How to Play Spoons Game

This Candy Cane Spoons Game is a festive twist <a href=on a classic card game. It" width="700" height="1000" />

This Candy Cane Spoons Game is a festive twist on a classic card game. It’s a great activity for large groups or small gatherings – and it’s super easy to learn, which makes it fun for all ages! Grab your kids – it’s time to teach them how to play spoons!

We LOVE playing games as a family, and this Candy Cane Spoons Game ranks right up there with Roll a Snowman, as one of our favorite games for the whole family!

looking down on a deck of cards and candy canes which are used to play this fun variation of the spoons card game.

Candy Cane Spoons Game

I’ve been getting so sick of all the video games my kids are playing around here. (Fortnite anyone?!) So, in an effort to encourage more quality family time and less time playing video games, I implemented a fun rule in our home. (Insert my kids rolling eyes here.) For every hour of video games they play, they owe me an hour of board or card games. (Genius, right?!)

We’ve been playing Dominos, UNO, Pictionary and more! Last month I taught them how to play Spoons, and they absolutely LOVE it! I have 5 kids that range from 5 – 15 years, and this is one we can all play together. For the holidays, I thought it would be fun to play with candy canes and a festive deck of cards – and it was seriously SO MUCH FUN! If you’ve never played Spoons before, grab a deck of cards and get ready for some fun!

How To Play Spoons

Spoons is a fun party game you can play with a small group or large gathering. The object of the game is to pass cards in your hand one at a time while trying to collect four-of-a-kind. Once someone collects 4 of a kind, they grab a spoon from the center of the table, which prompts every other player to grab one too.

The catch: There is one less spoon than there are players, and the person left without a spoon loses! You can play elimination style and have each loser sit out as soon as they lose, or you can give out letters each time someone is without a spoon and once a player spells “S-P-O-O-N-S”, they’re out! The last player standing wins!

Materials Needed For The Game of Spoons

* If you have a large group of players, you will want to play with multiple decks of cards.

a young girl holding a candy cane instead of a spoon and four cards that match showing she won the game of spoons

Spoons Game Rules

  1. Arrange the spoons in the center of the table and deal four cards to each player. Players look at their cards, trying not to reveal their hand to other players. The draw pile is placed on the right side of the dealer.
  2. The dealer takes a card off the top of the draw pile so he has five cards in his hand. He removes 1 unwanted card and passes it face down to the person on his left.
  3. Play continues with each player looking at the cards they are passed, and then deciding which card to discard to the person on his left. Each player should only have 4 cards in their hand at all times. The goal is to get four of a kind.
  4. The last player (aka – the person furthest from the dealer) places his unwanted card into a trash pile at his side.
  5. Cards are picked up and passed quickly around the table until someone gets four of a kind and grabs a spoon.
  6. Once the player with four of a kind takes a spoon, everyone should grab a spoon too. The player who collect four of a kind first has a choice to make on how to grab a spoon –
    1. Being quiet or sneaky about grabbing a spoon will trick people who are paying attention to their cards and not the spoons on the table.
    2. A quick grab leads to a wild free-for-all and can get crazy, but fun!

    Spoons Game Tips & Suggestions

    four children sitting at a table learning how to play spoons

    Game Variations