Family Game Night Favorites

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Family Game NightWe love games at our house. We may have passed our competitive nature on to our kids…just a bit. Some of our favorite memories are when we have played games together as a family, and as parents, exiting our “task oriented mode” to play and laugh with our kids has paid dividends in our family relationships.

We have found that it can be a bit tricky to find games that span age ranges AND that the grown ups enjoy playing too.  While some kid games often bring back nostalgic memories for us we’ve found ourselves lulled to sleep playing them!

Fortunately, we have discovered some favorites that we do enjoy playing with our kids. My best estimate is that these games are great for kids ages 7 and up, though some may be more difficult for the younger end of this range depending on the child.

Card Games :

Salute the King –  A fun and easy-to-learn card game. This is one of the few card games that gets you up and moving.

Ooga Booga A silly memory game that gets everyone sounding like a caveman and laughing. It’s always a good time when you’re goofy together.

Board Games :

Ticket to Ride – This is more difficult for the younger side of the range, but definitely not impossible. Once they learn where places on the map are located, it makes the game much easier and quicker. For younger kids we start without stations or ferries. This game can be a bit longer so keep the attention spans of your kids in mind.

Tapple – A quick, easy to learn word game.  As a mom, I love that while there are cards as a part of the game, they easily store in a compartment on the underside of the game.

Carcassonne – A favorite game for us as adults, and while the manufacturer recommends ages 13 and up, we have found it very doable to play with our 10 year-old and our 8 year-olds.  For younger players, don’t play with farmers, and only use half the tiles. This one is also available as My First Carcassonne for ages 4 and up.

Independent Games :

Think Fun is our favorite place for independent games. Our favorites include Laser Maze, Gravity Maze and Rush Hour. Think Fun also offers junior versions of some of their games.  Even though these games are single player games, they are great for keeping kids busy and learning, and are also great for working together or alternating turns.

Up and Around :

Giants, Wizards, Elves – A unique twist on rock, paper, scissors. Instructions are for a group, but could be played as individuals too.

Helpful ideas:

When we first introduce a game, we often have our youngest play on a team with an adult. This is an easy and enjoyable way for them to participate and learn as they play.

Don’t be afraid to adapt the game when kids are first learning. Leave out certain “extra” elements and add them in as they get a handle on the game.

These are just a few of our family game night favorites. I would love to hear from you. What are your family favorites?