There’s nothing like a bit of family time playing the best family card games. After rushing around all week going to and from work, school and clubs, it’s nice to settle down on a Friday night for a games night with the little ones. But what are the best family card games? If you’re looking for something fun to do besides watch TV and movies, or bake another loaf of banana bread, how about playing some of these easy, classic card games and do family night, right?

4 of the best family card games

Not sure where to start when it comes to playing family-suitable card games? How about giving some of these old classic card games a go, whether you have an old deck of playing cards or create your own playing cards with your family on them for a really fun twist! 

You can design playing cards with a single photo arrangement and add embellishments or custom text to really make it your own. We also have plenty of premade designs for you to choose from. Making playing cards for milestone birthdays, family holidays, and anniversaries is quick and easy!

From Go Fish to Old Maid- there’s something for every age and skill level. If you’re looking for the instructions, we’ve got you covered. Read on to find out how to play some of the best family card games….

Go Fish (ages 4+, 2-4 players)

Go Fish is one of the best family card games if you want a strategy numbers game to start the night. It may take a few goes with little ones, but once you get the hang of it, it’s an engaging game of memory.

1. Shuffle the cards and deal them out to the players. For 2 players, deal 7 cards per player; for 3 players, deal 6 cards; and for 4 players, deal 5 cards. Scatter all remaining cards in the middle of the table.
2. Each player looks at their cards secretly.
3. The first player to take their turn asks another player of their choosing if they have any cards of a certain value. They have to have a card of the number they ask about in their own hand. For example, they must have one or more Queens to ask for a Queen.
4. If the player who is asked has any of the requested cards, they must hand them over. The player who asked for the cards can then take another turn and ask for another card.
5. If the player who is asked has none of the requested cards, they can tell the player to ‘Go fish.’ The player must then take a card from the centre.
6. If a player collects a set of 4 of the same kind, they win the cards and put them aside in their winner’s pile.
7. Play continues until all sets of 4 cards have been collected. The winner is the player with the most sets of 4 cards at the end.

War (ages 3+, 2 players)

War is a high-stakes 2-player game of odds where players try to get as many cards in their pile as possible. This is one of the best family card games if you have a limited number of players and a little amount of time. 

1. Shuffle the cards and deal them evenly, each player receiving 26 cards. Each player places their stack of cards face down in front of them.
2. Each player flips the top card over at the same time. The player with the higher card takes both cards and puts them, face down, at the bottom of their stack.
3. If the cards are equal, it’s War! Each player turns one card face down and one card face up. The player with the higher cards takes both piles (six cards). If the face-up cards are again the same rank, each player places another card face down and another card up. The player with the higher card takes all 10 cards, and so on.
4. The winner of the game is whoever ends up with all of the cards in their stack.

Snap (ages 4+, 2-6 players but best with 3 or more)

Snap is a classic and still one of the best family card games to play with its fast-paced play and easy-to-grasp rules. 

1. Deal out all cards face down, one at a time. It doesn’t matter if some players have more cards than others! Each player puts their cards in a pile face down in front of them. 
2. The player on the dealer’s left turns over the top card of his pile and puts it face up to start a new pile of cards next to their face-down cards. The next player to the left does the same, and so on around the entire table.
3. When someone turns up a card that matches a card already face up on another player’s pile, the first person to notice the two matched cards yells “Snap!” and wins both piles. Anyone at the table can call “Snap!”. This player adds the cards to the bottom of their face-down pile.
4. When two players shout “Snap!” at the same time, the two piles are combined and placed in the centre of the table face up to form a “Snap Pot”.
5. Play continues where it left off with the player to the left of the last player who flipped over a card. If a player spots a card that matches the card on top of the Snap Pot, they yell “Snap Pot!” and win all of those cards.
6. If a player runs out of cards in their face-down pile, the cards in their face-up pile are turned over and the player continues to play.
7. Whoever collects all of the cards in the deck wins the game!

Old Maid (ages 4+, 2+ players, but best with 3 or more)

Old Maid is one of the best family card games to play when there are three or more people at family night and involves matching pairs of three until there is only one player left standing. 

1. Start with your standard deck of cards and remove the Queen of Clubs. Shuffle the other 51 cards and deal them one by one to each player.
2. Each player removes all pairs from his hand and places them face down. If a player has three-of-a-kind, they remove only two of the three cards.
3. The dealer then shows their hand to the player on the left, who then draws one card from it. This player discards any pair that may have been formed from the drawn card. This player then offers their own hand to the player on their left.
4. Play continues as such until all cards have been paired except one — the odd queen, which cannot be paired — and the player who has that card is the Old Maid!

Store your cards in style

So you’ve played your card games at family night and are looking for a unique place to store your favourite deck of cards? Why not create a personalised rectangular tin featuring your favourite family photo, a cute kids’ drawing, or any other design of your choosing! Just upload your photo to the Snapfish site or free photo app and add it to a personalised tin using our builder tool.

Feeling inspired for your next family game night?

Grab your deck of cards, get a personalised storage tin to hold them, and get the party started with our best family card games! 

Be sure to share your photos of all the fun with us on social media! You can tag us using @snapfishuk on Instagram or Facebook with photos or use the hashtag #snapfishuk. Don’t forget to follow us on YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest, too!