Skip to main content

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

10 classic board games that make ideal holiday gifts

Ask Santa for one of these classic board games to delight the family this holiday season

For a parent, there are few things as special as sharing a favorite family board game from their youth with their own children and creating a new generation of memories. These fun, family-friendly games provide a great way for any family to sit and enjoy each other’s company without any distractions.

Board games enjoyed something of a renaissance at the beginning of the pandemic when the country shut down and parents looked for ways to engage their children in interactive indoor activities that didn’t involve a screen. But don’t call it a comeback; classic board games have never gone away or lost their ability to unite all ages around the table for family game night.

Related Videos

Simple pleasures are the best, they say, so if you’re looking for a holiday gift for the household, consider these classic family board games that prove the old adage: The family that plays together stays together.

Candy Land board game

1. Candy Land

Introduced in 1949, Candy Land has been the gateway to family board games for generations of children. According to Hasbro’s website, it was created to entertain hospitalized children during the polio epidemic. Today, it’s still the sweetest game going, as players move their pieces through colorful landscapes such as Cupcake Commons, Lollypop Woods, and Chocolate Mountain. This game is great for pre-readers and counters, as cards dictate player movements with color blocks.

Chutes and Ladders board game

2. Chutes and Ladders

Never mind the Game of Life, no game prepares children for life’s ups and downs like Chutes and Ladders. The board game is divided into numbered squares from 1 to 100. The first to reach 100 wins, but it’s not that simple. Land at the bottom of a ladder and you get a shortcut toward the top; land at the top of a chute, and you may find yourself back where you started. Nothing is more exhilarating than landing on Box 28, whose ladder zooms you up to Box 84. Conversely, nothing is more deflating than landing on Box 87, whose chute drops you down to Box 24. All you can do is keep spinning the dial to advance. That’s a good life lesson right there.

Guess Who? board game

3. Guess Who?

A change of pace from here-to-there family board games, Guess Who? sharpen players’ deductive and observational skills. The object of the two-player game (family members can team up) is to guess the character on the opponent’s identity card. This is done by asking yes-or-no questions such as whether the character is male or female, has blonde hair, or wears a hat. Based on the answer, the guesser can eliminate candidates from the tray of 24 different characters.

Hungry Hungry Hippos game

4. Hungry Hungry Hippos

This one will get loud, but the fast-paced action is infectiously fun. Four hippos are situated around a circular game area. Each player is allotted five marbles. The marbles can be released one at a time or all at once, as players operate their hippo to frantically snap up as many marbles as they can. The player with the most marbles wins. You know, just like life.

Family playing Jenga together

5. Jenga

Introduced in 1983, this game of stacking and removal builds to a deliriously and delightfully suspenseful pitch. Once a Jenga tower of wooden blocks is stacked, players take turns removing one of the blocks and replacing it on top of the tower. The winner is the one who successfully removes a block without toppling the increasingly wobbly tower before it is eventually knocked over. Jenga cultivates a cool hand and nerves of steel.

Parents with children playing a board game

6. Monopoly

Monopoly is perhaps the most popular board game ever, with hundreds of themed versions available, ranging from Ghostbusters and Star Wars to Friends. There are even several Christmas versions. According to Smithsonian magazine, Monopoly’s origins date back to the turn of the century and artist Lizzie Magie, who invented the Landlord Game to teach about income inequality.

Since it was co-opted by an unemployed salesman named Charles Darrow in 1930, Monopoly has sold almost 300 million copies and been translated into 47 languages. Fun fact: Hasbro reportedly prints out $30 billion in Monopoly money annually. But fair warning, rounds of Monopoly often end in rancor against the holder of the most properties and money. Again, just like life.

Operation board game

7. Operation

Still silly after all these years, playing Operation can be a real cut-up. The patient, Cavity Sam, is afflicted with “funatomy” maladies from a funny bone and wrenched ankle to spare ribs. Using a pair of tweezers, each player has to perform a delicate piece of surgery; if they touch the side of Sam’s cavity, his nose lights up and a buzzer sounds. Operation can help develop hand-eye coordination, steely nerves, and confidence and may even point some young players toward a medical career…or dissuade them, depending on how many times they make that red nose light up. 

Perfection board game

8. Perfection

Dexterity, shape recognition, and memorization are the names of the game in this 1970s-era favorite in which players race against the clock to match 25 shape pieces to their corresponding holes before time runs out and the shapes tray pops up. Completing the tray in the fastest time wins, but for parents of younger children, the timer element can be eliminated to focus on the game’s more cognitive qualities.

Scrabble board game

9. Scrabble

If there were a Mount Rushmore of family board games, Scrabble would surely be included. This iconic word game builds vocabulary, tile by number-valued tile. Scrabble enhances math skills as well as an appreciation for vowels. It also helps to develop strategic thinking, from adding a precious “s” to a word to make it plural or building a word that blocks another player’s access to the double- or triple-word squares. There is a youth version available, but families can opt to not keep score and just focus on the fun of assembling a real-time crossword puzzle.

Woman and toddlers playing board game

10. Sorry

Approaching its 90th anniversary, Sorry is the ultimate “home” game as players navigate the board in a bid to be the first to get all their pieces to their home-safe space. What’s stopping them? The other players who can send them back to the start space. You’ll be surprised at the many line readings you get on the word, “Sorry.”

Whatever game is a family favorite, bring it out for family game night!

Editors' Recommendations

The best gifts under $20 for grandparents who have everything
Grandpa opening gifts with his grandkids.

Grandparents play such a special role in a child's life. Some grandparents live just around the corner and are able to spend a lot of quality time with their grandchildren while others aren't close by. Thanks to the magic of smartphones and social media sites, face-to-face chats help shorten that distance.

When the holidays roll around, it's a wonderful opportunity to give grandparents a noteworthy present. Sometimes finding just the right gift isn't as easy as it should be, however. How do you buy gifts for the grandparents who have everything? The key to finding the ideal gift for grandparents is to think small, because the most thoughtful gifts don't always come with the biggest price tag or in the largest packages. Here are the best gifts for grandparents under $20 that are guaranteed to warm their hearts.

Read more
5 classic toddler toys your child will remember forever
baby playing with toys

When looking back at your childhood, you probably remember the favorite toys that you played with. There must be nostalgic images of classic toys for babies in your memory bank, delightful playthings that had bestrewn your play mat as a toddler. The toys children play with when they’re younger can leave a lasting impression. Toys teach children valuable life lessons, like how to be creative, how to problem solve, and how to work as a team.

As parents, you want the best for your child, and you want them to look back at their childhood with fond memories -- many of which stem from the toys your child plays with. These five toys are the best for learning, having fun, and building lifelong memories.

Read more
7 fun 4th of July games the whole family can play
Looking for fun 4th of July ideas? Try these stellar activities
Two kids sitting in front of a U.S. flag

Many families mark the 4th of July holiday with backyard picnics and barbecues. Sometimes, relatives and friends come over, but usually, it can be a time for families to spend a bit of quality time together enjoying parades and fireworks. Having a fun menu of 4th of July games for the family is a fabulous way to spend this summertime holiday. These family activities also help make the time between that morning parade and the evening fireworks go a lot faster for excited little ones.

4th of July family games
Here are seven sizzling July 4th games the entire family will enjoy.
Cornhole
Cornhole is a game that will be played a great deal during the summer months and beyond. If you have a set, divide the family into teams for a spirited cornhole tournament. You can also make your own cornhole game by cutting holes in a cardboard box and using bean bags. If you've got little ones, improvise and have everyone toss bean bags — red, white, and blue, of course — into empty laundry baskets.
Patriotic balloon toss
Temperatures are always pretty toasty on the 4th of July, making a balloon toss a cool game. Fill up some red, white, and blue water balloons. Divide the participants into pairs and hand out the balloons. Players start close together, and every time each partner has an opportunity to catch a toss, take a step backward. The farther the distance, the higher the chance the water balloon will pop. If you have a pool, this is an exciting game to play in the water. (Be sure to make an extra batch of water balloons because a water-balloon fight is sure to break out at some point.)
Paddle balloon
Take paper plates and attach jumbo Popsicle sticks for handles using a glue gun. Allow to dry. (Kiddos can decorate the paper plates in patriotic colors beforehand.) Blow up red, white, or blue balloons. Family members can then pair off to play paddle ball or have a group game. You don't need a net to play paddle balloon doubles, but if you have a volleyball net on hand, it's a game, set, and match.
4th of July ring toss
All you need to play this game is three or four medium-sized American flags and three hula hoops. The object of the game is to take turns getting all three hula hoops over one of the flags. If you already have a ring toss game stashed in the garage, dust it off for some family-friendly backyard fun.
Red, white, and blue scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts are always a blast, and a 4th of July hunt should have a red, white, and blue theme. Gather the family up to hit the neighborhood for a July 4th scavenger hunt. If you have other families coming over, make it a competition to see which family completes the list first. Here are some patriotic scavenger hunt suggestions:

Read more