Word of the Week
Solitaire (saul-eh-tare): Solitary person or recluse.
Bonjour!
The weather is certainly getting warmer and lovelier by the day, but Spring isn't quite here yet. We are bound to have a few more days indoors. People have always looked for different ways to keep themselves entertained. It can be tricky when you're alone. You can always read a good book, but I have another wonderful idea for you when you're needing something different!
The earliest records indicate that the card game Solitaire, or Patience, was played during the late 1700's across northern Europe and Scandinavia.
The game became so popular that people began to devise different versions. Today, there are over 500 Solitaire versions worldwide!
Here are the top six versions:
Klondike
Spider
FreeCell
Tripeaks
Pyramid
Yukon
Each game is fun in its own way, and it's easy to find the rules if you're interested. I'd like to share my favorite version, called Clock or Sundial. All you need is a deck of cards and a large area to play, because it takes a lot of space. A big table or even the floor will do! The objective is to turn over all your cards before you find the four kings. This is meant to be a game for one person, but you can have fun with a partner or two and take turns!
How to Play:
Place the deck on the center of your table or floor. Deal the cards around the center deck, positioning them to look like a clock. You will have 12 piles creating your clock, with each pile containing four cards when you're done. Four cards will also remain in the center.
Turn over a card from the middle and place it next to its corresponding spot on the clock. Note: Jack is 11, Queen is 12, and Ace is 1. The King becomes the pile in the middle.
Then take a card from that pile where you just discarded.
Continue placing the cards where they belong on the clock.
I hope this visual helps! This game is sure to create lots of smiles. Good luck, have fun, and beat the clock!
Stay kind. . .
Gram