10 Easy Card Games for Kids (Ages 4 and Up)

A standard deck of cards is one of the cheapest, most versatile toys a family can own. These ten card games are simple enough for a four-year-old to learn, fun enough for a ten-year-old to keep asking for, and teach real skills like counting, matching, and taking turns along the way.

01/10 2–6 players

♠ Go Fish

★ Editors' top pick

Go Fish

2–6 players Short Difficulty Easy Age 6+

The most-requested card game on earth for ages four and up. Teaches numeracy, memory, and the social ritual of asking for what you want.

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02/10 2+ players

♥ Old Maid

Old Maid

2+ players Medium Difficulty Easy Age 6+

A drawing and matching game where the whole point is to dodge the unpaired lady. Simple, dramatic, and over in ten minutes.

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03/10 2–6 players

♣ Crazy Eights

Crazy Eights

2–6 players Medium Difficulty Medium Age 8+

The grandparent of Uno. Match suit or rank, change colour with 8s, win by going out first. Every kid gets it in one round.

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04/10 2+ players

♦ Snap

Snap

2+ players Short Difficulty Easy Age 6+

The original reflex game. When two matching cards land side by side, shout 'Snap!' and sweep the pile. Fast fingers beat big brains.

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05/10 2–4 players

♠ War

War

2–4 players Short Difficulty Easy Age 6+

No strategy, no bluffing, no reading. Just flip, compare, and collect. The ideal first card game for a four-year-old.

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♣ ♥ ♠ ♦

06/10 2–8 players

♥ Slapjack

Slapjack

2–8 players Short Difficulty Easy Age 6+

Snap with a wildcard rule: slap the Jack. Reflex training with the added thrill of a legal excuse to whack the table.

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07/10 2–6 players

♣ Concentration

Concentration

2–6 players Medium Difficulty Easy Age 6+

The pure memory game. Flip two, match two, repeat. Kids beat adults at this more often than they should.

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08/10 3–13 players

♦ Spoons

Spoons

3–13 players Short Difficulty Easy Age 6+

Musical chairs with cards. Grab a spoon when you collect four of a kind. Chaotic, loud, and instantly replayable.

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09/10 2–5 players

♠ Kings in the Corner

Kings in the Corner

2–5 players Short Difficulty Easy Age 6+

A gentle tableau game with enough structure to feel like real solitaire. A good step up after Go Fish and War.

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10/10 2–4 players

♥ Trash

Trash

2–4 players Short Difficulty Easy Age 6+

Also called Garbage. A race to build a perfect sequence from ten facedown cards, with ten rounds of shrinking difficulty.

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