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I have always loved games.
My best friends and I have spent many hours playing Taboo, Wizard and other card/ board games over the last two decades. In fact, for my birthday a few years back, we had several couples over and played Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity and Game of Things. It was the best birthday ever!
We play games pretty regularly with the kids too. UNO and Monopoly Jr. are the primary games, with Candy Land (yes, even now!), Zingo and Sorry thrown in. Side note, UNO Dare is super fun and adds a little ooomph to the regular game.
But admittedly, I’m a little tired of UNO. I’m ready for something new. So I turned to my trusty friends on Facebook and boy, did they pull through. Here are fifteen games that are sure to delight for family game night.
1. Ticket to Ride – (recommended for ages 8+) – This was by far the most highly recommended game from my FB friends. It’s the one I’m going to put under our Christmas tree. Even though Em is only 6, several people said they just had the younger kids partner up with someone.
2. Jenga – I was so excited that Mr. A put this on his Christmas list this year. Yes, it can be frustrating but it’s SO fun.
3. Clue – Ah, memories. I loved this game as a kid and can’t wait to introduce my kids. (PS. they have lots of other versions besides the classic, I might have to buy the Harry Potter version.)
4. Telestrations – I had several people recommended this one and I think we’d have a blast playing this drawing version of telephone.
5. Mexican Train – My mom introduced us to this domino game and I was amazed at how quickly my kids picked up on it.
6. Tenzi – This dice game is great for all ages!
7. Settlers of Catan – (recommended for ages 10+) – This is another game that has expansion packs and could quickly become a family favorite for those with tweens/teens. Be strategic and build your settlements and acquire resources.
8. Blokus – (recommended for ages 7+) – This strategy game is supposed to be easy to learn
9. Catchphrase – (recommended for ages 12+) We’ve got a little while to go before we can play this with our kids but this game is perfect for families with teens/tweens.
10. Pictionary – (recommended for ages 8+) I suck at drawing but that makes this game all the more fun. I think even my six year old would enjoy this.
11. Qwirkle Cubes – There are several different variations of this game, but this one is good for kids 6+ and can be played in about 30 minutes. That’s appealing to me.
12. Slapzi (recommended for ages 3+) This fun game is great for the entire family. The instructions are simple and the game encourages quick thinking.
13. Game of Life – (recommended for ages 8+) Another game from my childhood that I’m excited to bring back to the table. My sister has our old version…curious how it’s different from the new one as I’m sure it’s been updated.
14. Rummikub – This game is supposedly easy to learn, fast moving and good for all ages. I’m actually surprised I’ve never played before as I’ve heard about it for years.
15. Happy Salmon – (recommended for ages 6+) This card game sounds right up my kid’s alley. They love fast-paced games that require you act something out.
The awesome thing about a lot of these games is that they have a Junior version, so if you want to give it a go but don’t think your kids are ready for the real deal, you can try the Jr. version. It’s worked well for us with Monopoloy and Scrabble.
What are your favorites for family game night?
Jamie says
Catchphrase sounds like a fun one! I might have to get that for my family. 🙂
Suzanne Cohen - Gotham Love says
Love happy salmon…. the kids are loving soggy doggy these days too.
Jyl says
We’ve been playing games lately. We also love Telestrations. And Charades is seriously one that always has us in stitches. While we adore board games, we recently started playing some online games. Name That Tune is super fun now that our kids are in high school and know the songs. It gets a little loud as we’re all shouting out the song, but it is so fun!
WhatsUpSusan says
I love game night. I have not had one in so long ,,, this post makes me think I really need to plan it soon. My kids are now grown so the logistics of it is harder but this is activities we can still do together for years to come! Love the post girly!