April 8, 2010
Teach your kids to gamble…it’s a life skill that’s fun for the whole family!
If you haven’t spent hour upon hour in the cave-like environment of a Las Vegas casino drinking watered down vodka tonics with your new BFFs stroking the smooth colorful felt beneath your fingers, then I’m providing the rules of Black Jack HERE.
The laid back Black Jack mojo we had going all week was one of the best “family game night” situations we’ve ever experienced.
B.J., wait that’s not gonna work.
Black Jack is simple enough for kids to learn quickly, with a lovely risk-taking element my boys totally dug.
At one point Truman bet his whole pot two times in a row getting 21 on the first hand and then beating the dealer again on the second. I mean come on, that kinda drama just does not happen in Clue.
If you’re still not convinced that teaching your kids to gamble is a good idea, just think of it as math homework.
With every round your little gamblin’ machines have to add their cards up quickly to know whether to hit, stay, or double down.
And then there’s the probability factor…It’s practically gifted education. I seriously wish my mom would have gambled with me as a kid, as I can still be caught counting on my fingers under the table from time to time.
So, the next time you’re at Costco or Target, get yourself a set of poker chips, a few decks of cards, a bottle of Tequila for the dealer, and let the family bonding begin!
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Ha! My Gracie loves math, so she just might get a kick out of Black Jack. BTW, there is no WAY you have 12-year-old. No.
yes! I agree. ‘calculated risk’ can be taught just like common sense and thoughtfulness. one of my favorite childhood memories is playing a rummy kind of game that involved filling shot glasses that sat on a board over combos of cards (10 diamonds/deuce spades) w/ dimes, w/ a jackpot in the center. My grandparents would come over and the grownups played late in to the night. When we got older we made our own version of the rummy board – (I think my brothers and I made it as an anniversary gift for my parents?) and I remember we used a family photo in the center as the ‘jack pot’. = says it all, doesn’t it?
We love Black Jack! It’s our go to game. It’s fun, the hands go quickly and it’s a great way to practice math and strategy skills. Around here we use m & m’s as our poker chips. Added bonus! I have a distinct memory of playing BJ with my parents on a train trip through Texas when I was about 9. I’ve loved it ever since.
Now my kids are asking to play Poker with real chips. It’s a slippery slope…
Okay,
I posted this on my Chicago Parent blog and one mom said she has seen gambling ruin many families lives, and I’m guessing she won’t be playing poker or black jack with her kids.
Do you think it’s important to go into the whole “hey…this game we’re playing COULD lead to a gambling addiction” thing?
Just wondering.
everything in moderation. right?
Your vlogs are cute. I’ll bet you’re fun IRL, too
You are hilarious, Miss Meredith! I LOVE this idea! I’m totally gonna have to try this with my kids, cause they totally dig cards. The next activity you should try is teaching them to count cards…I see a million dollar idea here….