Making Connections: Family Game Night

Raise your hand if you love family game nights!

Family game nights are a fun and easy way to connect. Most of the time you don’t need to plan much or spend any money. Just grab your family, a few games, and set aside some time. It really is that simple.

Despite the ease of setting up a fun game night, there are a few things you can do to make the the time more successful.

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Let each member of the family choose a game. This way, each person gets to play their favorite and you’re sure to have age-appropriate choices. Plus, mom & dad don’t have to sit through 15 games of Candyland!

Have adult-child teams. Are you playing a game that is too hard for one or more of your kids? Let the younger members of the family pair up with a parent. This way they’ll still feel like they’re part of the fun.

Put away all distractions. Turn off the phone, tv, and computer. Seems obvious, doesn’t it?

Now that we’ve got the basics covered, it’s time to add a little extra fun.

Have a variety of fun snacks. Instead of a typical dinner, have a snack night while you’re playing games. Serve finger food that’s easy to eat while you’re playing, such as sliders, veggies & dip, nachos, fruit, popcorn, or cheese & crackers.

Take it outside! Game night doesn’t have to happen indoors with a variety of board games. Take a deck of cards and a picnic blanket outside. There are so many games you can play with a simple deck of cards. Or, play basketball, softball, croquet, bocce, or any variety of outdoor game.

Make it a theme night. The Chaos and the Clutter has a couple of fun ideas for themed game nights. Check out their Minute To Win It Night and their Just For Laughs Night.

What are your best tips for a successful family game night?

Here are some of our favorite family games:

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

Richard Scarry Busy Town

Sequence for Kids

Candy Land

And some more games that are favorite of mine that I plan to introduce to the girls once they are older:

Sorry!

Rummikub

Phase 10 Card Game

SKIP BO Card Game

For more Family Game Night Ideas:

Let’s Lasso The Moon has a great list of 10 Tested & Approved Family Games.

Modern Parents Messy Kids has tips for putting together a family game basket and has a huge list of recommended games.

Planet Smarty Pants has a great list of games for elementary-aged kids and older.

And, Tutus and Tea Parties has a list of games perfect for preschoolers.