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Family Game Night: Recommended Family Games For Kids Of All Ages!

Family game night is a tradition we have in our family, every Friday night.

As the kids get older it gets even more fun, as they are able to play more and more games.

family game night


I encourage each of you to start a tradition of playing family games on a regular basis. Here's why:

Why You Should Consider Family Game Night For Your Family

1. You spend time together, talking, without the TV on.

2. It helps your children learn fundamental lessons of life, like taking turns and being a good winner and not a sore loser, along with fundamental educational skills like counting.

3. Building traditions in your home for your family will give your kids something fun to look forward to all week, but also great memories for years to come.

Suggestions For A Successful Family Party Games Night

Our family plays our kids' board games and other kids games after dinner and clean up on Friday nights.

Sometimes we have a snack and drinks to eat while we play, sometimes not.

We generally play on the floor, since it is easier for younger kids to play on a "team" when you are on the floor with them.

Older kids play for themselves, sometimes with a bit of help from Mom and Dad until they get the rules of the game, and strategy, in their minds.

Younger kids play as part of a team, as mentioned above, with either Mom or Dad, or with a older sibling. Make sure the younger child gets to actually participate, even if it is just moving the game piece, so they are involved.

Try to choose games that everyone will enjoy. If the game is boring for everyone but the youngest or oldest of the players, no one will enjoy it as much as they could otherwise.

Suggested Kids Games That Adults Enjoy Too

Ages 3 And Up

Candy Land
Candyland - one of the classic board games from our own childhood, it is still fun for the kids now. It can get a bit boring for adults after a while, but kids don't tire of getting to Kandy Kastle, and no reading is required. They just need to look at the cards with colors on them to know where to move next. You can make it more fun by making sure no picture cards that send someone back to the beginning get down in the bottom of the pile.

Click here for even more information about Candyland board game.


Hi Ho Cherry-O
Hi Ho Cherry-O - this is a great game for introducing kids to counting. Little kids love it, and the rules are simple for everyone to learn quickly. Just make sure you're careful not to lose those little cherries, they are very small (and also a choking hazard for smaller kids).

Click here for a cute video about Hi Ho Cherry-O.



Memory
Memory - this is one recommended for 3 and up. If you play it with 3-year-olds do yourself and them a favor and don't lay out all the cards at once. Instead, lay out just 20 or so because they cannot remember, at first, where all the cards are if all of them are laid out at once. This makes family game night fun, not stressful. Also, I know they have lots of different types of Memory games now, with Spiderman, and Dora, etc., but I prefer the original Memory. The reason is that each of the pictures is of something completely different. If you choose Dora Memory, for example, 3 years olds don't easily distinguish between Dora in a green shirt versus a red shirt, and they get frustrated.


Ages 4 And Up

Hungry Hungry Hippos
Hungry Hungry Hippos - this game is purely fun -- there is really no skill or strategy involved. The game can get loud (as can the kids playing it), so it is not ideal if there are smaller children asleep while family game night is going on, and you have to be careful of the small marbles, as they are choking hazards for smaller kids. But it can be a lot of fun as well.



Uno
Uno - This is a classic card game that almost anyone in the family loves to play. You can have lots of fun catching people when they don't say "Uno" too, which is one of the best parts of family game night for our family. I know I have this listed as 4 and up and the actual Uno game recommends 7 and up, but my four year old can play it just fine with us, now that he recognizes his numbers. You can also play this as a "team" if the younger kids don't feel comfortable playing alone yet.

Click here for some video tips about the Uno game.


Ages 5 And Up

Blokus
Blokus - this is one of the best kept secrets out there, as far as board games go, in my opinion. My kids love this game, and so do Mom and Dad. That is the best of all worlds when planning family game night. The object of the game is to get all your colored pieces onto the board, while blocking others from putting theirs on there. If you and your kids love puzzles (or the game Tetris), this is a great game for you. (Only four people can play at a time, unless you play teams.)

Click here for a video explaining how to play the Blokus game.


Trouble
Trouble - this is a fun little game for kids and adults that has simple rules and strategy. I think of it, and Sorry as basically the same game, in different forms (with Sorry being slightly more complicated). We have both in our house, but you can easily get by with one or the other.

You can learn more about the Sorry game here, and also the game of Sorry Sliders here.


Ages 7 And Up

Connect Four
Connect Four - My kids love this game, and so do we. It really just doesn't get old. The rules are quite simple -- connect four of your color disks in a row, and block the other person from doing the same, to win. There is a lot of strategy involved though, and you really have to pay attention, so it can be lots of fun. (Only 2 can play at a time -- in our family we have tournaments, with various rounds and an ultimate champion at the end of the family game night.)



Dominoes
Mexican Train Dominoes - My whole family loves this game -- in fact the adults in my family stay up every night of holiday gatherings playing until late into the night, even after the kids have gone to bed. Getting a quality domino set, with a nice holder for them, is a great investment because you can play lots of games with dominoes but Mexican Train Dominoes is really getting popular now. The object of that game is to get rid of all your dominoes by forming a line, or "train," from your own personal line or playing off someone else's when you can. It is not complicated, but its lots of fun and you can talk, joke and laugh while playing which is what our family enjoys the most.


After reading this list do you feel a game is missing? I'm always interested in more games to try, and potentially recommend. Please share your suggestions of more games for family game night, if your favorite has been left off, below.

You can also skip down and read the games already recommended by others.

family game night

Top photo courtesy of peddhapati


What Family Games Do You Recommend?

I've told you my family's favorites. What about your family's favorite games for family game night? What do you recommend, and why?

See Other Visitors Favorite Family Games

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Blokus Game - Recommended For Family Game Night 
I know I have already recommended the Blokus game for family game night , but I came across a great video explaining how the game is played that I …

Candyland Board Game - Young Kids Love It For Family Game Night Not rated yet
The first game on my list of recommended family games was the Candyland game . As I stated, the Candyland game is meant for some of the littlest …

Sorry Sliders - Play It With Your Kids! Not rated yet
Another fun game for family game night is Sorry Sliders . The game Sorry Sliders has actually nothing to do with the game Sorry , other than you …

Uno Game - Play It On Family Game Night Not rated yet
In my recommendations for games for family game nights I recommended the Uno game . Below is a video which explains the Uno rules and how to play …

Hi Ho Cherry-O - Cute Video Showing Why Kids Love This Game Not rated yet
Hi Ho Cherry-O was one of my son's favorite games when he was little. He has basically outgrown it now, but it really helped with his counting …

Play Chinese Checkers With Your Kids On Family Game Night Not rated yet
I remember when I was a kid I used to play Chinese Checkers with my Mom all the time. It was a lot of fun, although it doesn't actually involve checkers, …

Go Fish Card Game - Recommended For Family Game Night Not rated yet
The Go Fish Card Game is another game that you and your family can play, even with very young kids. I know my family starts playing Go Fish with …

Checkers Board Games - Great For Family Fun Not rated yet
Checkers board games are games I recommend you should always keep in your home, because the game of checkers is fun for kids of almost all ages, and …

Twister Game - Recommended For Family Game Night Not rated yet
I thought of another game I would recommend for family game night , and that is Twister . Twister can be a game which is fun for all (limber) family …

Aquarius - Recommended Game For Family Game Night Not rated yet
Becca has recommended Aquarius as a game for family game night. She says: Aquarius is a picture-matching game similar to dominoes but with the …

Sorry - Game Recommended For Family Game Night Not rated yet
Terry made a recommendation for family game night. She says: Sorry is simple enough for little kids, but interesting enough for grown ups. We always …

Parcheesi - Recommended For Family Game Night Not rated yet
In response to my question of "what games do you recommend for family game night?" , Cheryl from Somewhat Crunchy said: Parcheesi - It's just …

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