It’s Friday night, you want to get your kids off of those gosh-darned phones and spend some good old fashioned family time together. The solution? Read below for ten family friendly games sure to be a hit at your next family bonding game night.
10. Candyland
Get a sugar rush in this sweet race to find King Kandy in a classic children's game.
Engage your family in a race to the Candy Castle to find the elusive King Kandy. Players draw cards with colored squares, allowing them to move to the next spot on the board with the same color. Along the way there are pitfalls, like the Molasses Swamp, that players can be stuck in, or the chance that you draw a card that moves you backwards and away from the Castle.
The fun colored squares, addition of different characters (like the coveted Queen Frostine), and the unpredictability of the game squares make this a fun game for any family.
Choose This Game If...
- You’re playing with younger children; while fun, Candy Land can become a bit repetitive, and the design may be perceived as too childish if you have moody teenagers.
- You need a fun and fast game; Candy Land can progress quite quickly, especially if luck is on your side with the tiles you draw.
- Race-type games; Candy Land is a typical race-type game, wherein the goal is to simply get to the end the fastest. If you have the need for speed, Candy Land may be the game to bring your family together.
9. Monopoly
Find out who has what it takes to be a ruthless businessman in this capitalistic instigator.
The goal of Monopoly is to build a, well, monopoly, by buying, selling, and renting property. Players earn money by passing “Go”, and roll dice to move around the board. Players can also earn money through “rent” if another player lands on their property, or by selling cards, such as the coveted “Get Out of Jail Free” card.
Monopoly is infamous for family game nights of yelling, pulling hair in frustration, and flipping tables to ultimately end the game. This game guarantees a night of high stress, high reward, where you’ll walk away feeling closer to your family members.
Choose This Game If...
- You have older kids; when I was young, I could never get into Monopoly. The rules were confusing to me, I didn’t understand money very well, and I would get bored. Once I got a little older, however (more middle than elementary school), and had a better understanding of the rules, Monopoly became a family favorite.
- You like long games; if you want one game to monopolize (hah, get it?) your game night, Monopoly is sure to take up as much time as you need it to.
- Math; the banker has to deal with a lot of simple money counting math, which can be great for you if you’re a math geek, and a great way to trick your kids into engaging with math concepts in a fun environment.
8. Pretty Pretty Princess
Become the prettiest princess of them all - yes, I'm looking at you, Greg.
Pretty Pretty Princess is a turn based game. Players spin the wheel to determine what spot their character moves to. Players then can don the jewelry associated with the spot that they landed on. The goal is to be the first player to finish the game with a full set of jewelry (matching colors) and the crown.
While seemingly a very young, more “girly” game, Pretty Pretty Princess is a fun way for families to engage their children in the fantasy of being a princess (no matter the gender of your children!).
Choose This Game If...
- You have younger children; while I certainly enjoyed revisiting this game well into my middle school years with my sister and friends, it was definitely designed with smaller fingers in mind (those rings will get stuck on adult hands).
- You want something a little silly; the best part of the game is just having fun putting on the different pieces of jewelry and being able to declare yourself the prettiest princess in all the land.
- You want something simple; with easy to understand rules, Pretty Pretty Princess allows you to have fun without thinking too much about complicated rules or maneuvers.
7. Chutes and Ladders
Be careful not to slip. . .
Players take turns spinning a dial and moving their character the appropriate amount of spaces. Land at the bottom of a ladder, and you can climb it closer to victory. Land at the top of a chute, and you drop all the way to the bottom of the chute. The goal is to be the first to get from the number 1 space at the bottom, all the way to the number 100 space at the top.
Chutes and Ladders is a fairly simple game that introduces enough twists and turns to keep it interesting for the whole family. Besides, nothing says family bonding more than laughing at your sibling as they fall down a chute just seconds away from victory for the second time in a row.
Choose This Game If...
- You have good luck; Chutes and Ladders is very much a luck based game where the numbers you spin decide your fate.
- You have an average family size; Chutes and Ladders is designed for 2 - 4 players. If you’re part of a 5 person family like me, someone has to sit out, partner up, or you can organize a tournament.
- You need a quick game; Chutes and Ladders typically doesn’t last very long, although falling down more chutes will prolong your game time.
6. Apples to Apples
Find out who in the family has the humor to back their bite in this absurdity driven card game.
Apples to Apples is a card based game that relies on humor. Players take turns being the judge, and draw a green card with a prompt. The other players need to match a red card from their hand to the green card. The judge then blindly reads them, and awards their favorite the winner. The winner is given the green card, and the first player to amass the most green cards (8 if playing with four people, 7 if playing with five), wins.
This game is great for family laughs, and getting to know the humor of those in your family. Who knew little Jimmy was an absolute riot?
Choose This Game If...
- You want to play with a lot of people; whether you simply have a large family, or you’re inviting your in-laws, cousins, and nephews to come play with you, if you have a lot of people, Apples to Apples is very adaptable to crowds.
- You want a laugh; Apples to Apples is unique in that it is less about the competition and more about simply having fun and laughing with your family.
- You want something simple; Apples to Apples has simple rules, and you can really adjust the winning standards (how many green cards to win) to change how long or how short you’ll play the game.
5. Uno
Match cards and numbers while plotting the best use of those Draw 4 Cards - and remember, show no mercy to family.
Uno is a quintessential family game that is sure to liven up any family game night. Players are given a hand of seven cards, each card being one of four different colors. On your turn, you need to match the color or number of one of your cards to the card in the center. If you can’t, you have to pick up a card until you get one that matches. With a range of other “sabotage” cards like the Draw 4, Draw 2, Wild Card, and Reverse Card, Uno keeps players on their feet.
The goal is to get to zero cards first. Remember to say “Uno” when you have one card left, or be penalized!
This easy to understand, fast paced card game is great for engaging families of all ages.
Choose This Game If...
- You prefer card games; Uno does not have a board, which may appeal to families that are on vacation and don’t want to pack something bulky.
- You like betraying your family; Uno really makes even the best of friends turn on each other with countless Draw 4 and Reverse Card opportunities.
- You have a lot of people; just like Apples to Apples, Uno is an easy game to set up and play if you have a lot of people to entertain.
4. Chicken Foot
Making adorable little chicken feet is the name of the game in this domino classic.
Chicken Foot is a type of dominoes game. Players are given seven dominoes to have in their “hand” and the rest are placed face down on the table. The player with the highest double domino places it in the middle of the table (for the first round this should be the double 12’s, the second round would be 11’s, the third 10’s, and so on). Players then go clockwise, adding to the dominoes in the middle by matching same-numbered tiles. When a player puts down a double, they make a “chicken-foot” where they place the domino horizontally, and can create three branches off of it.
A round ends when a player has used up all of their tiles. Players then count up the numbers on their dominos, and that number becomes their score. There are twelve rounds total, and whoever has the lowest score at the end of the rounds wins!
Chicken Foot is a relatively easy to understand game with multiple rounds of redemption that make it fun for the whole family.
Choose This Game If...
- You like longer games; Chicken Foot can last a long time with multiple rounds and slower gameplay.
- You have older kids; this is a game we introduced in my family game nights when I was in high school, and my siblings in college. It was a great way to bring us together during times when we were usually apart.
- You like rounds and redemption; just like mini golf, winning Chicken Foot can really depend on each round, with no guarantees of the ultimate winner at the end.
3. The Game of Life
Live out fantasies and finally retire in this realistic game that'll make you say, "Well that's life".
In Life, players pick careers and make their way across the board, earning money from paydays and miscellaneous other life events, paying taxes, buying houses, starting a family, and finally retiring. Players have to manage their money carefully to determine which retirement home they will end up in. The player with the most money at the end is the winner!
Life is a great game for families as it allows children to think about careers, colleges, and mortgages, and for parents to live out the dreams of a life they would never live.
Choose This Game If...
- You like variable game play; During Life there are several opportunities where your career or house may change in the blink of an eye. Life keeps players on their toes and reminds them not to get too complacent in their economic status!
- You want to teach your children some life skills; Even without knowing what the stock market is or why a mortgage was necessary to buy a house, kids of all ages could enjoy playing Life - and pick up some life skills along the way.
- You like start-to-finish board games; In Life the ultimate goal is to make it to the end of the board with the most money. Every player gets the chance to make it to the end of the game and feel that sense of completion.
2. Sorry
Remember to say, "Sorry" as you send your sister's meeple back to home for the third time. She may not forgive you either way but at least you tried.
Sorry is a personal favorite. Players are designated one of four colors, with four different meeples. Draw cards to release your meeple from “start” and move across the board to make it to your safe “home”. You can split moves across multiple meeples, and if you land on a slider, slide down to the end of it. Be careful though - land on the same space as another player and knock them back to start! Whoever gets all of their pieces home first is the winner.
With the “Sorry” card giving players the ability to knock any player back to start, Sorry is an excellent game to bond families as they betray parents and siblings to get their pieces safely home.
Choose This Game If...
- You like strategy; pick carefully your alliances and who you betray in order to keep your pieces safe!
- You like engaging play; with fast rounds and turn-around, Sorry keeps your focus and attention on the game at all times!
- You like revenge; Sorry is advertised as “The Game of Sweet Revenge” for a reason. Your sister knocks you back to start? There’s sure to be an opportunity to get her back in another round.
1. Clue
Murder your siblings, accuse your parents, and find the killer in this classic murder mystery game.
In Clue, characters are brought together in a mansion for a dinner party, only to discover one of the guests has been murdered! By moving around the board and questioning their fellow party-goers, players begin to use social reasoning and process of elimination to determine who the killer is, where the crime occurred, and what the murder weapon is.
Clue is a great way to teach your children some deductive reasoning skills, while having fun trying to solve a mystery. This was always a personal childhood favorite, and never disappoints at a family game night.
Choose This Game If...
- You like mystery; if your family is into a bit of PG mystery fun, you’re sure to enjoy playing Clue together.
- Competition is the name of the game; from claiming your favorite character before your sibling does to aggressively trying to hide the clues you’ve managed to glean, Clue is an excellent choice for some family friendly competition.
- You have a range of ages; maybe you want to play with your sixteen year old daughter and seven year old niece. Clue has rules that can be understood across ages, and a game play that never really gets old.
