Despite the fact that everyone seems fascinated by technology these days, sales of board games are growing every year.
It seems some families are looking for a way to put down the screens and get back to the basics. But if it's been a while since you've played any board games, you may have no idea what to buy.
Read on to learn how to have the best family game night that leaves your family eager for the next one.
1. A Good Old-Fashioned Game of Rummy
Rummy is a classic card game where you try to get three of a kind or three cards in a row of the same suit so you can put them down on the table and "go out".
But the exciting part about rummy is that going out doesn't mean you won. Depending on what cards the other person has played and what cards they have left in their hand, you may end up ending the game too early.
Rummy is great because you can keep a running score of your game and always pick up where you left off. As your game nights continue, the numbers will rise to outlandish levels.
2. Poker Night
Poker night is fun because you can use it as an opportunity to teach your children about risk and rewards as well as how to read people.
If your kids are older, it's fun to play with coins so that your kids can learn how to count money and make change.
But if you have young children, don't make the game feel like gambling by playing with coins. Start them off with different types of pasta noodles for a more wholesome approach. You can even use little treats like M&Ms or fruit snacks to make their winnings a sweet treat at the end of the game.
3. Uno for Family Game Night
Uno is a fun game because, despite the fact that there are rules included with the deck, everyone seems to play by different ones. The game gives you the opportunity to enact your own "house rules" making it uniquely yours.
Uno is also fun because you can mess up the people around you by playing skip, draw two, draw four, or reverse cards. Alliances will be made, cards will be gained, and the fun will go on for hours.
4. Monopoly
In real life, you have to stress about things like bad credit loans so you would think when it came to game night that you wouldn't want to deal with money.
But Monopoly is one of the most classic games out there. People love trying to create their own empire and collect the most money.
Monopoly is fun because unlike many other board games, this game involves a lot of strategies. While your rolls of the dice are left to chance, what you do once you land on a square is your choice alone.
5. Scrabble
Scrabble is a great game to play with your kids because it gives you the opportunity to teach them about spelling and see how their vocabulary is developing.
But the real fun with Scrabble comes after the kids have gone to bed. It is one of the best games to play against your significant other if you both are high-achievers. It really brings out a fun level of competition and you will have respect for your partner's ability to make unique words, as well as your own ingenuity.
6. Life
Life is a fun game because it allows you to think about a fictional life for yourself. You start by choosing whether or not you want to go to college and then along the way you choose a career path and a house. The options you have for these choices are all based on how well you did with previous choices, kinda like in real life.
For extra fun, try to locate the classic version of Life. The rules are a little different and the game has more of a gambling feel to it, rather than feeling like a series of choices and luck. But be warned, the classic version feels a lot like reality and if you're not doing well, you probably won't enjoy it very much.
7. Manhunt
Family game night doesn't have to mean staying inside. Kids should play an hour a day and if they are in school for eight hours, they will have a lot of pent up energy when they get home.
If you're having dinner and your kids just can't seem to sit still and eat, then head outside for a rousing game of Manhunt.
Manhunt is basically a version of hide and go seek, combined with tag. But instead of one person looking for everyone, which can be frustrating and lonely, you split up into two teams.
Each team has an established base such as a tree or a mailbox that marks them "safe". Getting to this base is the goal of the game.
Before you start, you need to define what area is in bounds so you don't spend all day looking for someone. Then, everyone goes to hide on the opposite side of the area from where their team's base is.
Once everyone is hidden the game begins. Often teams leave one person to tag people out as they try to make it to their base while they send everyone else forward to try to reach their home base. Each person who makes it without being tagged is another point.
8. Kickball
You may need to borrow some neighbors for this one. But if you ever played kickball in school, you know how much fun you can have with this activity.
Kickball is great because it's accessible and you can tailor it so that everyone can play. If you're playing with a younger kid, the pitcher can use a bigger ball or come closer.
9. Build a Fort
If you've never built a blanket fort, you have no idea what you're missing out on. There is something about the security that you feel having blankets for walls and pillows all around you that fills you with joy and calm.
Consider bringing one of your board game in the tent for extra fun. Or use it as a space to do arts and crafts!
10. American Idol
One of the most creative games you can play is setting up your own version of American Idol. You can split up your family into teams of two and rehearse a song to play for the other team.
Get out the dress up clothes and take your game to the next level with a karaoke machine or just a hairbrush if that's all you have. Your kids will have so much fun pretending to be their favorite pop stars.
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Family game night is all about getting everyone together to have a good time, get a little creative, and potentially learn something. If you choose the right games, then game night will quickly becomes one of your family's favorite nights of the week.
For more tips for fun ideas to do with your kids, check out our family-friendly recipe blog today.