Family Natters

Happy Families is a children’s card game for 2 to 6 players, (approx age 5+ ).  It is similar to Go Fish.  It is best if you buy a pack of special Hppy Family cards, but if not a deck of regular cards can be used.  Possibly some people may disagree with this game on the grounds that all the families have one mother, one father, one son and one daughter, when in reality this is far from the case

Aim:

to make the most families (sets of cards comprising Mr, Mrs, Master and Miss of a particular colour or proffession)

Rules of play:

• shuffle and deal 6 cards to each player facedown
• put the remaining cards in the center of the table to form the drawer pile
• everyone looks at their cards + if anyone has a family set they can lay it down
• the youngest player chooses another player to ask for a specific card that is part of a family he already holds e.g.  Miss Chop, the butcher’s daughter
• if this player has this card he must give it to the person who asked for it, who then can have another turn
• if this player doesn’t have the card he was asked for, he says, “Go Fish” and the asker takes one from the draw pile
• it is then the turn of the player to the left of the youngest person
• continue playing until the draw pile is exhausted then count up and compare the number of each person’s family sets

Variations

• instead of asking for specific cards, ask for all of a set e.g. all the butcher family (better for younger or new players)

For other card games click here.

What other games do you know?