Family game night is one of those things we have done since our kids were old enough to roll the die. We have always set at least once a week for us to sit down together at the same table, eat dinner and do a family activity. Sometimes when life was hectic we would forget or not plan it and our kids would kindly remind us that we needed to do it. While we felt bad for forgetting, it felt good that they looked forward to that time together for some friendly family fun.
Over the years we have noticed that when given a choice to go do something with friends or do family game night, our kids almost have always chose us. As parents we have encouraged them to go out and hang with their friends but they would blow our comments to the side and ask 1) what’s for dinner and 2) which game are we playing tonight.
Even our nightly routine of eating dinner on the couch is watching recordings of Jeopardy and keeping points to see who wins which episode (yes, we love trivia-based games!).
My kids are older than most as they are young adults so my list is geared towards older children (while we do love Monopolopy which the younger ages can play.).
Family Game Night
Bezzerwizzer [Mattel]: I variation on the German phrase which means “know it all”, Bezzerwizzer is a twist on a trivia game using tricks and tactics to win. We love this game and play it often during on family game night. I bought it for Christmas several years ago and we are just now getting through all the cards.
Cranium [Hasbro]: This is one of my all time favorite games as Cranium really mixes it up with drawing, sculpting, acting and more. It’s great to play with just our family or additional players to make it even more fun.
Monopoly [Hasbro]: Hey, this classic is one we pull out to break up the other games so we don’t get burned out playing the others.
Risk [Winning Moves Games]: While this is my least favorite to play for me, my family loves it – especially the kids. We leave it on the table and play it throughout the week.
Trivial Pursuit [Hasbro]: I think we own EVERY version of Trivial Pursuit, no really… I bet it’s close! We love trivia games and this classic is always welcomed on our gaming table.
Bob normally whips up a meal for us that is easy to eat while playing and Alex normally prepares an awesome dessert. (Spencer and I just anticipate the good food and good times.) There are lots of way to get the kids involved like… you know, having your daughter make 4 pounds of chocolate covered strawberries. Okay, that is a lot of strawberries but just an example of how to get everyone involved to make it more enjoyable.
Family Game Night
Leave a Reply