Now that spring has officially sprung, the goal is to be outside on your deck as much as possible. But, if your weather is anything like it is here in North Carolina, April can be a hard month to plan for. One day it will be a beautiful, sunny day in the 70s, and the next, it will be drizzly and a chilly 56 degrees. For those less than ideal deck days, here’s a few rainy day deck (of cards) ideas. Enjoy!
*Kid-friendly (Ages 4-5+)
1 player card games
- Klondike Solitaire (like Windows Solitaire)
The most popular and well-known solitaire, popularized by Microsoft, this game requires little skill and a moderate amount of space to play.
Clock Solitaire is a game of no skill, but great patience. Since the outcome is pre-determined once the cards are dealt, it’s a great game for younger kids who can’t quite grasp the strategy or complicated rules of other card games.
A complicated game that needs a fair amount of space to play, La Belle Lucie is non-the-less one of the most popular patience solitaire games around.
2 player card games
If you’re looking for a game that is both relaxing and intense at the same time, you’ve found it. The simple rules allow for even fairly young children to play this game, but the faster you play the more fun it gets.
Cribbage is great for those looking for a game that challenges the mind a little bit more, or to teach and hone mental math skills. Although traditional Cribbage uses a special board and pegs for scoring, it can be scored with pen and paper. If needed, Cribbage can also accommodate larger groups.
Speed (or Spit as it’s also commonly known) is the rare two player card game that provides high speed play and strategy. It’s an easy one to learn and can provide hours of entertainment for you and a friend.
3-4 player card games
Bet you couldn’t guess this one would be on here somewhere, huh? Go Fish is classic game for young and old alike that can be played in both the pair and four-card set variety – with the set of four adding a little more strategy and difficulty.
Spades is a trick-taking game, similar to Hearts, where Spades are the trump card. It is best played in teams, but will work with individuals as well. This is also a great game because you can (to an extent) control how long the game will be by setting the total points to a smaller (shorter) or larger (longer) number.
Once again, that frustrating combination of skill and luck come into play in this fun multi-player game. Easy to learn, but involving an element of strategy, Palace is a great game to play with friends on a rainy day.
5+ player card games
Similar to Musical Chairs, Spoons is easy to learn and easy to play, making it great for large groups of kids – but plastic spoons are recommended to avoid injuries.
President is a game that becomes more fun the more rounds you play and as roles are assigned. Can you become President?
The mystery of where this game got its name is rivaled only by the fun you can have playing it. It can take a few rounds to really get a handle on all the rules of the various cards, but once you do it moves quickly and you’ll find yourself playing for hours.
I hope you don’t have to turn to these games too often this spring and summer, but I hope you’ll enjoy them if you do!
