Spade facts for kids

Two spades for different uses. The left one is for digging in the garden. The right one is for digging underground.

A spade is a useful tool mainly used for digging. It looks a bit like a shovel but has a straight handle. Spades are often used in gardening and other outdoor tasks. The word "spade" also refers to one of the four symbols found on playing cards.

What is a Spade Tool?

A spade is a tool designed for digging into the ground. It has a strong, flat blade that is usually sharp at the bottom edge. This design helps it cut through soil and roots easily. Spades are very popular in gardening for tasks like planting, digging trenches, or moving soil. They typically have a long, straight handle, which gives you good leverage when pushing the blade into the earth.

Spade vs. Shovel: What's the Difference?

Even though spades and shovels both help with digging, they are made for different jobs.

• A spade usually has a flatter, straighter blade. This makes it perfect for digging clean, deep holes or for cutting straight edges in the soil. It's great for tasks where you need precision, like transplanting plants or edging a garden bed.
• A shovel often has a curved or scooped blade. This shape is better for scooping up loose materials. Shovels are ideal for moving piles of sand, gravel, or dirt. They can hold more material than a spade.

So, if you need to dig a neat hole, a spade is your best friend. If you need to move a big pile of dirt, a shovel will be more helpful.

Spades in Playing Cards

Besides being a tool, "spade" is also a term used in card games. On a deck of playing cards, a spade is one of the four suits. The other three suits are hearts, diamonds, and clubs. The spade symbol looks like an upside-down heart with a small stem at the bottom. In many card games, spades are considered the highest-ranking suit.

Images for kids

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  Small spade for clay soil; the other one for sandy soil and loamy soil

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  A shoulder full of pointed spades