Do yourself and your family a favor and plan a night in, filled with fun and laughter, with a good old-fashioned family game night. Instead of spending money at a restaurant, surrounded by strangers, stay home and enjoy the company of your loved ones. Hosting a game night is a great way for your entire family to bond and make life-long memories.
Here are five ideas for your next family game night.
1. Card Games
From Go Fish to Rummy, card games are a classic family game night tradition. If your kids are older, go for a more complex game, such as Set Back, keeping everyone on their toes. For the younger children, a simple game of matching colors and numbers, like Uno, is a great way to introduce cards to the mix.
2. Board Games
There are hundreds, if not thousands of boards games on the market today. From solving the mysteries of Clue to discovering a career and buying a house in The Game of Life, board games are a standard when it comes to game night. For the older kids looking for more of a challenge, break out Monopoly and hope the game ends before bedtime
3. Classic Games
You can’t go wrong with Charades. Pair up or break into teams and prepare to be entertained as your family acts out books and movies while others try to guess before the time is up. Or, break out the markers, crayons and pencils for an old-school game of pictionary where each family member can test their artistic skills.
4. Free Games
Telephone is a game that requires no boards or game pieces. All you need to do is sit in a circle, whisper a phrase into the ear of the family member next to you and wait to hear if the last person in the circle correctly repeats your original phrase with no funny words or mistakes. Or, ask each other “Would you rather…?” followed by two situations – good, bad, funny – and see which one they choose.
5. Other Activities
Instead of a classic game night, try an activity together, such as a puzzle. Like many board games, you will still be presented with a challenge. However, instead of playing against each other, work together to create a beautiful image. Another fun family activity is building a fort. Gather blankets, pillows and sheets from each bedroom and turn your living room into a family clubhouse. Fill it with snacks, toys and even one of the previously mentioned games for a stay-at-home family adventure.
