Activity Overview
If you are looking for something different to play with a deck of cards, try reintroducing the classic game of Slap Jack for a little friendly competition and fun. Slap Jack is an easy game to learn and will challenge your family's observation and quick response skills. The object of the game of Slap Jack is to patiently discard your cards until a Jack is revealed and then the race is on to Slap the Jack and seize the pile beneath it. The person who captures all of the cards at the end of the game wins.
Materials Needed
- Deck of playing cards
- 3 or more players
How to Play
- All players should sit in a circle or around a table.
- The dealer should shuffle the deck or cards and deal all of the cards out to all of the players in the circle.
- Players should leave their cards in the face down position in front of them without looking at them.
- The player seated to the left of the dealer starts the game by flipping one card from his/ her pile over and laying it face up in the center of the playing area so that it is easily accessible to all players.
- In quick succession, each player should flip one card over and place it in the center pile face up, but only flipping the card over when it is discarded.
- When a player flips over a Jack, the race is one for the first player to slap the Jack and add the entire pile to their own, shuffling them into one another.
- Play continues with the next player to the left of the player who won the pile.
- If a player misplays and slaps a card that is not actually a Jack, he or she must give one card to the player who placed the card down.
- If a player runs out of cards, they have one last opportunity to regain access to the game by being the first person to slap the next Jack that appears in play. Then, they can take the pile and continue.
- If the player who is out of cards is unsuccessful at slapping the next Jack, they are out of the game.
- The player who snatches up all of the cards in the game is declared the winner
