Finders Keepers

Ages: 5 years old and up
Number of players: 2-4
Materials: Deck of cards
Skill Practice: Addition, spatial skills

Goal: Players try to collect cards that make a predetermined sum

Card Values:

  • Aces = 1 point
  • Number cards are worth face value (ex. 4 = 4 points)
  • Jacks, Queens, and Kings = 10 points

Set up:

  1. Lay out the cards face down in an array of 6 rows of 8 cards in each row.  The 7th row will contain 4 cards.

Rules for play:

  1. The youngest player goes first.
  2. The player names a number from 1- 25. 
  3. The player turns over 2 cards.  If the cards add up to the number the first player called, the player keeps the cards.
  4. If the two cards do not add up to the sum, the player turns 1 card face down and leaves the second card face up.
  5. The cards stay in the original array layout.
  6. The next player turns over 2 cards. The player sees if he can make the sum the 1st player calls out from sums of the 2 or more cards. 
  7. If the player is successful, the player takes the cards. If the player is not successful, the player turns all the cards over except 1 card that is left face up.
  8. Play continues until a player makes the total. Once the player makes the total, the player takes the cards.
  9. The player who got the cards to make the sum then calls out the number for the next player to find.
  10. The winner is the player who collects the most cards after the cards have been turned over.