This will definitely be added to the Camp Mommy Summer Essentials lists (of stuff to schlep around). The kids will play cards together, anytime, anywhere, and it's a wonderful thing, almost magical, how they'll settle in and play quietly together. (Well, until the youngest starts losing, and the older ones start rubbing it in and aggravating him, just for the entertainment of it.) Current favorite games are Blackjack, Spit and "Tree Falls On Your Neighbor," which is a variation of an old classic, "Screw Your Neighbor." I'll see if I can round up the directions for play.
I came across the best little book a couple of years ago that we go to all the time for new card games and ideas. It's awesome, and small enough to carry around --
highly recommended:
The Book of Cards for Kids
By Gail MacColl
That little book gets us through slow restaurant service, long car trips, family game night, waiting rooms and a ton of other places and situations where chaos might otherwise reign...