January 2010

In the December 2009 issue, we looked at some Christmas party games. In this issue, we'll take a look at some educational strategy games, and throw in some solitaire card games to help pass the time when you are on your own. It has been said that if you are ever lost, you only need a deck of cards. Start playing Solitaire and soon someone will be looking over your shoulder telling you which card to play next!

Solitaire Card Games

Our webpage Free Card Games includes a number of games for one player. (See our Card Game Glossary if you are confused about any card game terms.)

One simple game that suits players of almost any age and relies purely on the luck of the draw is Clock Patience. A deck of cards, without jokers, is shuffled. The cards are laid out (face down) in the shape of a clock, with twelve cards around the outside and one card in the centre. This is repeated three times so that each pile has four cards. The top card in the centre is turned face up and then slid under the pile corresponding to its number on the clock face. For example, a '3' will be placed at the right hand (3 o'clock) position while a 'Jack' will be put under the 11 o'clock pile. (Queens are at 12 o'clock and Kings are the centre pile.) The top card from that pile is then turned face up and again slid under the corresponding pile, and so on. The aim is to have all four cards of every outer pile face up before the fourth King is turned over.

......oOo......

A harder game that relies on skill as well as luck is Golf Card Game which can be played either solo or as a multi-player game where each person plays separately and compares their scores at the end of a given number of rounds. A standard deck of cards (no jokers) is shuffled, with Kings high and Aces low. Thirty five card are placed face up in seven columns of five cards each. This is called the Tableau. The top card of the remaining deck is put down (face up) to start the Talon. Any cards at the bottom of a column can be put on the Talon if they form a sequence, either up or down or both. For example, if the first card played on the Talon was an '8', you could put either a '7' or a '9' on it. Assuming you placed a '7' on the Talon, you could then put either a '6' or another '8' on the '7', and so on until you do not have any other cards to place from the Tableau onto the Talon. Put the next card from the spare pile on the Talon and repeat. You can use the '2-A-2' sequence but a King finishes a sequence and you must play another card from the spare pile on it. The aim is to remove all the cards from the Tableau before the spare pile runs out. In a multi-player game, players count the number of cards left in their Tableau, with the lowest number winning that 'hole'. The overall winner is the player with the lowest total score after nine 'holes', like Golf.

Educational Strategy Games

Educational Strategy Games - 18 free learning games for kids which help build thinking skills necessary for science and math.

Strategy games are a wonderful educational tool to help your children develop their brain power! They help build your child’s thinking and logic skills which are a necessary foundation for higher math and science. They involve problem solving and develop your child’s spatial thinking skills by helping a player to form an image in his mind before placing his piece on the board. Chess is a perfect example of a strategy game. Strategy games also help children develop a sequence of actions and examine the consequences of an action before they make their move. This helps to promote forward thinking skills and comprehension.

There are many popular strategy games such as Chess and Rummy Card Game, but why not try some less common strategy games like the tenth century board game Alquerque or the two player pen-and-paper game Sprouts? Not only do your children have fun, they are learning valuable life skills. What a bonus!

May your New Year be even better than 2009 as you invest time and effort in your family. The rewards are great! And keep an eye out for our range of family game e-books coming out later this year. Your favourite games from Family Games Treasurehouse along with many, many more games in an easy to print book form.

Don't forget to check out our About This Site page. It explains why we started this site and how you too can start an online business that can set you free from a '9 to 5' job and give you more time to enjoy with your family.

Until next time,
Andrew Low
Family Games Treasurehouse