Have you ever played Happy Families? Perhaps you learned it around the dinner table, or you played it with friends at school. With 44 cards and 11 sets of ‘families’ to collect, players take turns requesting cards from other players, with their turn lasting as long as they keep receiving cards. The winner is the person who collects the most families. Traditionally, these families involved a Mr., Mrs., Master and Miss of a particular trade (like a baker, grocer or carpenter) with an alliterating name like ‘Soot the Sweep’!
Invented around 1840, the original Happy Families was published in 1851 by the well-known London maker and publisher of games, John Jaques & Son Ltd, who also published Snap, Snakes and Ladders, and Ludo. The original families were illustrated by Sir John Tenniel, best known for his illustrations of the Alice and Wonderland books by Lewis Carroll.
The card game Wonder Women turns the traditional Happy Families on its head. Written by Isabel Thomas and illustrated by Laura Bernard, Wonder Women features inspirational women on all 44 cards. Not only is it fun, it’s also a great way to get to know (or test your knowledge of) some incredible girls and women from all ages. The ‘family groups’ include famous aviators, sport stars, activists, artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, photographers, explorers, scientists and fashion icons – proving that girls really can be great at everything! You can match Toni Morrison with Jane Austen, Marie Curie with Ada Lovelace, Serena Williams with Katie Ledecky, and many, many more. With a handy booklet explaining who all the Wonder Women are, players will have fun exploring the beautiful, high-quality cards while learning about some awesome women. Discover explorer Aloha Wanderwell, who was only 16 when she first joined an expedition driving through 43 countries, Simone Biles the amazing gymnast who was 19 when she won four gold medals in the 2016 Olympics, or Malala Yousafzai, the youngest ever person to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Team up and see which of your friends knows the most about incredible girls and women!
-Rosalie Elliffe
Junior Girl
Girl Museum Inc.