Grammy on the Go
By Karen Shadrach
Having a deck of cards available always makes for a quick go-to to help eliminate boredom. You can always carry it with you for emergency entertainment for the grandchildren; such as waiting for cake or cookies to come out of the oven, a doctor appointment, something to do while waiting for dinner to be ready, or when you just have 10-20 minutes before beginning another activity. Cards provide something to divert them from wanting more screen time!
Any deck of cards will suffice, but you can get an unusual deck to make play more special. For younger grandchildren, it is best to start out with a larger set of cards to make it easier for them to hold the cards in their hands. Child cardholders are also made for this purpose. One granddaughter loves Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, and I was lucky to find a set of Peanuts playing cards. I also have a set of 3-D dog cards with all kinds of puppies. Another fun idea is to make a deck with their photo on each card! I had a favorite photo of the boys eating ice cream cones after winning a baseball game. They love this deck of cards and always ask to play with them.
Card games have been around for centuries. The oldest identifiable European card game in the history of playing cards was a game called karnӧffel. It originated in Bavaria in the first quarter of the 15th century and is a trick-taking card game played with only 48 cards (minus Aces) with one chosen suit.
Besides providing fun, cards are great learning tools to teach the grandkids numbers and colors, along with the different suits of cards. The very young love to play memory games, along with sorting the whole deck into colors, making 2 stacks of red and blue, or four piles sorted to each of the specific suits of hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs. Make up a game of “Find Me” and, giving them a whole deck, ask them for specific cards or groups of cards.
Match games are fun! You can use as many or few matches as you want. I always start with six pair, such as 2 Kings, Queens, Jacks and two each of 2s, 5s and 10s. Shuffle these cards well, and then, placing cards face-down, make a grid. (4 cards across, 3 down). The first player takes a turn turning over two cards and replacing them in their spots for the next player to try to make a match. As their confidence grows, you can add more pairs to make more matches. The children seem to be so good at this game, and they giggle with delight every time they beat me!
War is a fun and exciting game for one other player. My grandson and I played this on the bleachers while waiting for his brother to play baseball. (It was not a windy day!) Rules are simple: You split the deck in half and cards are placed face down. Turn up one card at a time and the winner picks up the highest set. If you both place down the same card, it’s a WAR! Then, you place two more cards face down and turn the third one up. Who wins? Aces top all, then Kings through 2. Furthermore, there’s always the thrill of the double war!!
A deck of cards is the best and easiest game to travel with. Pack a travel deck and play on a plane or train, plus kill some free time at the hotel with family card games. One of our favorite all-time favorite family card games is the game of Fish. Families seem to have their own special version to play, but basically, seven cards are dealt to each, then one player asks for a number. The other player gives you all of that requested number in his hand. If not available, the player says, “Go Fish!” and they must draw from the remaining deck (which is spread out like a pond in the middle of the table). Players collect four each that match and lay cards down in front of you. The winner is the first to have no more cards remaining in their hand.
The basic Solitaire game, also known as Klondike, is the most popular and easiest to learn. I will always remember learning and playing this game with my grandfather. To this day, I cannot play it without remembering him. Solitaire is a great card game, as it not only re-energizes your brain power but relaxes your mind. There are many different Solitaire games; some are played with more than one deck. Spider is a favorite, but also it is fun to learn Free Cell, Pyramid, Golf and more.
A simple deck of cards is so easy to put into a handbag or suitcase, yet provides a treasure trove of playtime. Cards give you an old-fashioned “hands-on” connection in this age of electronics. Enjoy teaching your grandkids a fun pastime or try learning a new card game together.
Photos by Karen Shadrach
