It is shortly after dinner on a Friday night. When most teens reach for social media, toddlers protest baths, and grown-ups just want a moment of quiet between sundown and bedtime; there is a bonding opportunity. One way to bring everyone together is with a Family Game Night.

Some Games Appeal To All Ages

There are games that pique the interest of every member of the household. Classics like charades give each person the creativity to choose what they want the rest of the family to figure out. Hide and Go Seek is another classic that gets everyone moving around, and if the weather is nice, you can use your outdoor space as well. A key to a successful game night is variety. Some family members are great with words and phrases, and others are better with numbers and strategy. To keep everyone interested, you will want to organize different games, so everyone stays interested and excited.

Some Family Fun

While classics like Hide and Go Seek and Charades are always a terrific choice, here are a few twists on classic themes to try with your family:

1. Indoor Hopscotch: When it is dark outside or the weather is not cooperating, you can quickly move this game inside, and the children may just have the edge over the parents! Using painter’s tape or any other colored tape that is safe for flooring, create a ten-square hopscotch board right on your floor. Each play then searches for the perfect ‘place-holder.’ Decide in advance if you want to use the ‘Butterfingers’ rule or not.
2. Here is a fun twist on the original “Telephone” children’s game. Sit in a circle or around a table. One person starts by whispering a phrase into the ear of the person sitting to the right. The phrase could be anything as innocuous as “The cat caught a mouse” or something outrageous like “The elephant climbed the ladder to steal the King’s crown.” The illustrator then moves the picture to the right, and that family member has to decide what is happening. They then whisper into the ear of the person to their right with a description of the illustration. This pattern continues until the report reaches the family member who thought of the original phrase or sentence.
3. Another great game that requires little to no equipment is Spit It Out! In just five seconds, each player has to pull a topic out of a bowl and name three items that correspond to that topic. The trick is that each player has only five seconds to complete the task. Topics include streets in our town, cities in our state, fruits in our refrigerator, books on our shelves, shops on our Main Street, etc.

Plan A Grand Finale

The best ending to any game night is modeling how to win, how to lose, and that the goal was to have fun. So don’t forget to thank your children for joining you. Model dignity grace in both victory and defeat, and then enjoy a treat together–like hot cocoa or a dish of ice cream. That will make it a Family Game Night to remember!