Extra Examples, Ideas and/or Instructions

Card Games Your Child Can Play Alone

By Gail Gill

Card games are fun to play. Playing simple card games will teach your child number skills and will help him to learn concentration techniques. The following two games are suitable for children to play and can be played by one person.

1. Clock Patience

To win this game your child needs to arrange his 52 cards into a clock face formation. The four Kings will be in the centre of the clock, the four Queens will be at twelve o’clock, and the four Jacks (or Knaves) will be at eleven o’clock. The rest of the cards will be in their correct positions on the clock face. For example, the sixes will be at the bottom of the clock at six o’clock and the threes will be at three o’clock.

To play the game your child needs to deal out his 52 cards, face down to form a clock face with four cards in each pile, and four cards in the middle of the clock.  To start the game your child will turn up the top card from the four cards in the middle of the clock. He will place this card face up in its correct position on the clock face.

For example, if it is a two he will place it in the two o’clock position. He will then remove one of the cards from the two o’clock pile to replace the one that he has added to the pile. He will put this new card into its correct position and continue the game.

If he turns up a King, he must put it in the centre position. The game is finished when your child has completed the entire clock, or when he has turned up the four Kings, whichever comes first. He will win if he has completed the entire clock, but if he has four Kings and there are any unturned cards left, he will have lost the game.

Children will often play this game happily for hours and they will not realise that they are learning to count, to place cards in the correct order, and even to tell the time on a traditional clock.

2. Accordion

To win this game your child needs to end with all of his cards in one pile.

To play the game your child needs to deal out his 52 cards, face up, in a single row. He needs to move a card onto the card on its left, provided it is either the same suit or of the same numerical value.

For example, a seven of spades will go onto a spade or onto a seven from any of the other three suits. Next, he should move a card onto the card that is third from the left if it is the same suit or the same numerical value. After your child makes a move, he should look to see if he could make any additional moves. When your child begins to add cards to the pile, he should not just move the topmost card but the whole pile of cards, according to the value of the suit of the card on top. When your child has all of his cards in one pile, he will have won the game.

Your child will enjoy playing both of these games, especially if he has an attractive pack of cards to play with. Playing cards make an excellent gift and are a wonderful educational tool.

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