Other than everyone staring at their personal screens or staring together at the largest screen in the home, what else are you going to do to get the family together? While cleaning the house might be a tempting answer for the parents, having a collection of family board games on hand is the right answer. Make memories, have a few laughs, and see who will come out on top in a battle of kids versus parents when you have a family board game night.
Classics never go out of style
Let’s start with old-school options, which will stick around for the foreseeable future and beyond.
Guess Who?
There is no age limit to Guess Who?, which is great if you have an age range in your family. While only two people can play at a time, you could turn it into a tournament to rotate everyone in. This is a great thinking game, as parents need to break the questions down for a small child to understand but have to work to ask more difficult questions to their older kids.
Sorry
Once everyone has aged out of Trouble, Sorry is the next step. Like a grown-up version of Chutes and Ladders, Sorry is better for larger families since up to four people can play at a time. Parents, don’t go easy on the kids, because they will not pass up a chance to send you back to start.
Monopoly
There’s nothing like watching a family lose it during a game of Monopoly. But the fun thing about the game these days is all the editions it comes in. Have a family that loves Super Mario? They have that. Have kids obsessed with video games? Grab the Fortnite Monopoly. You aren’t really a family until you’ve survived a game of Monopoly.
Battleship
Another classic that has so many variations now is Battleship. The electronic version with sound effects and voice command is a hit with the kids — and keeps everyone from cheating — but the classic version is still a good time. No matter your age, there’s nothing like hearing the phrase, “You sunk my battleship!”
Clue
Another oldie but goodie that needs to be a staple in every house is Clue. Put everyone’s strategy skills to the test to figure out whodunit and see if the parents will figure it out faster than the kids. From Harry Potter to Disney, there is an edition for every family to keep this game fresh.
UNO
Only the toughest families play UNO and get out in one piece. This card game teaches kids strategy and if they want to be nice to their siblings in the next round. UNO is always a battle between the parents wanting to go easy on the kids, and the kids showing no mercy in throwing a +4 on the parents.
Oregon Trail
What child doesn’t love trying to survive dysentery? The Oregon Trail game has made a huge comeback in recent years, so parents who grew up playing the game on floppy disks on the computer are reliving their childhood in the best way.
More modern games
These may be unfamiliar to some parents, but they will learn, and the family will enjoy.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is such a fun game for all ages. It teaches kids to be patient while waiting their turn and works on memory for what action to take for certain cards. Plus, this game is just hilarious to play. We love a game that doesn’t have a lot of pieces and rules but still allows the whole family to play together.
Exploding Kittens
Any variation from the Exploding Kittens people is a must-have. The Russian roulette-style game has cool graphics and silly actions to keep everyone entertained. Parents will love the fact the editions can either be combined together or kept separate to create more ways to play the game.
What Do You Meme? – Family Edition
Have kids that live and breathe memes? What Do You Meme? would be a great addition to your family game night. You’ll get to see what kind of humor your kids have, and the kids will get to tell you how not funny your cards are, but at least everyone will get to bond. Just make sure you grab the family edition so there aren’t any oopsies.
Cards Against Humanity – Family Edition
If you have older kids, Cards Against Humanity takes game night to another level. This game turns interesting when you let your kids get weird and silly and throw down cards that might make you rethink what they watch on television. As long as you get the family edition, it will be a clean, fun family game night.
There’s nothing like making a ton of snacks, turning the TV off, putting music on, and having a whole night of playing family board games together. You will love thinking back on those evenings when the kids are grown, and the kids may not admit it, but they will cherish them, as well. Go old school or try something new — but get everyone excited for a weekly family board game night.
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