I am so excited to share our favorite family game night games! For a while now we’ve been doing a weekly family game night, and our kids absolutely love it. We’ve got some favorite games right now, and some other tried and true games. In this post, I’ll share our favorite board games, card games, and games that are great for a fun family game night for the entire family!
I have compiled a list of the best games my family and I play during our game nights that are a lot of fun, for older kids and younger kids. This list is full of all different games; some are cooperative games, some are strategy games, and some are played on a game board or involve problem-solving.
Our 10 Favorite Family Game Night Games
1. Telestrations
If you are looking to have a good time with your kids, this is a great game! You all get your own sketchbook and you draw your secret word, pass your book and let others guess what you drew in a few words. Pass it again and then the next person draws that guess! Think of it as playing the classic game, telephone, but in drawing form. Don’t worry; you don’t need to be an artist to succeed in this game! Actually, it’s hilarious to share everyone’s sketches at the end of each round. We seriously laugh so hard every time we play this game!
2. Guess in 10
This game has different versions so you can choose which one is best for your family! We love the animal version because all of our kids are obsessed with animals. It is a simple game and great for younger children. They just guess what animal (for the animal kingdom version) is on the card by asking questions, and when they guess it, they get the card. For each card, you get up to 10 questions and 2 guesses, and you have clue cards you can use, too. The first player to get 7 cards, wins! Not only do we learn new things about animals in this game, but sometimes we’re surprised by what stumps us! I also love the critical thinking element to this, where the kids have to consider which questions to ask to get them to the answer without waisting their 10 questions.
3. Kids on Stage / Charades for Kids
Younger players will love this game because they will be able to act out things like animals, airplanes, etc. They will also get a good laugh watching you act those things out as well. It is like adults charades, you act out what is on your card, and your partner guesses. It is a fun way for little kids to work on social skills, and even the older players will love it! I will say, I included both of these because Kids on Stage has been great for my youngest, who is currently 4, because he can see the pictures and act them out himself without someone telling him what it is. However, after a while, it got repetitive for everyone else because we’ve done them already and they are all pretty simple. So, we got Charades for Kids, which seems to be a step up so we can mix it up sometimes!
4. National Park Adventure Game
My sister originally bought this game for my oldest son, and now the whole family loves it! This is a board game that explores all the National Parks. As you go through the game, you collect different keeper cards from categories including aquatic, bird, animal, and landmark. Once you have at least one card from each category or 4 from the same category, you can move to the middle of the board and try to land on the winning space. Along the way, you’re doing different things that teach about different National Parks, animals, etc. It’s a fun, educational board game and we really enjoy it!
Get National Park Adventure Game
5. Card Games (War, Rummy)
The card game war is one that is a family favorite in many households. It is very competitive and mainly, all about luck! Your goal is to get the most cards in the end so have fun collecting your family member’s cards. For rummy, your objective is to get your suits matched in groups of three or four of a kind.
6. Uno
One of my all-time favorite card games and one of the best family games! You probably played Uno as a kid sitting around your coffee table! The goal to this game is to make your opponents have their hands full of cards! Depending on the cards you get, you can make them draw cards, skip turns, reverse the way you’re playing, or even better, change the color of the cards being played at the spur of the moment. It is so much fun and your goal is to be the first person to get rid of all your cards!
7. Jumanji
My kids love playing Jumanji! It all started when they first saw the movie, so I definitely recommend watching that first. The game is a spin off of the movie, Jumanji and it is very fun for family nights.
8. Sophie’s Seashell Scramble
We first got this game when my oldest (now almost 10) was little. It is still one of our family game night games because we have a little guy, currently 4, who loves it. If you have young kids, this is a great game to have in your game box! It works a lot on fine motor and matching, which is perfect for ages 3 and up! Use the spinner to collect shells, and once you have collected 5 shells, you win!
Get Sophie’s Seashell Scramble on Amazon
9. Taco vs Burrito
This game was actually created by a 7 year old, love that! So why not support that and add it to your list of family game night ideas? This was added to our family game night games when I saw it on a lightning deal on Amazon and decided to try it out. Turns out, it’s super fun! It is a fun game for the whole family. The goal is to build the wildest and weirdest meal with your taco or burrito! You can either add your drawn card to you your meal or give it to an opponent. Who will have the funkiest meal at the end?
10. TacoCat Spelled Backwards
My son, Kai’s, friend game him this last year for his birthday and we really love playing it! The downside is, it’s for 2 players only. We make the most of it by taking turns and play the winner of each round. Think of tug of war but in board game form – that is what this is! Pick your cards, attack with Tacocat, and try to get taco cat into your goal to win the game!
Other Things to do During Family Game Night
- Indoor Bowling: maybe you want to do something different on your next family game night, going bowling is a great idea!
- Movie night: After you have lots of laughs playing games, end the night with some popcorn and a good movie. You could also get this special popcorn set and popcorn containers to make it feel extra special.
- Game shows: Watch a game show on TV and try to answer the questions together.
- Play video games: We personally do not have any video games, but if your family enjoys them, the kids may want to show you their favorite video game or play against you! The Wii is a great, active way to make some family memories.
Best Game Night Games
I think this list will have the perfect game for your next game night! Enjoy that quality family time whether your children are younger or older because even high schoolers can enjoy a fun time with family. Heck, you can even invite your extended family members over on a Saturday night and play games where you need a higher number of players. It is a great way to bring the family together for a good laugh and some family fun!
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Hi, I’m Jessica! I am wife to Chris, and mom to Kaiper, Alana and Koa. I am a graphic designer, website developer and aspiring author. In this space, I share about everything from parenting, working from home, food we cook, and lots of things for kids! Learn more about me here.
