Waiting for the excitement to return to the ice? With more time at home and no live sports to watch, hockey fans are searching for new ways to engage with the game. Luckily, Upper Deck has come up with some ideas to get you through the season and get the entire family cheering for hockey again.

Instead of flipping through channels, keep the kids entertained and engaged with their favorite NHL trading cards. While hockey cards have always been fun to collect and trade no matter how old you are, they also make for great teaching tools. Kids will hardly notice that they are learning when you use hockey cards to practice reading comprehension, writing, math, motor skills or creative arts. Go ahead and let your kids show off their trading card collection while you show off some new school lessons that no one will be complaining about.

Player Geography: Sure, the kids know that the family cheers for the local team, but do they realize that players come from all over the world for their chance to play in the NHL? Have them take a look at the back of their NHL cards and use a map to locate the hometowns of their favorite players starting with country, then province/state, and finally, city. Take it a step further and research the distance from your city to where each of the players come from, so they can figure out the average distance for the team as a whole.

Get Creative: Let them be the designer and create a 1 of 1 trading card set! Let the creativity flow by drawing, coloring, or even making custom jersey cards. Use real NHL cards as inspiration or kids can come up with their own unique ideas.

If talent shows and videos are more your kid’s style, then the Hockey Highlights Sportscaster activity is just what you’ve been looking for! Let the kids take a shot at writing player bios and showcasing their broadcasting skills in front of the entire family or pre-record the show so they can add in a few finishing touches (depending on their video skill level). Grab some popcorn and make it a special family event!

Get the entire family involved (in person or via video call) with an exciting game of Pack Wars! This fast-paced game is simple to learn and is fun for all ages. Players take a handful of NHL cards and battle it out using the card images and stats on the back of their cards. Who has the player with the most career goals, the least assists, the craziest facial hair or birthday closest to their own? Use the categories provided or make up your own. Is your family up for the challenge?

Looking for more ideas on how to use hockey cards a new and exciting teaching tools? Check out C.J.’s story, an elementary school assistant principle who uses hockey cards to teach his sons practical lessons at home. Read more about how C.J. has been repurposing hockey cards to create valuable lessons HERE.   For those with younger kids, see how one amazing  single mom has been using her creative talents to incorporate hockey cards in her overall homeschool strategy by clicking HERE.

Check out more Upper Deck Collect & Learn lessons and activities HERE! Share you own tips and ideas on using trading cards to keep kids learning and engaged at home during this difficult time. Be sure to tag Upper Deck on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using @UpperDeckHockey and the hashtag #CollectAndLearn. We might just feature your story in a future post!