Family Card Game
Here's a cute spin on Israeli card games, using the members of your family. It's a great game for a Chanukah party or for any time of the year.
You can simplify it by using index cards and writing out the names and words with markers,with or without photos.
This idea can make a cute gift idea as well.
Directions for making the game:
- Make a list of all family members you would like to include in the game.
- Think of four adjectives, talents, descriptions for each person.There should be four cards for each person, with all four descriptions on each card.Highlight a different description on each card.
OBJECT OF THE GAME
The goal is to win the most sets of cards. A set is any four cards of one person.
THE DEAL
Any player deals one card face up to each player. The player with the youngest family member card is the dealer. The dealer shuffles the cards, then deals the cards clockwise one at a time, face down, beginning with the player to the left.
If two or three people are playing, each player receives seven cards. If four or five people are playing, each receives five cards. The remainder of the pack is placed face down on the table to form the stock.
THE PLAY
The player to the left of the dealer looks directly at any opponent and says, for example, "Do you have Yossi," usually addressing the opponent by name and specifying the card that they want.
The player who is "asking “must have at least one card of the set that was asked for in their hand. The player who is addressed must hand over all the cards requested. If the player has none, the player who made the request draws the top card of the stock and places it in their hand.
If a player gets one or more cards from the set that was asked for, they are entitled to ask the same or another player for a card. The player can ask for the same card or a different one. As long as the player succeeds in getting cards, their turn continues.
When a player gets a set, they must reveal the card so that the set is verified. If a player gets the fourth card of a set, the player shows all four cards, places them on the table face up in front of everyone, and plays again.
If the player does not receive a card he asked for, the turn passes to the left.
The game ends when all the sets have been won. The winner is the player with the most sets. During the game, if a player is left without cards, they may (when it's their turn to play), draw from the stock and then ask for cards of that set. If there are no cards left in the stock, they are out of the game.
Note: The original game come with 13 sets. To play this game using only the members at the party, consider making teams or adding members that are not present. Having more cards will make the game more fun. You will have to determine this detail based on how many sets you are making and how many people are playing the game.
Photography by Hudi Greenberger
This article originally appeared in Family First