Card games can be more than just a fun way to pass the time. They can be a chance for socialising, family bonding time, potentially winning money (depending on the game) and even building some life skills.
Just what are the skills that you can build from playing card games? Below are just a few examples.
Forward planning
Forward planning is key to many card games. You need to be able to plan your moves ahead when playing games like Rummy or Crazy Eights in order to protect yourself against different eventualities. This is something that applies to life in general – unless you plan ahead, you’re likely to get caught out.
Patience
Card games are great for teaching people – especially young kids – to be patient. Sometimes it’s better to hang onto great cards so that you can use them later (a strategy that can be very handy in games like Uno). There is even a card game called Patience (also known as Solitaire) that relies entirely on being patient. This patience can of course be vital in everyday life.
Mental maths
A lot of card games can be great at building mental math skills. 21 is an excellent example of this – you need to be able to quickly count up the two cards in your hand and then determine whether drawing a new card is likely to put your score over 21 or not. Hearts meanwhile requires you to keep a score as to how many hearts in your hand, while Rummy can incorporate a degree of mental maths too. This is useful for many instances where you may need to do maths quickly in your head.
Memory and recall
Being able to keep track of what cards have been played is an essential to winning many card games – particularly the game Memory. Being able to remember facts and events is an essential skill in everyday life, and card games may help train your memory and recall. There are even studies that suggest playing card games can help fend off dementia.
Reading people
Many card games rely on being able to read people’s body language and behaviour in order to work out what cards they have. Being able to read your opponents is essential for knowing who to ask questions to in Go Fish, when to call out opponents when playing Cheat and when to determine if someone is bluffing in Poker.
Dexterity
Being able to shuffle and deal cards well requires a certain level of dexterity. By regularly playing cards and taking turns to be the dealer, you can improve your dexterity – which can help you to build more precision when carrying out many manual tasks.
Emotional regulation
It’s also important to be able to regulate your emotions when playing cards. This includes not just learning to bluff, but learning to not be a sore loser and to also be a gracious winner. This emotional regulation is vital to being successful in your day-to-day life – it is a skill that can be great for teaching kids using card games.
