5 Card Games To Play With Your Kids Before They Head Back To School

This summer has flew by. I spent July mostly playing chauffeur driving the kids back and forth to all the activities they were signed up for which happens every summer but August I try to spend as much time with them where it is just us because once school starts I lose them to activities and homework and my own job. Quality time is so important to me. Maybe it is because I am an older mom and know just how fast my life has gone but I want to spend every moment with them. We go to the pool, do puzzles, read, watch movies, and just hang out together. I am thankful that they love doing this with me so I was so excited when I got the change to try out some new card games with them.  Hoyle Kids Cards is produced and distributed by The United States Playing Card Company and is one of the world's premier playing card companies. 

 With “play for a purpose” being a popular buzz phrase within the toy industry, more toy companies are developing games that are engaging and educational.  Hoyle is helping drive this trend through their games including two new ones, Super Me! and Monkey May I?, which help promote emotional intelligence, self-awareness and empathy in children ages 4 to 6. 

The games are available starting this month through Bicycle 

So far we have played Sharks are Wild which is perfect for ages 4+ and loved it. It was really easy to learn teaching sequencing and number identification. We loved it! We even love that there is a shark fin on the top of the box and think kids will love collecting the gold coins every time the make a sequence winning the round. There are two levels of playing as your child masters the first you can add things like the Octopus card where you can steal your opponents card to add to your own sequence BUT stop the steal if you have a dolphin card. Will have already played this 4 times in the past two days.

The next game we tried was Catch N' Fish which is such a fun add or subtract game. We did both ways and thought that kids 6+ would love this game a lot. 

Each player gets 7 cards, spins and tries to make a "catch" based on the number spun. Like if you spin a 4 you would put two cards together equaling 4. 3+1, 2+2, 4+0 and so on. You can also ask your opponent if they have a card you need like Go Fish.   

The last game we played was called Piggy Bank. It is an easy to learn counting game also good for ages 4+. I am not sure why we don't have picture of us playing. We must have just jumped in after the pool yesterday and were feeling tired.

We must have read the instructions 4 times before we got it. Not sure why. Maybe just tired like I said. The game was fun and easy once we started playing. Kids learn skip counting and keeping track of a running total. 

Our next game, which we will be playing today after the kids finish their chores is, Monkey, May I which focuses on making good choices.

Super Me will be played on the weekend and focuses on helping others. I cannot wait to play.

Giving your children your time is one of the most important things you can do for them.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary product for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was offered and all opinions are my own.