Students
Good old fashioned card games
Classic card games endure as a popular pastime for some people. In this day and age of computers and video games, what makes an old fashioned game of Gin or Spades appealing? Is it simply a factor of age – those of us who are old enough to predate computer games are the only ones who still think playing cards is fun? I don’t think so, because anyone I teach a card game to, young or old, enjoys the activity and willingly plays again the next time.
Tried and true motivators such as challenge, competition, and cooperation are just as valid today as they were just a couple of decades ago when computer games were still a novelty enjoyed by few.
The uncertain outcome of every card game (assuming no one cheats) makes each game new, unpredictable, challenging, and fun. Team games build relationships and a sense of community and give the players an opportunity to connect with one another. Card games foster competition, and allow each player to move up the “Flow Channel” and increase the challenge level as the game becomes boring, as well as increase the skill level when the game is too challenging (see Conditions of Flow, p. 71).
December 5th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Card games are great for teaching kids math skills, too!
December 5th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Now why didn’t I think of your subject to blog about, good old fashioned card games? Both my brother and I played many card games growing up and still to this day, I will play cards more willingly than board games.
Some card games are reported as being an aid in helping children learn math, such as Rummy and Uno.
http://kidshealth.org/research/girls_math.html
Our own 670 bog has a list of 132 educational card games.
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec670/cardboard/CardTOC.html
Here is another site with educational card games for kids. These look really good.
http://thehouseofcards.com/kids/educational_games.html
I think if I was a school teacher I would use educational card games in class. I don’t think the parents would like me teaching their children 7 card stud or black jack though!
December 7th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
My whole I have loved playing card games with my family. When I married my husband I was surprised to find that every family did not play cards every time they were together, or at all for that matter. I think it is the competitiveness within each of my brothers and sisters that drives us to play cards, or perhaps playing cards created a desire for competition. I’m not sure which created the other. In addressing the age factor, when I am with my inlaws it is interesting that it is only the teenagers that will play cards with me at holiday functions!
December 7th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
I have to agree with you about card games being fun. It seems everytime we go camping our evenings are consumed by our favorite card game, Golf. Everyone plays, young and old, and we never tire of it. At Thanksgiving we had two different board games out and eventually I taught a bunch of new people how to play this card game. They didn’t want to quit. It was the most popular game of the evening. Every round is different and even experienced players, like myself, can flounder. Even though the game is unpredictable and depends a lot of chance there are some strategies that improve outcomes. And that makes the game fun.
December 8th, 2009 at 1:30 am
I think I lost a few years at college playing card games. Spending time with friends and competition was unique. I wonder if I would get the same excitement if I met old friends again and played cards. I’ll try it out next time I meet a few of them. Is it one of those excitements in life that you lose as you grow older?
February 4th, 2010 at 2:59 am
I love to play cards since my childhood.Its a fun playing this game.Ne ways thanks for sharing.
February 5th, 2010 at 9:42 am
From childhood I just know this one game and like to play also.Now a days so many e-game and I have computer and also game in it,but never try for it.I just like some of my childhood memory like this game.