DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Rules for Go Fish!

Go Fish is a card game where 5 cards are dealt to each player (a group of 2, 3 or 4 people).  The remaining cards are messed up, face down between the players.  Players hold their cards so they are able to see them, but no one else can.

Before starting the game, all of the players put any pairs they happen to have in their hand down and earn a point for each pair. 

Starting with the youngest player and moving clockwise, the player asks one of their opponents "Do you have a ____"  The card requested should be one the player has in their hand.

If the opponent has the card, they must give it to the player who earns a point for making a match.  If the opponent does not have the card they say "Go Fish!"

The player must then pick a single card from the messed up, face down pile of cards.  If they make a pair, they place it down and earn a point.

If a player runs out of cards, they pick five from the messed up pile.

The game is won one of three ways (depending on how you wish to play):

• by the person with the most points when all the cards are gone, or
• by the person who gets 10 points first, or
• by the person with the most points at the end of a set time limit

Go Fish! is usually played with a regular deck of cards (52 cards) but you can make fun educational games by playing with flash cards.  Just print 2 or 4 sets of the flash cards so you have pairs.

Flash Cards on the site:

• Alphabet Flash Cards   (print two or four copies or allow matching of the upper case with lower case)
• Number Flash Cards   (print two or four copies)
• Parts of a Sentence Flash Cards  (print two or four copies of the flashcard sets you are interested in).
• Phonics Flash Cards  (print two or four copies of the flashcards in the "Word Families - free printable worksheets" section of the word family you are interested in)