Game rules for kids

Twenty classic games you can play tonight with a deck of cards, a few dice, a pencil, or nothing at all. Every page has Easy rules to read aloud to a five-year-old and the full rules for everyone else, in Peabody's own words.

Checked 31 October 2026. These are traditional games: nobody owns the rules of Go Fish, but a publisher's rule booklet is its own writing, so we wrote ours from scratch.

Card games

All you need is one ordinary deck of 52 cards.

• 🐟 Go FishAges 4+ · 2 to 6 players · 15 min
• 👑 Old MaidAges 4+ · 2 to 8 players · 10 min
• 8️⃣ Crazy EightsAges 6+ · 2 to 7 players · 15 min
• 🃏 WarAges 4+ · 2 to 4 players · 20 min
• 👏 SnapAges 4+ · 2 to 8 players · 10 min
• 🧠 MemoryAges 4+ · 1 to 6 players · 15 min
• ✋ SlapjackAges 5+ · 2 to 8 players · 15 min
• 🥄 SpoonsAges 7+ · 3 to 10 players · 15 min
• ♠️ RummyAges 8+ · 2 to 6 players · 30 min
• ⛳ GolfAges 7+ · 2 to 6 players · 30 min
• 7️⃣ SevensAges 6+ · 3 to 8 players · 15 min
• 👑 Kings in the CornerAges 5+ · 2 to 4 players · 15 min
• ⚡ SpeedAges 5+ · 2 players · 10 min
• 🤔 I Doubt ItAges 8+ · 3 to 6 players · 15 min
• 🎩 PresidentAges 8+ · 4 to 7 players · 20 min
• 3️⃣ Thirty-OneAges 8+ · 2 to 8 players · 20 min

Dice games

A few dice and something to write on.

• ⛵ YachtAges 6+ · 1 to 8 players · 20 min
• 🐷 PigAges 5+ · 2 to 6 players · 15 min
• 📦 Shut the BoxAges 6+ · 1 to 4 players · 10 min
• 🪲 BeetleAges 4+ · 2 to 6 players · 15 min
• 🎲 Going to BostonAges 8+ · 2 to 8 players · 10 min

Pencil and paper games

Paper, a pencil, and a friend across the table.

• ⬜ Dots and BoxesAges 5+ · 2 to 4 players · 10 min
• ⭕ Tic-Tac-ToeAges 4+ · 2 players · 5 min
• ⛄ Snowman (Hangman)Ages 6+ · 2 to 6 players · 10 min
• 🪙 NimAges 6+ · 2 players · 5 min

Talking games

Nothing at all: good for the car or a waiting room.

• ❓ Twenty QuestionsAges 5+ · 2 to 10 players · 10 min

Board games

A board and its pieces from the cupboard.

• 🔴 CheckersAges 6+ · 2 players · 20 min