Grown-ups love figures. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, “What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?” Instead, they demand: “How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?” Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince, 1943, translated from French
Play Card Games
Almost every “dollar store” sells decks of cards for a buck, some a bit more expensive especially the modern ones. And, almost everyone knows how to play card games. Whether it’s traditional “UNO”, “Old Maid”, Gin Rummy, or 5 Card Draw Poker or modern card games like those below which often use custom decks and involve more complex rules:
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Dominion – The original deck-building game where players buy cards to improve their deck.
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Magic: The Gathering – A collectible card game with deep strategy and fantasy themes.
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Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion (card-based RPG) – Uses cards for tactical combat and story progression.
Obviously, you wouldn’t want to teach your child how to become a poker virtuoso, but playing a card game can help develop your child’s math skills.
Now, you don’t have to have a special deck of cards for games as any standard deck will do. So, when the kids are awake, you can play those card games that are child oriented, and when they go to bed, you and your friend, or significant other can play a more adult oriented game.
Always have some sort of “prize” on hand if you plan on having a family Go Fish tournament. And be sure that everyone is a winner with the prizes going down in vaule or size. This is especially important for younger children so that no one every feels as if they are a “loser”. And, no one likes to feel that way, even older children. Although they might never admit it 😉
Party and Family Fun games :
Some of these games are designed for casual fun and easy to learn:
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Uno – A color and number matching game with action cards.
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Phase 10 – A rummy-style game with progressive phases.
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Skip-Bo – A sequencing game where players aim to empty their stockpile.
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Exploding Kittens – A quirky, fast-paced game of luck and sabotage.
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Cards Against Humanity – A humorous, adult-themed fill-in-the-blank game.