The Cause and Effect Card Game
Topics: Reading, Middle School, Writing
Looking for an indoor game with a lot of learning? Here's a fun card game that quizzes your child on cause-and-effect relationships, with a pinch of creative thinking thrown in!
What You Need:
- Construction paper or other sturdy paper
- Pens or pencils
- Scissors
What You Do:
Step 1
Begin by refreshing your child’s memory on cause-and-effect. Students need to understand this relationship in order to make logical story connections. Cause and effect is a relationship that writers use to show how facts, events, or concepts happen or come into being because of other facts, events or concepts. Why did your child ace his spelling exam (the effect)? Because he studied for it (the cause). Why doesn't he get allowance this week (the effect)? Because he didn't do his chores (the cause).
Step 2
Both you and your child should take a sheet of construction paper or other sturdy paper and set up two columns with a line down the middle. One side will be for a list of causes and the other, a list of effects. You will be cutting each cause and effect into cards, so make sure to leave enough space. Each of you should come up with 20 cause-and-effect relationships, keeping them secret from the other person. For example:
| Effect | Cause |
| Paul was not able to practice lacrosse today | because he had the flu. |
| John spent all day in the kitchen | because all of his friends wanted him to make dinner for them. |
Step 3
Cut up your papers so that each cause and each effect is on its own card. Mix all the cards up, face down, and draw 7 cards each. Hold these cards in your hand like playing cards, and pile the rest, face-down, on the table or floor between you and your opponent. Take the top card from the pile and place it face up next to the pile so that both people can read it.
Step 4
Play continues like the card game “Gin,” with a twist. Here are the rules:
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