Who doesn't have a deck with missing cards? In my house we have at least half a dozen incomplete decks. Don’t throw them out, use them for Hoy!
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Who doesn't have a deck with missing cards? In my house we have at least half a dozen incomplete decks. Don’t throw them out, use them for Hoy. It's a fun and easy game that's similar to bingo; just match the cards with the dealer's cards and win the game.

Object:

  • Improve focus.
  • Increase social skills.
  • Maintain cognitive skills.

Materials:

  • Hoy sheets (download from website or make your own, see below)
  • Hoy covers (make your own, see below)
  • One Large Print deck of cards
  • Prizes (chocolates, marshmallows, and small packets of chips).

Instructions:

  • Group participants in such a way that they can help each other e.g. sit cognitively sound people with those with some cognitive loss.
  • Give one Hoy sheet to each participant.
  • Give 9 markers to each participant to cover matching cards when they are called out.
  • The Dealer shuffles the large print deck of cards and ask a participant to 'cut' the deck.
  • The Dealer places the deck of cards on the table, face down.
  • One card at time is turned over and called out and shown to participants.
  • The game continues until a player gets a full house and calls out "HOY!"
  • Hand out prizes to winners

How to make your own Hoy Game Sheets:

  • Several A4 sheets of paper
  • Choose 9 cards including Aces, Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts and Spades.
  • Place cards facing up on an A4 sheet of paper and secure cards in place with a little blue-tack at the back.
  • Photocopy in colour.
  • Laminate for endurance.

How to make the markers/covers:

You may use cardboard, egg cartons or styrofoam (recycle the ones that comes with vegetables or meat. If you use cardboard or egg cartons, have a craft session to decorate them by painting or covering with scraps of fabric. (See photo)

NOTE: The markers to cover the cards should not be too thin, otherwise it is difficult for elderly people to pick them up from the table. (They often feel frustrated and embarrassed when they can't do something, so making the markers easier to pick up will avoid that).

Files included:

Download Image

10 Pages of 9 Random Cards

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Comments   Post a Comment

Gayle 6th May 2023
When u get more then one hoy winner and u split the deck and one draws a ace and the other draws a 10 who is the winner
Susan 10th Oct 2020 Activity Director
Great idea Elaine
Thanks for sharing
Elaine 9th Oct 2020 Activities Director/ Speech Path
Yes, I have played in large group of ten without a play sheet due to CoVID. I give each resident 5 cards which they display on a chair in front of them as a table surface. I show a large card & also announce it, if they have the card, they raise it or say “ I have it!”. First to get rid of all 5 cards is the winner. I am finding chap stick & small hand cream well received prizes.

Ruth 8th Nov 2017 Activities Officer
My Residents in High Care love Hoi I usually use large print cards but I will give this one a go as well too. I may even try to print out a set of the larger size for some of our Residents. I sometimes have the same problem as Susan,these residents I usually sit next to me so I can help them. Thanks once again Golden Carers I have been using a lots of your programed activities for years.
Talita 13th Nov 2017
We very much appreciate your feedback Ruth. Thank you!
Gaylene 26th Oct 2017 Activities Co-ordinator
We played this this week and was a great success. I used playing cards to cover the card sheet. We also have trouble with 8 & Ace. I spell Ace and say the number 8.
Oh and made the mistake of printing in black & white first off. Haha.
Talita 28th Oct 2017
Thanks so much for your feedback Gaylene!
Joanne 17th Oct 2017 Leisure and Lifestyle Co ordinator
I too play this but we use 13 cards and turn them over as called. I also use normal size cards and larger cards for those with sight impairments. The cards I use to call out are quite large I got them from KMart, I also show them the card as I call it for the hearing impaired. I use the aces and call it the one of hearts etc.
Talita 28th Oct 2017
Great tips, thanks Joanne.
Maurice 20th Jun 2015
Hi Margaret!

Ahh - Each player needs to have 9 random cards, if they all use the sample provided then they will all win at the same time (an interesting twist!)

I have just uploaded 10 sets of 9 random cards, so you can download this instead to play with up to 10 people at once. For more players just scan 9 cards together for each additional player.

I hope that helps!
margaret 13th Jun 2015 carer/activities
Hi Everyone,

I love this game but shouldn't every card be different otherwise everyone would be calling 'hoy' at once.
I could only find one card in the instructions. Am I missing something? I can be a bit vague!
Love the site.
Margaret
Kim 26th May 2015 Diversional Therapist / tafe teacher
Hi guys,
We too play this game however I put the sheet landscape and have 3 of each suit.... I also make sure the suits are in rows of the same suit to make it easier to find eg... A row of spades, then hearts, then clubs then diamonds. These rows run vertically
Lyn 6th Jul 2014 Diversional Therapist
Put Hoy on my program this week. On seeing it one resident & her family not knowing what Hoy was looked it up in the dictionary - we had a good laugh - that made my day before we had even played the game. The residents really enjoyed playing this game. Thank you for the idea.
Lyn
6 July 2014
Solange 1st Jul 2014 Diversional Therapist
Hi Susan, what a great adaptation for the game. Congratulations!
Susan 30th Jun 2014 Freelance Activity Co-ordinator
I deal out 6-8 cards to each resident and if theirs is called out, they throw it into the middle of the table until they're all gone. We tried turning the cards over but they kept turning them back again! Nice easy game and we keep going until they've all won!
Patricia 15th Apr 2014 Co Ordinator
Ran this game off, very well received by clients! Thank you!
Helen 28th May 2013 Lifestyle Coordinator
We play Hoy as well. I have 'lines' top, middle, bottom - 4 corners.This can make it more fun as the residents get more prizes.
Helen from Regis Yeronga, Brisbane
divtherapy 2nd Feb 2012
We have a weekly game of Hoy. We too remove the ace's. But we only use 8 cards. 2 from each suit, but 2 of the cards must be high cards eg. King, queen or Jack. None of the cards can be the same number. So all cards are different numbers or high cards. Once all cards are turned over the winner gets fun size Milky way and the diabetics we give a sugar free chocolate bar too. Our residents very much look forward to the game.
Dianne 18th Jan 2011 Recreation officer
Hi Robyn,
I leave the aces in but when i call it out I say eg: ace of hearts I will say ONE heart. So if you wish to leave them in just say one instead. But your way is probably easier especially for high care.
Robyn 12th Jan 2011 Lifestyle Coordinator
I have taken the aces out of the pack as ace and eight can sound the same and residents sometimes get confused.
Aleah 12th Sep 2022 Lifestyle Officer
I call 1of instead of Ace of which helps with the confusion of Ace & Eight :)
Dianne 9th Nov 2010 Recreation officer
We play Hoy each week. But when we do it I hand out 15 cards (amount can change) to each player. When their card is called out they turn the card over until they are all turned over.
Dianne
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