pull out a deck of cards!

Your kids might be surprised that you actually CAN play solitaire without a computer, but you will also have great time teaching them new-to-them games and playing them as a family at the dining room table or one the living room floor.

Go Fish and Old Maid are always good "standbys" that can be enjoyed by all ages.  Just remove the Jokers from a standard deck when playing Go Fish and remove the Jokers and all but one Queen for Old Maid.

Another favorite game is War, since it can be played with as few as two players or as many are in your family. Incorporate a little learning into the game, especially with younger kids, as you encourage everyone to call out their numbers as they lay down their card.

Or try this new twist on the favorite game, Memory, as you modify the rules slightly to play Pick 10.

Remove the Jokers and all the face cards from the deck. Depending upon how many are playing, you can add cards from an additional deck. Set all the cards out in rows, face down.

Take turns picking up to two cards. If the values on the cards equal "10" when added together (7+3; 4+6; 9+Ace, etc.), the player keeps the pair. If not, the cards are returned to their face down position and it's the next players turn. If a player flips over a "10" on the first card, he/she keeps that card. The game ends when all combinations of "10" have been picked. The winner is the player who collects the combinations.

What about you? Does your family enjoy playing card games? What are your favorites?