The 10 Best Card Games For Kids

If you’re seeking an engaging, screen-free way to pass the time, the best card games for kids can certainly do the trick. The best options for you will be age-appropriate for your kiddo (pay attention to the manufacturer’s suggested age range for help determining this) so you can be sure your child will be challenged but not too challenged so it's still fun. Most importantly, the games should be engaging, so think about the types of play that your kid enjoys.

There are a lot of card games out there, which means there should be something to suit every taste. Party card games are crowd pleasers meant for multiple players, which can make them perfect for family game nights. Strategic card games challenge players to think critically and plan their moves, while educational card games can help your little one gain knowledge on a particular subject area. And, of course, you can’t go wrong with the classic card games that have remained popular over the years.

Beyond choosing the right type of game for your child, there are some logistical considerations. Consider the number of players you'll want to participate in the game (the manufacturer usually supplies this info) as well as how long the game takes to play. Some card games can be played in a matter of minutes, allowing you to sneak in a quick match before bed, while others can last for hours.

With thousands of positive reviews on Amazon, these 10 card games are truly the best of the best for kids. And luckily, they’re all $30 or less — with many of the options priced under $10 — so you and your child can enjoy these picks while on a budget.

1. A Wildly Popular Party Game For The Whole Family

• Ages: 7+
• 2 to 5 players

With a whopping 59,000 and growing reviews on Amazon and a solid 4.7-star rating overall, it’s clear that Exploding Kittens is a wildly popular card game that reviewers just can’t get enough of. The party game is simple to learn; the basic rules are that you take turns drawing cards, and if you choose an exploding kitten card you lose (unless you play a card to avoid it!). Game play lasts only about 15 minutes, so you can sneak in a bunch of rounds on your next family game night.

Many Exploding Kittens expansion packs are also available, including one that makes the game suitable for up to 10 players, as well as a version not intended for kids.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "I was skeptical at first of this game, but then some friends invited me to play and I was amazed at how fun it is. Normally, when I find games that my 7 year old can enjoy, they are not nearly as fun for us parents, but this is completely different. The rules were simple enough that my son picked it up after one game, it kept everyone's attention (each round is fairly short), and the game was full of laughter from everyone! I have played it with 3-5 players, and with every group size it has been a blast. This really is a must have for any family that likes playing games."

2. A Multipack Of Classic Card Games For Kids 3+

• Ages: 3+
• 2+ players

Sometimes you can’t beat the classics, and this card game multipack has a six classic favorites including Memory, Go Fish, Slap Jack, and Matching. The best part? The card games are all super easy for kiddos as young as 3 to play, but they’re totally enjoyable for older kids and even adults, too. And the game-specific cards are much cuter than your standard deck.

Amazon reviewers indicate that all of these classics can be played in 15 minutes or less. They give this pick a solid 4.6-star rating overall after more than 9,000 reviews. If you aren't looking for six entire games in one package, a four-pack is also available.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "I gave this as a gift to a 5-year-old and it was perfect. Right away she wanted to learn card games instead of being on her tablet. I call that a WIN! Amazingly the older kids wanted to jump right in and play too. Her mom was very pleased (no noise, no batteries)."

3. A Quick 2-Player Card Game

• Ages: 7+
• 2 players

Accurately named, Mattel Games’ Blink card game can practically be played in the blink of an eye… or at least in less than two minutes. The two-player card game is simple yet highly entertaining. Players attempt to match the shape, count, or color on their cards to either one of two discard piles. Play all the cards from your draw pile to win the game.

While Mattel states that this game is suitable for ages 7-plus, many Amazon reviewers indicate that their younger children were also able to play, since the cards have large, colorful symbols that are easy to recognize. Reviewers give the card game a knockout 4.7-star rating overall on the site, among 8,000 and growing reviews — a true testament to their love of Blink.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "Bought this in a whim because of the high ratings, and I am so glad that I did! It has been a super fun game to play with my husband, but also with our eight-year-old and our six-year-old. [...] When it says this game is fast, I did not realize how truly fast it is. I think it probably takes about 30 seconds to a minute for my husband and I take complete a round."

4. An Educational Guessing Game

• Ages: 8+
• 2 to 6 players

Whoever said that an educational card game can’t be fun clearly never played Skillmatics’ Guess In 10, which is the ideal combination of strategic, educational, and engaging. But don’t just take my word for it, Amazon reviewers are thrilled about this game, too, hence the solid 4.7-star rating overall they give it on the site, after more than 10,000 reviews across all the topics.

Guess In 10 is available in a variety of subject areas including Cities Around The World, Animal Planet, Legendary Landmarks, and Inspiring Professions, and the premise is that players get to ask up to 10 questions in order to figure out the word(s) that are listed on the card. Extras like Clue Cards and Bonus Questions can be utilized to help. The first player to get seven cards wins the game. Amazon reviewers indicate that the game time varies based on the number of players and the players' knowledge of the different subjects.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "Great family game! It has become one of our favorites. My boys are aged 8 and 10. We have a lot of fun breaking into teams and guessing. Some are a lot harder than you think which makes it [entertaining] for us parents too!"

5. A Party Game For Older Kids

• Ages: 10+
• 4+ players

Party games are always sure to please a crowd, and this Kids Against Maturity card game is the perfect pick for older kids — but parents on Amazon indicate that they get a hoot out of it, too! The game is simple to learn and even simpler to play; each player takes turns asking the queries on the blue question cards, and other players submit the white answer cards they think are the funniest. The question asker chooses the best card of the bunch, and the player whose cards are chosen most often wins the game.

Kids Against Maturity takes anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes to play, largely dependent on the number of players. The set comes with a whopping 500 question and answer cards, so there are certainly plenty of unique games to be had.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "Got it for my teenager and pre teen for Xmas. We played it and it is hilarious. May be a bit much for small kids, but older kids it's great with Answers like 'Your Mom' 'Miley Cyrus' 'Fart Bingo' and so on. Our kids loved it and we didn't find the answers offensive or way over their heads. There were some subtle innuendos that the 12 year old [didn’t] always catch made it even funnier [...] for my husband and I."

6. A Card Game For Car Rides

• Ages: 7+
• 2+ players

This Scavenger Hunt card game from Briarpatch is a great way to pass the time when stuck in the car — and trust me, the whole family will want to participate! The card game is super simple to play: Each player take five cards from the deck (the game comes with 54 cards in total) and tries to locate a variety of roadside objects. There are also other cards like “Hear It”, “Feel It”, and “Smell It” to encourage kids to use all of their senses, too. The game comes in a compact box, so it’s easy to carry with you on all of your travels.

This game's play time isn’t listed, but it should last through a good chunk of your long car ride.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "This game is SO MUCH FUN! My 8 year old used to complain about being bored in the car. After we get tired of telling her to look out the window, we usually hand her the iPad to keep herself entertained. But now we have this awesome game! We keep it in the back seat and play any time our car trips last more than 30 minutes or so. We usually pair up so the driver can play too. We all end up laughing and being silly...it truly creates some wonderful family memories. Even my 17 year old enjoys playing!"

7. An Educational Alphabet Card Game For Younger Kids

• Ages: 4+
• 2 to 6 players

This Alphabet Go Fish card game from Better Letter will help your child recognize, identify, and learn their upper and lowercase ABC letters, all while having a total blast. Described as "an alphabet version of the classic kids' game Go Fish," the card game is supremely easy to learn and play. Many parents on Amazon indicate that they also use the deck as flash cards to further work on letters with their child. They give this pick a solid 4.7-star rating overall with more than 300 reviews.

The set comes with 104 total cards, and the game length isn’t listed, but it varies based on the number of players and your child’s familiarity with the alphabet.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "My daughter loves this game to learn her alphabet. I like that the letters have a different animal picture on the pairs (ex. One R has a rainbow picture and one has a rhino). That way I can work on different sounds and if they match the card you know they matched the letter and not the picture."

8. A Classic Strategy Game For Up To 10 Players

• Ages: 7+
• 2 to 10 players

When it comes to classic strategy card games, it really doesn’t get much better than UNO. And with a whopping 4.9-star rating overall on Amazon, after more than 26,000 reviews, it’s safe to say that reviewers on the site agree.

If you or your child haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing a game of UNO, it’s actually quite easy to master. To play, each player takes turns matching one of their cards' color or number with that of the current card shown on the top of the deck — the player that gets rid of all of their cards first wins the game. Strategy is a major factor in this card game, as you can secure your winning title with the help of special action cards like Skips, Reverses, Draw Twos, and color-changing Wild cards.

This set comes with with 112 cards (including 32 action cards) that are stored in a tin box for safe keeping. The play time varies based on the number of players.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "I love Uno and wanted to teach my son how to play it. It was one of my favorite games when I was a child. I love that this comes in a reusable tin so the cards don’t get lost. If you have not played Uno with your child and family then I would greatly suggest you give it a go. It will give you years of lasting great memories."

9. A Fun Card Game That Can Be Played Solo Or With A Group

• Ages: 8+
• 1 to 5 players

It’s rare to find a card game that's actually fun to play solo, but The Game from Pandasaurus Games is loads of fun, whether you play alone or with a group. The card game takes just 5 minutes to learn and only 20 minutes to play. Each player places one or two cards on one of the card stacks counting up to 100 or counting down to 1. If you play all of the cards in the deck and your hands, everyone wins so it’s truly a collaborative effort when played with multiple players.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "This game is great because you can play it as a group or as an individual. Bonus is that you all have to work together if you want to win. Very easy to learn, I taught my 8 year old nephew and my 86 year old grandpa how to play and they loved it."

10. A Strategic Card Game Based On A Classic Board Game

• Ages: 8+
• 2 to 5 players

With more than 20,000 reviews on Amazon and an impressive 4.8-star rating overall, this Monopoly Deal card game gets the stamp of approval from reviewers since it’s fast-paced, highly strategic, and incredibly fun. The card game requires players to collect three complete property sets in order to win, which may sound simple in theory, but you’ll have to do a bunch of wheeling and dealing in order to pull it off.

The game can take two players anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to play, three players anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes, four players approximately 35 minutes, and five players up to 45 minutes. Regardless of the number of players, it's still much quicker than a traditional board game of Monopoly.

Enthusiastic Amazon review: "I work as a camp counselor in the summers and camp has many boxes of this game. The kids LOVE it. They ask me to play it all the time. I carry it around in my bag everywhere and bust this out anytime the kids need a time-filler or distraction. I love how small and compact it is so I can carry it around. It's a really fun version of monopoly but without all the pieces, and it doesn't take 10 hours to finish a game like the board game version does. I've played it with kids as young as 8 years old and they are able to pick it up and learn how to play pretty easily. Recently I introduced this to the young adults at Thanksgiving, and they loved it too! Great for all ages."