$70 / hrBoard and card games + 1 more
BridgeChess
Tasha Morgan
4.9(7)Rummikub, gin rummy and Uno
Verona
Uses what you have at homeTue · Thu · Sat · SunBackground checked
Mahjong, bridge and canasta lessons at home in Caldwell, NJ
A weekly card game used to be part of life on a lot of Caldwell streets. Home Happenings brings local game pros to older adults' homes in Caldwell to teach mahjong, bridge or canasta, or simply to sit down for a real game of chess each week. You set up the table, the pro brings the game and the know how.
Mahjong, bridge, canasta, or someone to play a real game of chess with.
Friendly people serving Caldwell
$70 / hr
$85 / hrBoard and card games
MahjongBridge
Ivy Clarke
4.8(6)Beginner bridge and friendly duplicate
Verona
Mon · Wed · FriBackground checked
$85 / hrBoard and card games + 1 more
Chess
Marcus Bell
4.8(16)Neighborhood and family life stories
Livingston
Mon · Wed · ThuBackground checked
Mahjong and canasta: gather your four
Mahjong and canasta are four player games. You bring the players: a spouse, a sister, neighbors from down the street, friends from church. The pro shows up with the tiles or cards and does the teaching. Because the group needs time to learn, these two games require booking at least 4 visits.
The first visit covers the basics: the tiles or melds, how a turn works, and a practice hand played open. By the fourth visit, most groups can play a full game with the pro just coaching. Plenty of groups keep going on their own afterward.
Bridge and chess
Bridge lessons work for a returning player who has not bid in years or a couple who wants to learn together. The pro can teach, play as a fourth, and explain why a hand went wrong.
Chess is mostly about having someone to play a proper game with every week. A pro sits down across the board, plays at the right level, and talks through the interesting moves. Some teach openings and tactics if that is wanted.
Canasta tends to suit groups who want a sociable, chatty game. Bridge suits people who enjoy a puzzle and do not mind a few weeks of learning bidding. Mahjong has a little of both, plus the satisfying click of tiles. If a group is unsure, message a pro and describe who will be playing. Pros can usually tell which game fits after a short conversation, and they are honest when a different game would be a better match.
Finding players in Caldwell
If you need players for mahjong or canasta, start with people your parent already knows. The Caldwell-West Caldwell Senior Club, open to residents 55 and over, brings together people from both towns, and it is a natural place to find someone who has always wanted to learn mahjong.
In warm weather, the picnic grove at Grover Cleveland Park is a pleasant spot for a casual chess game once the indoor lessons are done.
Costs and booking
Pros set their hourly rate between $50 and $150. You choose 1, 1.5 or 2 hours, and each visit adds a $2.50 booking fee and a 10% service fee. The price is per visit, not per player, so splitting it among four friends is common.
Book "4 weeks, same time" for mahjong or canasta, or "every week until I cancel" for an ongoing chess or bridge game. Cancel free of charge up to 3 days ahead of the visit.
How visits work
Choose a one hour, 1.5 hour or two hour visit. Each visit adds a $2.50 booking fee and a 10% service fee. You pay when you book. Refunds follow our cancellation policy: free up to 3 days before. Every published professional completes an online search, a real conversation with our team, a signed provider agreement, a criminal background check through a screening vendor and a national sex offender registry check. The home address stays private until a visit is confirmed. Read profiles, compare open times and reviews, then book an open time straight from the calendar. Use Message to discuss your first visit.
Popular activities in Caldwell
Questions seniors and families ask
Why do mahjong and canasta need four visits?
Both games take a few sessions to learn well, and the group of four needs time together to get comfortable. Booking at least four visits means everyone gets through the basics and into real play.
We only have two players. Can we still learn mahjong?
Mahjong and canasta on Home Happenings need four people at the table, which you arrange. With two players, chess or bridge lessons may be a better start, or ask neighbors and friends to join.
Does the pro bring the mahjong set and cards?
Yes, the pro brings the game for lessons. If your group decides to keep playing on its own, the pro can tell you which set or card packs to buy so you have your own.
How much do in-home bridge lessons cost in Caldwell?
Bridge pros set their own rate between $50 and $150 an hour. Visits are 1, 1.5 or 2 hours, with a $2.50 booking fee and 10% service fee added per visit. Groups often share the cost.
Nearby towns
Find a professional in Caldwell
Tell us the activity, who the visit is for, and which days and times work.
Find someone