I’m so glad you’ve joined me as I share our family’s favorite games!

Day 1: {Kinesthetic Games}
Day 2: {Math and Language Games}
Day 3: {Games of Strategy}

Sometimes what we need is a quick and easy card game. They are transportable, usually simple to learn, and inexpensive. We have a number of favorite card games that stay out at all times, ready to be picked up by the kids on a school break, or weekend morning. A regular deck of cards can yield dozens of fun games (I’m a big solitaire fan myself), but there are other less traditional games that provide tons of fun as well.

Great family card games

Spot It- This is one of those afterthought cheapy games that I picked up on a random trip to Target. I think it was a stocking stuffer. The idea is simple and it’s a fast-paced game that keeps little ones and big ones alike equally interested. Each circular card has 8 images on it, and each pair of cards shares one, and only one, image. Your job is to identify what matches. There are a number of mini-games, each with a different objective, and this little game takes no time at all to play.
Slamwich- There are many types of sandwich fillings in this vicious little game. As the name suggests, depending on what card is played, players “slam” their hands down to claim matches and take the pile. We’ve had quite a few “ouchies” but also a ton of laughs playing this one!
Phase 10- This game takes longer to play than the others in my list, but it is one of my favorites. The age range is a bit older, due to the attention span required, but I definitely think it’s worth it to have around the house. The game is easy to learn: there are ten phases (a phase being a specified group of cards) to pass throughout the game, and the first to pass all 10 in order wins the game. Yet it’s not quite that simple. Multiple people pass phases at the same time, and you keep points for the cards you have left after each hand is done. It’s a fun evening activity for adults and older kids alike.
Uno Attack and Uno Roboto- We were big Uno players when I was growing up. Of course, then it was only the basic game, and while that’s still fun, we love some of the extension games in our family. Uno Attack has a nifty little contraption that spits cards at you on occasion (from 2 to 7 cards) when you press the button, making getting rid of your cards a bit more difficult. Uno Roboto has a cute little robot that tells you what to do, shouts out random tasks on occasion, and says things like, “I like the way you look. Go again!” It records each player saying her name and distorts the voice, making it silly and perfect for the younger members of your family. Both of these games can be played with up to six people.
Monopoly Deal- I mentioned my love for Monopoly in the Day 1 post. But, let’s face it, Monopoly can take forever, even with the “quick play” rules. Monopoly Deal takes some of the best competitive elements of the game and provides a 15-20 minute game. The goal is to lay out three full sets (the same sets in the traditional Monopoly) before your opponents do, but there are barriers to overcome: keeping enough money in your bank to pay penalties your opponents choose; making sure no one steals your cards; and simply the luck of the draw. We just taught our 5-year-old the rules of the game, and while he’s not up on the strategy of his moves yet, he enjoys the fast pace.