It may seem like all your kids want to do is play games online, and you are wondering how you can get your kids off the iPad! With a little encouragement, screen-free solitaire board games can be just as tempting as screens (really!). After all, people have been playing them for centuries! And bonus: no battery power or wi-fi needed.
There is something comforting about playing traditional solitaire puzzle games that have both stumped and fascinated people since time immemoriam. And the feeling of accomplishment when you finally solve the puzzle is oh-so-satisfying!
I have two versions for you today! The first originated in France in the 17th century but morphed into the board we are using in England, and the second comes from the 19th century.
Traditionally, these games were played with pegs or marbles and wooden boards drilled with holes, but we make it easy! For both games you will need the game board printable. Enter your email in the form below and we'll send it to your inbox.
Patience Solitaire Board Game
This first version is the most common, and is sometimes called "patience"—not to be confused with the card game of the same name. You will notice that the board is similar to the layout of the Fox and Geese game I previously shared with you.
Instructions:
Print out the game board (see the form above to get ours), or make your own.
Gather 32 tokens and place one in each square, leaving the middle square empty. We did not have 32 tokens of all one color, but that doesn't matter!
The objective of the game is to remove all the tokens except one.
To remove tokens, jump one token orthogonally (A cool word to impress your friends. It means you jump only at right angles. In other words, no diagonal jumps.) over another. The jumped token is removed from play. You can only jump over one token at a time.
This game is MUCH trickier than the triangle peg game, so start with that one if your kids are new to these types of puzzles. If your children are fascinated by puzzle solutions they can look up.
Watch my youngest try and solve the game:
MORE: Try out the triangle peg solitaire game
Criss Cross Solitaire Board Game
This second version I like to call "Criss Cross Solitaire." I don't know if it has an official name. I discovered it one of Martin Gardner's books and he claimed the game dated back to Victorian England.
How to play:
Print out the board (see form, above), or make your own.
Gather 16 tokens, 8 in one color, and 8 in another.
Place tokens as shown, leaving the center square empty.
Objective: to exchange the positions of the two sets of tokens.
A move can be made in 2 ways. Either moving a token into an adjacent empty square; or by orthogonally (there's that word again!) jumping an adjacent token–of any color–into an empty square. No tokens are ever removed from the game board.
You do not need to alternate moves by color.
Watch a video of the game in action:
Have fun keeping your kids busy for hours!
elizabeth says
I don't see the video link to watch the diagonal solitare game.
Erica says
Hi Elizabeth - you may have a blocker on your internet browser that is preventing you from seeing the videos. However, all my videos are on my youtube channel! If you still have trouble seeing the videos, they are on my youtube channel! Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTql4sAbTXE and here: https://youtu.be/W8VIp9rY5xM?si=ovGTRAiLJarKc_Et
Colleen says
I don't see any form to fill out to get the game board print outs. Also, I too, do not see the video link. Please help!
Erica says
Hi Colleen, the form is directly above the headline, "Patience Solitaire Board Game". The form is titled in upper case orange letters, "WANT THE GAME BOARD?" If you can't see it, it may be because you have some kind of blocker on your internet browser, like an ad or pop up blocker. Those sometimes block the forms and may also be blocking the videos. If you still have trouble seeing the videos, they are on my youtube channel! Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTql4sAbTXE and here: https://youtu.be/W8VIp9rY5xM?si=ovGTRAiLJarKc_Et
Colleen Lariviere says
Erica, I turned off ad block, refreshed, and tried multiple times, still neither shows for me! Can you send game board to me in email? I'll try emailing you. Thanks for video links here!