Play Your Cards Right at Our Gateshead Lunch Club

A giant pack of playing cards made our morning extra special at our lunch club last week, when we played our very own version of Play Your Cards Right!

It's an activity that works so well because everyone can join in. All it needs is a bit of luck and a few good guesses, as well as plenty of encouragement from the rest of the group.

A simple card game can bring plenty of fun to the room.

Our lunch club at the Holy Rosary in Teams, Gateshead, is a lovely place to spend time with others, try out some activities and enjoy a delicious, hot two-course meal every Tuesday and Wednesday. We have men's groups on Mondays and Thursdays too! To make it easy to attend, we also have door to door wheelchair accessible minibus transport to and from our centre.

How our version of Play Your Cards Right works

Our version is based on the well-known higher-or-lower card game. The game is easy to follow, which makes it a great choice for our lunch club.

A row of cards is placed so that it's value is concealed. One card is turned over to begin. The player then guesses whether the next card will be higher or lower than the one showing. If the guess is right, the game carries on. If the guess is wrong, the turn ends and another person has a go.

That simple question, higher or lower, creates a lot of fun.

Someone might feel sure the next card has to be higher. Someone else will call out that it is safer to go lower. The room quickly fills with suspense until the answer is revealed, hopefully to a room full of cheers!

Our cards are large, for better visibility and there's so many ways to play so that everyone can be included. The caller can speak clearly and repeat the current card before each guess. People can play as individuals, in pairs, or as part of a team.

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Why card games work so well at our lunch clubs

Card games have a familiar feel. Many people have played cards at home, on holidays, with family, or with friends. That familiarity helps people relax.

Play Your Cards Right is especially good because it has just enough suspense without becoming stressful. Nobody has to remember a long list of rules. Nobody has to keep score unless the group wants to. The fun comes from the guessing, the surprise, and the shared reaction when the next card appears.

For a lunch club, that makes it ideal.

The benefits

A lunch club can help reduce isolation by giving people a regular place to go. For some, the biggest benefit is seeing familiar faces. For others, it is the chance to enjoy a meal without eating alone. Activities like Play Your Cards Right add another layer by giving people a reason to chat and laugh together. Here are the benefits:-

It encourages conversation

It supports memory and thinking skills

It brings laughter and lifts the mood

It builds confidence

Not every activity suits everyone. Some people may avoid quizzes because they worry about getting answers wrong. Others may not want to do anything too physical. Play Your Cards Right avoids many of those barriers. There are no difficult questions. There is no performance. The outcome is mostly luck, so nobody feels embarrassed if the card does not go their way.

Why shared activities matter for over 65s

A regular lunch club offers structure and companionship. Those things can make a real difference, especially for people who live alone, have lost a partner, no longer drive, or find it harder to get out as often as they used to.

Lunch gives the day a clear centerpiece and transport can make the whole thing possible for those who would otherwise struggle to attend.

Sitting down to lunch in company can be one of the best parts of the day. But a lunch club is not only about food.

It is about arriving and being greeted. It is about seeing someone save you a seat. It is about chatting over a cup of tea. It is about having something light and fun to do. It is about knowing that there is a place where people are pleased to see you.

For someone attending for the first time, a simple activity can make joining easier. It removes the awkward feeling of not knowing what to say. There is a shared focus straight away. A new person can join a team, make a guess, or simply watch until they feel ready.

That welcoming atmosphere is what makes our lunch club special.

If you or someone you know would like to join our lunch clubs or men's groups, for lunch and activities, contact our team on 0191 4600297. There's a range of activities at each group, a freshly cooked two-course meal, refreshments and accessible minibus transport from home and back again in the local area.