Do you play cards?

You should. It's fun. Well, OK. There are a lot more benefits than it just being fun. But I like to present the most important information first.

There's nothing quite as versatile as a simple deck of Bicycle Playing Cards. Easy to carry, easy to understand, no other element can be used to play such a wide variety of games. But there are also some important health benefits to learning a card game or two:

Improvements in Patience and Concentration. For both children and older folks, the impulse to skip ahead or lose concentration can be difficult to control. Card games help to focus the mind and develop those important concentration skills.

Develop Fine Motor Skills. This is probably more important for older folks but the simple act of arranging and holding cards can sometimes be challenging. Playing card games allow for regular dexterity exercises to keep the hands nimble.

Stress Release. Younger players can learn calmness through game concentration which can be beneficial for stress release but we should also remember that older folks can carry huge amounts of stress as well. It's not easy getting old. Everyone needs some sort of past time activity that is easily achievable as they age and yet enough of a skill to be worth the effort.

Increased Socialization. People need people. We all feel the need to connect and bond. When the topics of conversation eventually run dry, loneliness creeps in. Consider setting up a regular game of cards during family visits and you may find that you can connect so much easier.

Improved Memory Skills. I'm not talking about card counting in the casino here. All card games require a player to at least remember what is in their own hand. Some games work best if you can remember, or at least predict, what's in your opponent's hand. At any rate, memory is a skill that needs constant practice and cards can help with that.

Even though a basic deck of Bicycle Playing Cards is all you really need. There are certain situations where a specific deck is best. If you want to play a more complicated game such as Samba Canasta, then a specific Samba Canasta pack will give you the right amount of cards, their point values and the rules of the game. Or perhaps your game needs to be laid out on a table. Space can sometimes be a limitation. In this case, a specific patience deck such as our beautiful Songbird Patience Cards can be useful. These are much smaller cards so that a game of patience can be laid out on small tables or hospital trays.

So you really should consider throwing in a pack of playing cards in your next order. They really are a gift that keeps on giving.

If you have a specific need, or have heard of a deck of cards you'd like to find as a gift, then you can email us at sirsquaretoes@gmail.com and we'll check with the wholesalers and see if we can find what you need.