When decks of cards began to wear and tear, adults passed them down to their children. Kids didn't care whether or not a deck of cards wasn't crisp. Children used playing cards for many purposes. Cards were used for card games like Rummy, Blackjack, Solitare, Go Fish and Pinochle. Kids also played non-traditional games like War and "52-Pick up," a game in which someone throws the cards in the air and everybody then must pick them up. There is no competition or strategy to the game, but children find it fun, nonetheless. Children played with their parents and especially with their grandparents. Shields remembered going to his grandmother's home to play cards with her and keep her company after his grandfather's death. His grandmother was the person who taught Shields how to play many card games. He also commented that grandparents and other family members were the main teachers of card games. It was rare that kids would teach each other new card games. This is because games were so inherent in society. Kids learned the rules of popular games when they were young. There was no need for children to teach eachother. However, kids did teach each other variations of rules to popular card games.

Kids did not only use cards for card games. Like baseball cards are traded amoung kids, cards were traded too. Special editions and interesting backs were of high demand among kids. Shields' wife recalled that she always collected cards that had horses on their backs. These cards were usually traded when they became unuseable in play or if the deck was really old.

Specialty decks of cards were also geared towards children. Old Maid was an extremely popular game, according to Shields.

Kids also put playing cards in the spokes of their bicycle wheels. They could be held in place by clothespins or by just positioning them right between spokes. This was done to decorate bicycle wheels and add individuality to each bike and also because the cards made a neat noise when the child rode the bicycle. Again, the condition of the cards didn't matter --- most likely the cards used here, were very old and torn. This was pretty much the last life of the cards. Cards were also used by children as building maerials and crafts. Children built towers and buildings out of decks of cards. They also used cards in craft projects. They were prettier and more interesting than plain paper and other contruction materials. Cards also became and early game of frisbee as kids cometedd with each other over who could sail the card a farther distance.