Instructions for Solitaire Games for Kids

Many solitaire games use a simple deck of cards.

Solitaire games are played by a single person, and rather than trying to defeat an opponent the player attempts to complete a task within the confines of the rules. While some solitaire games are quite complex, many solitaire games are great for children, as the rules are easy to follow while remaining fun and challenging.

Yukon Solitaire

Yukon solitaire is the most familiar form of solitaire for anybody that owned a Windows computer in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as the game was featured under the simple title "Solitaire" in the games folder. Cards are dealt into seven columns, with one card in the left column, two in the next column, and so on down to seven cards in the final column, with only the top cards face up. Players can stack cards by placing a card onto another exposed card that is one number higher and the opposite color, and remove cards by building a pile of each suit from the Ace up to King. Extra cards are turned over from a draw pile, with one card exposed at a time.

Free Cell Solitaire

All 52 cards are dealt face up in free cell, with four columns of eight cards and four columns of seven. As in Yukon, cards are stacked in order with an alternation of red and black, however stacks can only be moved if there are enough free cells available to accommodate the move. In addition to moving cards to the complete Ace-to-King piles, four cards at a time can be placed in the "free cells" to free up access to cards beneath them.

Pyramid Solitaire

In pyramid solitaire, cards are dealt face down in a pyramid shape, with first one card dealt, then two cards in the next row below it so that the two cards cover the bottom half of the first card. This continues down to the seventh row, where the seven cards are dealt face up. To turn a card over, the two cards covering it must be removed. Cards are removed by pairing any two cards to make 13, such as a two and jack, which is worth 11. Additionally, the remaining cards make a draw pile, with cards from the draw turned face up in a pile, and the top card in the face-up pile also available for pairing.

Marble Solitaire

While most games feature cards, they are not the only way to play solitaire. Marble or peg solitaire features a cross made up of marbles or pegs, with a seven-by-seven grid used. A two-by-two section is taken out of each corner of the grid, and the squares can never have a marble in them. The center square is also empty, but is allowed to have a marble moved into it. To remove the marbles from the board, a marble is jumped over a marble that is adjacent to an empty space, then the jumped marble is removed. To win, the player must remove all but one marble.

References

• Solitaire Game Rules: Yukon
• Solitaire Game Rules: Free Cell
• Solitaire Game Rules: Pyramid
• Activity Pad: Marble Solitaire