I have two kids, 7 and 9 years old. In the last two years, I reckon we would have played hundreds of games of cards. Based on our experience, I've prepared the following short list of the games that we've had the most fun playing and why.
The best card games for kids aged 7 to 10 (in my opinion)
The best card games for 7 to 10 year olds are quick to learn, take 10 to 20 minutes per round, and don't require reading a lot of rules to get started. Four stand out: Uno for the one everyone already knows, Sushi Go! for sneaking in some maths, Skip Bo for teaching real strategy, and The Golden Sausage for a fast round where anyone can win.
For this age group, easy rules, fun imagery and a short play time are what matter most.
What actually makes a card game work for this age?
A good card game for families generally shares the following three features:
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A quick game's a good game. A game where someone can win in ten minutes will get played again and again. A game that drags for forty five minutes just bores the hell out of everyone.
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The cards explain themselves (easily). If the card tells you what it does, quickly and easily, you don't have to stop the game while someone digs out the rule sheet.
- Sometimes it all comes down to luck. It's a lot more fun when anyone in the game can win with a bit of luck. Games that are all about strategy can make it hard for younger players.
The four that actually get played at our place
1. Uno, an oldie but a goodie
Ages 7+, 2 to 10 players, about 20 to 30 minutes
Everyone has played it a million times and it's still entertaining. Colour matching is simple enough for anyone to understand and the Draw Fours can cause all sorts of drama when used at the right time. Its main strength is that everyone at every family gathering already knows how to play it, so there's no teaching round and no arguing about whether Nanna is doing it right.
Something I only learnt today, stacking Draw Twos is not actually in the official rules and Mattel has confirmed you're not meant to do it. Since I was a kid though, we've always played it that way but it's probably the reason why a single round can drag on for so long. And, technically, the rules state you are meant to keep playing rounds until someone gets to 500 points, but we've never done it, cos aint nobody got time for that!
2. Sushi Go!, the sneaky maths game
Ages 8+, 2 to 5 players, about 15 to 20 minutes
You pick a card, pass your hand to the next player, and repeat until all the cards are gone. The number of points on different cards can be added or multiplied with other cards, so the kids have to do maths while they are playing. For example, three sashimi are worth ten points but two are worth nothing at all. Dumplings points climb steeply the more you collect. Maki rolls reward whoever ends up with the most. By the third round the kids are calculating different combinations in their heads without even noticing, which is the best kind of maths practice there is.
3. Skip Bo, for learning strategy
Ages 7+, 2 to 6 players, about 20 to 30 minutes
The aim of the game is to be the first player to clear your stockpile while making piles of cards from 1 to 12 as a group. There are two opportunities for planning and strategising. The first is with the stockpiles: you only win by clearing your own, so playing a card from your hand when you could have played the top of your stock is a turn wasted. Also, you want to be keeping track of other players' stockpiles to make sure you don't accidentally create opportunities for them to play their stockpile cards and win the game. The second is the placement of your discard cards: you only get four piles in front of you to discard your card into at the end of each turn. Where you place your cards can really affect future turns and how quickly you can clear your discard pile.
This one is definitely the slowest game on this list, and the most strategy heavy, so the 9 year old tends to have the edge over the 7 year old. Great for a rainy Sunday afternoon when you've got a bit of time, or if you want a quicker game you can limit the number of cards in the stockpiles.
4. The Golden Sausage card game, a favourite in our house (obvs, cos I created it especially for my kids!)
Ages 7+, 2 to 5 players, about 10 to 15 minutes
I created this game with my kids and we've tweaked it many times until we got it right. It exists precisely because of everything I've mentioned above. My kids and I made it after playing games that were either too long, too complicated, or too easy for the eldest child to dominate.
Each card says what it does, so it's super easy to just start playing and learn the rules as you go. There are 53 cards with fun images and lots of colours, so it's interesting to look at. Rounds run about ten minutes, so nobody drifts off to find a device. The chance cards and die rolls mean the 7 year old genuinely beats me, which means he wants to play again and again.
With kids, it can be a shorter, lighter game than something like Skip Bo. But if you're after more of a long strategic sit down with the adults, there are some interesting card combos you can use to destroy the opposition and you can also play in teams which can certainly get lively for the more competitive among us!
Have a look here if you're curious.
Frequently asked questions
What card games can a 7 year old play?
A typical 7 year old can play Uno, Skip Bo and The Golden Sausage without any help at all. Sushi Go! is rated 8+ but with a bit of help it can be fine too. Though the first game or two may need an adult explaining the passing and maths as you go.
I reckon the limiting factors for a 7 year old on any game are the reading load and how many cards they can physically hold.
What's the best card game for a 7 and 9 year old to play together?
Look for games with a luck element, because a two year age gap is significant at this stage. Uno and The Golden Sausage both keep it genuinely competitive for all ages, because a Draw 4 or a good die roll can turn things around quickly. Skip Bo is the most strategic of the four and our 9 year old wins regularly, which isn't too much fun when you are younger and regularly losing.
How long should a card game be for kids this age?
10 to 20 minutes per round is the sweet spot. Short rounds mean you can play three in a row and stop on a win for the little one. It also means you can fit a game or two in after dinner, before it's time to start winding down.
Are card games good for kids' development?
Yes, and not in a vague way. Card games can build maths skills (Sushi Go!), forward planning and strategic thinking (Skip Bo), quick decision making under a bit of pressure (Uno, The Golden Sausage), and, of course, the skill of losing gracefully.
What card games are good for travelling with kids?
Anything in a small box with no board and no fiddly pieces. Uno, Sushi Go! and The Golden Sausage all fit in a glovebox or a carry on. Skip Bo works too, though its 162 card deck makes it the bulkiest of the four and it needs a bit more table space than a plane tray will give you.
So which one is the best?
The best card game for your kids is honestly whichever one gets pulled out most often. All the ratings and reviews in the world don't matter if the box stays in the cupboard.
Start with one short game. Play it three times in a row. Let them win one, lose one, and they might beat you fairly on the third.