Who says night games are no longer good for adults? Fun night games are not exclusive to kids as even adults can also join and have fun with the kids. Our choices for night games seem to be limitless, right from board games to electronic games. All of them will provide every member with hours of non-stop fun.
Everybody in the family can join these games. Grandpa, grandma, aunts, and uncles can join the parents with the kids for a night full of fun and laughter. In this post, I will be sharing with you some of the best night games you should try today. If you are planning for a simple get-together the next weekend or everyone will be at home tonight, these games are a must-try. Also, I will be sharing some ideas on the foods that everyone can eat while playing.
Fun Night Games for Families with Toddlers and Preschoolers
Your young kids may refuse playing table games at first. So, just wait until the kids are ready. Some of these games may get boring too soon, so get ready by having two or more games for your younger kids. If your family falls under this category, then the following are the night games you must consider.
1. Candyland
Candyland is a classic game played by very young kids. The game doesn’t require the kids to read. Preschoolers learn colors on how they can match them. Also, the game is teaching and helping them develop their abilities to count. For this game, the players will pick a car and move to space with the corresponding colors. This game can be boring for older kids, but it will be so much fun for younger kids.
2. Cranium Hullabaloo
This game is highly suitable for the kids ages 4 years old and beyond. However, there are times that even a 4-year old boy or girl is not yet ready for the game. What you can do is pair them with an older brother or sister. In this game, the players will bounce, turn, and jump between the colorful pads and listen carefully to the succeeding directions from the talking console.
3. Memory
The memory games are so easy to adjust based on the attention span and age of kids. You may change the number of card pairs required to match the young kids. Likewise, some games may use numbers and letters. This will be a great reinforcement for kids who are still in the process of learning and recognizing letters and numbers. You can use themes for this game for more fun. Be careful as kids may be good at it and even defeat the adults. It makes it an exceptional option for a family fun night. You can replace memory with a more challenging game.
Fun Night Games for Families with Kids Ages 7 and Up
The choice of game for your entire family does not depend on the ages of the kids but their emotional and mental maturity. When you start playing games with the, be ready when one of the kids likes to go first, tries to look at the cards of other players, or cries when he loses.
Some kids don’t feel bad if they lose, but losing can be initially traumatizing for some. Also, part of playing with the kids is teaching them to develop their social skills like being able to accept losing, taking turns, and even sharing. Explain all the rules to them carefully and be sure that everyone follows those rules. Also, be patient if a child shows wrong gaming behaviors. Explain to the child how he should behave and be sure you show him physically what you’re telling him.
The games listed below are great for mature preschoolers and kindergartens. Also, these games can be played with school-age kids, tweens, and teenagers.
1. Monopoly
This game is suitable for kids ages 8 years old and beyond. It can be played for 2 to 8 players. This game comes with good educational value because it reinforces counting. At the same time, it teaches the kids money denominations. This game comes in multiple versions like the classic Monopoly. Aside from that, it has the so-called Here and Now edition which has airports, not railroads. This edition comes with properties like Fenway Park and Times Square. Younger kids will enjoy the Monopoly Disney Pixar Edition.
2. Lego Creationary
In this game, the players will rotate the Lego Creationary dice and pick 1 of the 4 building classifications – vehicles, nature, things, and buildings. The game has up to 3 difficulty levels, allowing every player to show his building skills while others guess what he is creating. Though the game is for players 7 years old and older, each age group finds it challenging but fun.
Lego also comes with small games that are ideal for traveling. These small games are based on famous TV shows and movies. One of these is the Shaun the Sheep that challenges the players in creating their sheep while others try to crop it. The player who used most Legos when the game ends will be the winner.
3. Apples to Apples
This card game is good for a maximum of 4 players. It involves outrageous comparisons of events, people, things, and places. You may buy various versions for various age groups and booster card packs. This game comes with 2 card sets, which are the green and red apple cards. Players pick a red apple card they think will be the perfect match to the played green apple card. They hope the persons who play the green card will pick their cards.
The judge reads the green card, which is the fun part of the game. If there are younger kids in the family, I’m recommending the Apples to Apples Junior.
4. Spades
If you want a card game good for 4 persons, then you will never go wrong with this. My family likes this game as it can be played with a partner that usually makes the game more exciting.
5. Charades
You will never go wrong with classic games like charades. For this game, you just need to divide the family members into 2 groups and have a person from every team act out a book, movie, or TV show to see who could get the right answer. It is a nice game for introverts who like to be less shy.
6. Egyptian War
It is an all-time favorite card game. This may take up to 5 minutes to as long as 5 hours based on the game’s course and players’ aggressiveness.
7. Racko Card Game
Racko is a 30-minute card game that brings fun and thrill throughout. Kids who can count up to 50 and know the order of numbers can join the game. It consists of 50 Racko cards, trays for the cards, and racks for every player. 2 to 4 kids will play and compete. They need to fill the racks with cards and arrange their cards from the lowest to highest. The first one to finish should shout “Racko!” and wins the game.
8. Bananagrams
This game has been inspired by scrabble. It is a perfect game option for 2 to 4 kids ages 7 and above. Here, the players will draw letter ties then build off the played words. The tiles will zip up in the banana pouch. Since it does not require a game board, the game can be played anytime and anywhere.
9. Yahtzee Jr.
In this game, the kids are using photos instead of the numbers on dices. Although the game is ideal for very young kids, both older kids and adults will still find it fun and full of thrill. This game is available in different versions such as the Disney edition and Animal Yahtzee. This game prepares the kids for playing the traditional edition as they grow older.
Fun Night Games for Tweens and Teenagers
Getting teenagers entertained is not easy. The games below require debate and strategy to keep teens interested from the beginning to the end.
1. Catch Phrase
This electric game gives hours of nonstop fun for the entire family. The goal of a player in this game will be getting his team saying the word or phrases shown on the disc with the help of the provided clues. The clues can’t include physical gestures, rhyming words, first letters of the words, the number of syllables, etc. When the team members get the correct answer, the other team will play.
The game will continue until the time is up. The group that is not holding a disc when the time is up will get a point. Also, they will get a chance to guess the answer after the team members played. If they get the right answer, they will earn a bonus point. The team that earns 7 points first will be the winner.
2. Sequence
This is a combination of card and board games. The board will show the cards excluding the Jacks of 2 standard decks consisting of 52 cards. The cards will be laid out in the 10 x 10 pattern. The board’s 4 corners will be free spaces and count for the players. Everybody will compete to form columns, diagonals, or rows of 5 linked checkers on the cards laid on the board.
The 2-eyed Jacks are wild, and the 1-eyed Jacks will eliminate the opponent’s checker. The game will end when one of the players reached a specific count of connections. This game is good for 2 to 3 players. It can also be played by a team consisting of kids and adults if there are 4 to 12 players.
3. Clue
This is a classic mystery game that requires strategy and focus. Thus, it is suitable for older players. Here, the players will be moving from one room to another inside the house to find the truth about the murderer and the victims. The players will move to the room after they accused a character as they say the crime occurred with a weapon in that room.
The player on the left will reveal one of the cards the accuser guessed when that card is the hand of that player. With deductive reason, the players should find out which weapon, character, and location are included in the confidential file. The first player who guessed correctly is the winner. This game comes in different variations like junior edition and Harry Potter.
4. Puzzles
Puzzles are great alternatives to playing games. It gives you a great chance to catch up and talk to friends or family instead of just tackling what is happening in this game.
Foods to Serve in a Family Game Night
Playing these games is incomplete without food. You may even want to have an ordinary supper while playing. Pick those easy-to-prepare foods that the family can prepare at home. Choose any of these meals for a more enjoyable game night:
- A tray of cheeses and meats with condiments and bread
- Pre-made vegetable platter and different dips.
- Popcorns
- A bowl of nuts, pretzels, and healthy chips
- Pre-cut fruits
- Homemade veggie chicken or beef noodle soup or chili served with delicious oyster crackers
- Serve a quick-easy dessert like cupcakes and cookies or ice cream cones
Conclusion
With these fun night games for families, I can help every family bond and build healthier and happier relationships with each member. The family that plays together, stays together. Playing is important not just for kids but even for adults as it offers tons of benefits to the social, physical, psychological, and emotional aspects of a person’s life.
I hope these ideas I gave will help you plan a wonderful night of games for the entire family. If you like this post, please don’t hesitate to share it with your friends. You can also share your thoughts by writing it down in the comment section below. Also, please encourage your friends and colleagues to share this post on their Facebook or Twitter accounts.