There are not enough hours in the day, you guys! I’ve wanted to write this post forever, but I always think of it while I’m playing. And then I forget to go back and write it. Today, I’m chatting about how to store card games.
I wanted to find out how to store card games in a way that was affordable, accessible, and practical. I wanted to be able to see what we had, make a selection, play the game, and also be sure that the cards were kept safe and protected.
Well, I am happy to report I found a way to store those card games and I love it. We have been using this method for years and I only wish we had figured it out earlier!
How to Store Card Games… and See a Massive Increase in Play!
Why card games are wonderful
Our gameschooling family loves card games. Card games are affordable and portable and they don’t take up much space at all!
Remember playing Oregon Trail on the computer as a kid? There’s now a card game!
My kids always pack a few card games to play with Daddy when they take ski lessons and I’ll often bring a card game or two to play on the soccer sidelines. I always have a card game or two in my pool bag and I also keep cards in my glove box. You just never know when you might want to kill some time with a game!
Download our FREE Card Game Resource List here:
The best card games for your homeschool and gameschool routine
If you’d like to check out our family’s favorite card games, I’ve got you covered here:
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is one of our favorites of 2019! I shared more about it in this article about our top five games from the year that was!
Card games can be challenging to organize
I used to store my card games in a bin in my game closet, but I struggled with this method for several reasons:
- Card games get lost easily
- When we don’t see it, we don’t play it
- Tossing the card games in bins and putting them on shelves was tough on the card game boxes
- Card games without boxes (due to damage) result in demolished cards
How to store card games… and see a massive increase in play!
Okay, here’s my hack. Are you ready? I now store most of our card games in clear photo cases!
You can find the storage boxes pictured above on Amazon and at many other big-name retailers, including Michael’s (use your 40% off coupon, friends!).
Let’s take a closer peek and I’ll explain why this method works so well…
This method works beautifully! Do you know how your kids complain when you purge toys and books, but then all of a sudden, once the donation dust has settled, they play well together? And they play with toys and read books that they forgot existed?
This works in the same way! When games are easily accessible and organized, as they will be when you store them in photo cases, children play more!
How to store card games with photo cases
So this is what we did:
- Gather all standard-size card games (most of your card and dice games will fit in these cases, but a handful will not).
- Remove the cards and instructions.
- Use an elastic to keep cards together and place cards and instructions in the photo case.
- If needed, add a pencil (you’ll thank yourself later).
- Using a permanent marker, write the name of the game on the side of the photo case.
- Hint: Some games are so small that you can fit two to a photo case!
- Rinse and repeat!
I love that the games are stored in a clear, accessible way. The cards are protected. Each photo case clips shut so you can grab it and toss it in your purse or glove box! These photo cases saved the day over here!
For those curious, I place the oddly-shaped card games and small games in a bin in our game closet. Most of our card games fit in the photo cases so the chaos that existed before has been almost eliminated!
Please excuse the terrible pun, but these photo cases were a complete game-changer over here! My children love to play card games and I am relieved that our cards are safe and organized and easy to transport! No more bent cards or tattered boxes!
Card games make perfect birthday gifts and stocking stuffers!
I love that card games are so affordable and portable. They make perfect gifts for the gameschooler in your life. Are you looking for more gift ideas? I’ve got you covered here:
- 100 Educational Stocking Stuffers Your Kids Will Love!
- Holiday Gift Guides 2019: The Best Gifts for Homeschooling & Gameschooling
Don’t miss our holiday gameschooling series!
Let’s face it- When our children are super-excited for a certain holiday, not a ton of learning is happening, at least not in the traditional sense. In the post below, I share ideas for gameschooling through all the holidays!
Awesome! We live on a sailboat and play a lot of card and dice games. Need them protected and stored, so these photo boxes look perfect. Going to have to get some! Thanks for the tip! With our lifestyle I’m always looking for hacks like this.
I love this!! Thank you for sharing!
I love this idea! Can you tell me if the tin card cases fit in here, like sleeping queens? I love the tin cases and would hate to separate them.
I don’t think so. Our Sleeping Queens was in a box before this.
For our card games that are equal to a single deck of cards, I use stackable crayon boxes called “super stacker crayon box” that are in the office supply section at Walmart which are meant to hold a 24 box of crayons (I use them for that too). They are only $1, except sometimes during school supply sales, they can be $0.75. They are a translucent plastic so the kids can see the top card through the lid. They are really easy to set the cards into and keep them from slipping around.
I also use a couple of clear photo boxes for the small games that don’t quite fit into the crayon boxes.
Love this tip!