3 {New} Fun Card Games

Our family loves fun card games.  We love the traditional games as well as the new card games.  Here at Kids Activities Blog we are always looking for a way to get the whole family involved in fun and today we have the answer, Bicycle’s new series of Jacked Up! card games.   Bicycle has mixed the traditional card game WITH the new card game for a bunch of fun.  Each set of Jacked Up! cards comes with a smart phone stand, a deck of cards that includes QR code cards, and instructions on how to download the Jacked Up!  smart phone app.

Fun Card Games

Using a smart phone app for a card game?   Yes!  The app works with Hearts, Solitaire and War.  Each Bicycle card deck has specifically marked cards inside that when scanned with the app will change the course of the game in some way. My boys and I started with War.  We dealt out the cards and scanned the box to integrate the Jacked Up! app. Once the box was scanned, the app knew that we were playing War, and asked the names of the players.  It has instructions for the traditional game as well as the Jacked Up!  modifications. The game of war plays very similar to the traditional card game until one of the QR code cards pops up.  It is a high card that must be scanned during the play.  When it is scanned, there are instructions as to what to do next.

New Card Games

These instructions vary from reversing the last play to creating a physical task like standing on one leg or saying the alphabet backwards {which we found we were VERY bad at doing!}.  Even though the same card kept popping up in War, it had different instructions each time it was scanned. Most of the time it was a reward, but every once in awhile it was a penalty and would say, “That is war!”. Later, I tried the Solitaire game.  It played like a normal card game except that I started with scanning the QR code on the box and then when a QR code card appeared, it would change the directions slightly.  I didn’t run across any physical or mental tasks like we came across in War, but it would instruct you to go through the draw deck 4 at a time or shuffle the cards if you desired.  It was very helpful when I got stuck in a game!  It appears it is a little more adult-oriented.

Family Card Games

The cool thing about Bicycle’s new Jacked Up! card games is that they are true to the traditional game, yet can easily be altered.  Because it uses a smart phone {something I have with me at all times}, it was as easy as dropping a deck of cards into my purse to take the game to play.  We played on the bleachers next to my oldest son’s tennis lessons because it is portable and doesn’t require a special space.  My kids were excited about scanning the codes.  Each time a QR card was turned over, it was like a big mystery what would be revealed. Another awesome thing about these family card games is the price.  They retail for $5.99 each and the smart phone app is a free download.  It would make a great stocking stuffer or could easily be slipped into a mailing envelope for a long distance gift. Kids Activities Blog thanks Bicycle Cards for sending us the Jacked Up! card games and sponsoring this post.  All opinions expressed are our own.  We hope YOUR family has as much fun playing cards as ours did.