Fortune magazine has declared that board games are back. (I would argue that they never went away, but positive press for a great hobby is always welcome.) "In 2008, board game sales climbed 23.5% to about $808 million, and they're expected to grow more this year," according to the article. "With the onset of the recession, as video games have suffered from the dip in consumer spending, their older, less-costly cousins -- Clue, Candy Land, and the like -- have benefited."

The brilliant abstract game Blokus (pictured here) is featured prominently in the article, which also features comments from Jay Tummelson, head of Rio Grande Games, and Geoff Walker, Mattel's senior vice president of Wheels, Games and Radica. (Mattel acquired Blokus earlier this year.)

^{Image courtesy of Educational Insights}

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game United States 2009 National Championship is taking place this weekend in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The culmination of a series of events around the country, the U.S. National Championship is expected to draw about 900 Yu-Gi-Oh! players. The top four finalists will be invited to compete in the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship in Tokyo, Japan, on August 8 and 9.

In Yu-Gi-Oh!, players create individual decks of cards -- monsters, spells and traps -- by choosing from cards collected from starter decks and booster packs. The decks are used in a two-player duel.

^{Image courtesy of Konami Digital Entertainment}

Playing card games is a great way for children to learn a variety of basic skills, including counting, taking turns, basic strategy, and being a good sport. Here are my picks for the best traditional card games for children. All of these games can be played with a standard 52-card deck.

What's your favorite children's card game? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.

More Great Card Games:

• Authors
• Slapjack
• Spit

Endless Games has released a series of four inexpensive games based on the television game shows Password, Family Feud, The $1,000,000 Pyramid, and Wheel of Fortune. The games' small size and tin-box packaging makes them perfect for travel, and the $10 price can't be beat.

Password is for 3 or 4 players, Family Feud is for 3 or more players, The $1,000,000 Pyramid is for 4 players, and Wheel of Fortune is for 2 to 4 players.

^{Image courtesy of Endless Games}