Spoons Card Game: How to Play
Learn How To Play Spoons

“. . . spoons is also popular at dinner parties, kids sleepovers, campouts, and
anywhere you want to get together and have fun!”

While there are many versions of the spoons card game, it is an exciting game with lots of action. It’s also very easy to play.

The spoons game is suitable for older kids (9 and up) and is very popular among adult birthday party games. If you have a younger crowd, don’t be afraid to try this game. You might be surprised at how even the younger kids love it.

While this is a popular birthday party game, spoons is also popular at dinner parties, kids sleepovers, campouts, and anywhere you want to get together and have fun!

How to Play the Spoons Card Game

Object of the Game: Collect 4 cards of the same kind and get a spoon. Your 4 of a kind could be Kings, 4s, Aces, etc.

Playing the Game:

1. Gather the guests around a table or in a circle on the floor.
2. In the center of the circle, set out one fewer spoon than there are guests. With 8 players, use 7 spoons, etc. Set the spoons in a starburst pattern for easy access.
3. Shuffle a standard deck of playing cards (52 cards) and deal each player 4 cards.
4. Give the remaining cards to a designated leader such as the birthday boy.
5. The leader draws a card and sees if he needs it to make a set of 4. The leader must decide whether to keep the new card or pass it to the player on his left. If he keeps the card, he must pass one of his original cards to the player on his left.
6. The second player receives the card, looks to see if she needs it to make 4 of a kind, then must pass 1 of her cards to the person on her left.
7. This is repeated around the circle with the leader continuously picking a new card off the top of the deck. The player to the right of the leader places discarded cards into a discard pile used by the leader as soon as the original pile is depleted. The leader then shuffles the discard pile and uses it to continue play.
8. When a player notices she has 4 of a kind (4 of the same card), she quickly and quietly grabs a spoon. All other players must then immediately pick up a spoon, too.
9. The player who doesn’t get a spoon must do something silly (decided by the player with 4-of-a-kind) and then becomes the new leader.
10. After each “round,” remove 1 spoon. If you start with 8 players and 7 spoons, the next round would have 7 players and 6 spoons.

Winning the Spoons Game

Play continues until all of the players are eliminated except for the last 2. The last 2 players play until, you guessed it, 1 of them ends the round with spoon and the other is empty handed!

When each round ends, shuffle the cards, redistribute the spoons and start over.

Game Tips & Cautions

This is a crazy action game which often involves hands-a-flying around the table. Keep drink glasses and any other objects subject to tipping off the table and beyond arms’ reach. Otherwise, you may be playing the clean-up game.

Variations on the Spoons Card Game

For those who like to keep score (and who doesn’t), use the SPOONS title itself to do so. When one player “loses” a round, i.e., they don’t get a spoon, that player collects one letter from the word “SPOONS.” It’s a like playing “P.I.G.” or “H.O.R.S.E.” when shooting baskets with a basketball.

The first player to collect every letter of the word S.P.O.O.N.S. is out of the game. The “last man standing” is the overall winner. Just be aware, this variation creates a much longer version of the game.

Other Fun Birthday Party Games for Groups

• The Wink Game
• Limbo
• Simon Says
• Pictionary Game