Family Game Night

Plan a Family Game Night

Children love to play games. And they particularly love to play games with adults. Enjoy a family game night once in a while where everyone sits down for an hour or so and enjoys a board game. Kids love to compete. They particularly like winning after playing with adults and siblings.

Some families reserve a special day of every week for family game night. Making it a recurring occasion adds to the importance, and reminds teens and adults to save the night and not plan another activity.

Picking the Best Games

It is not difficult to select games for the whole family. By all means, get your family members involved in the selection. The secret of a fun game night is to pick at least two games:

• One based on the age of the youngest family member
• One based on the interests of the older children and family members

Start the evening by playing the game that is geared for the youngest family member. It's amazing how a teenager can get into a rousing game of Candyland or Twister if they see their parents having a good time. Then, when the littlest ones are off to bed, you can pull out the second game that you have chosen.

Board Games For All Ages

Consider creating a library of board games that you can draw from whenever your family members want to play. You might want to start with some of the classic games like Monopoly, Clue or Clue Jr., Pictionary, Scrabble and The Game of Life. You can build your options if you convince your friends to also create board game libraries, so that you can exchange games and expand your gaming possibilities.

Children under Eight

• Chutes and Ladders – This classic children's game is perfect for the youngest player since no reading is required. For ages 36 months and up.
• Candyland – Young children, particularly little girls, never seem to get tired of playing this classic children's board game. No reading is necessary. For ages 36 months and up.
• Don't Break the Ice – The "playing board" for this game is like a block of ice. Players take turns tapping out individual blocks of ice while the polar bear continues to skate. For ages 4 and up.
• Clue Jr. – This version of the classic Clue game is excellent for all members of the family. Gather clues to solve the mystery! For ages 5 and up.
• Twister – A high-energy game that can be played inside or outside. For ages 6 and up.

Children Ages Eight and Older

• Trivial Pursuit - Kid's Version – This classic trivia game includes questions that are fun for both kids and adults. For ages 8 and up. Other versions, in a variety of subjects, are also available for older players.
• Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader – A fun game for family gatherings. Play as teams, kids against the parents, for extra fun. For ages 8 and up.
• Monopoly – Everyone in the family has the chance to become the real estate tycoon. For ages 8 and up.
• Clue – This is a classic clue-based mystery game. There are many versions available. For ages 8 and up.
• The Game of Life – This classic game is fun for kids and adults. For ages 8 and up.
• Encore Deluxe - Players compete by remembering and singing songs that contain certain lyrics. For ages 8 and up.
• The Game of Life – Everyone has the chance to make the choices that will change the way they play this game. For ages 9 and up.
• Pictionary – Active players enjoy the challenge of drawing the clues for their teammates. For ages 12 and up. (A junior version is available for younger players.)