Old Maid

"How do you get through 30 years of life having never played Old Maid?" I asked my husband. That's like going through childhood and never seeing a Radio Flyer or drinking water from a hose or playing with a Lite-Brite.

...or it's like how I've never learned to play dominoes (except to line 'em up and knock 'em down) or backgammon. Come to think of it, I still don't know how to play shuffleboard, though many a good joke has been cracked about the mysterious game.

So yesterday, David and I played a round of Old Maid while Aidyn was galavanting with his pals outside. I mean, what else were we going to do, keep watching Lost episodes? After that, at Granny's goading, we learned to play dominoes.

Once we did happen to wrangle call Aidyn in, I invited him to a match of Old Maid.

I'm aware that I might be teaching Aidyn something disparaging about older, unmarried women, but honestly it's not my intent. At least he'll understand Sue Ellen's tears whenever it is that he watches Gone with the Wind  and sees her balling because Scarlett took her man.

Anyway.

(climbs up on my bitty soapbox)

Playing old card games like this isn't just fun for the family, but it teaches kids how to follow game rules, how to respect turn-taking, how to be a gracious winner or a "good" loser, and how to negotiate and play fair. It also helps with fine motor skills (fanning out cards, plucking chosen ones, laying down pairs neatly). But mostly, it's fun.

What games do you like to play? What classics will never die?