There are many ways to play The Sims. You can reach stardom and live it up as a celebrity, travel to distant lands (and other planets!), or break hearts as a Serial Romantic or Villainous Valentine. In-game scenarios and fanmade challenges offer even more options for fun.
Sometimes, though, you've got to go back to the basics. The Sims was created to be a life simulation game—somewhere between "virtual dollhouse" and "cynical simulation of trying to move up in a capitalist economy". The cynicism was left behind after the first game, but beneath all the trappings of fantasy and adventure, The Sims remains a virtual dollhouse at its core.
What better way to play with a virtual dollhouse than to play with a virtual family? Family gameplay, which focuses mainly on family life and relationships, is a staple style of gameplay. Thanks to the versatility of The Sims 4, it can be adapted to fit every player's interests: you can live out your ideal life with your dream partner and family or create messy dramas, stick with one timeless family or play through generations of a legacy, or play with one household or take turns playing members of a large extended family.
You don't need mods to play in this classic style, but there's no denying mods make any game better. Today, we'll look at some of the best Sims 4 mods for family gameplay.
20. More Traits in CAS
Mod showcase: More Traits in CAS. Start at 1:26.
Are three traits enough to give a Sim personality? I think so… but I can't say the same about the single trait kids get. Luckily, thepancake1 and MizoreYukii created More Traits in CAS so Sims of all ages can have rounded personalities.
This mod adds two extra trait slots in Create-A-Sim, letting Sims have three traits in childhood up to five in adulthood. Infants aren't affected, but toddlers do get a second trait!
How it makes family gameplay fun:
Now, kids can finally have proper personalities! Gone are the days when "Vegetarian" or "Lactose Intolerant" is a child's entire personality (apparently, EA didn't get the memo that dietary restrictions aren't personality traits). Since you can't have a family without kids, this mod is a must-have for all Sim families.
More Traits in CAS key features:
- Extra trait slots for Sims aged Toddler and above
Get More Traits in CAS here.
19. Custom Content
This Heart Patterned Bath Seat is perfect for baby's bathtime.
Custom content (CC for short) is content for Create-A-Sim or Build Mode that's made by players. This includes things like clothes, hairstyles, furniture, and decor. The amount out there is seemingly endless, so there are no limits when it comes to customizing your Sims and homes!
How it makes family gameplay fun:
The Sims 4 has tons of options for customizing Teen and older Sims. Sadly, the same can't be said for the kiddos. Infants and toddlers are especially lacking in the style department.
If you're ready to stop dressing your little ones in the same few outfits, you need some custom content. CC creators have made tons of content for infants, toddlers, and children, so their wardrobes—and their rooms—can have just as much variety as their parents'.
Custom Content key features:
- New CAS items
- New Build/Buy items
Where to get it:
The Sims Resource and Mod the Sims are the main sites for finding custom content. Both let you filter by age and gender, making it easier to find the right items for your Sim kids. Many CC creators host their content on their own sites or blogs instead, so check out SnootySims' searchable catalog of over 100,000 CC finds here.
18. Control Any Sim
How to control any Sim effortlessly.
The name probably gives this one away, but TitanNano's Control Any Sim mod lets you control any Sim. Households be darned, now you can control any Sim in the world, whether they live with you or not.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
If you play legacy families or just love making big families in Create-A-Sim, your Sims probably have relatives they don't live with. Normally, you have two options for what to do with extended family: 1) take turns playing each household, or 2) give up control and leave all their actions and life decisions up to chance.
Control Any Sim lets you take a third option: play as everyone! It allows you to take and give up control of any Sim at any time while still playing your main household, so you can take control of relatives when they come to visit or even play multiple households at once.
Control Any Sim key features:
- Control any Sim in the world
- Turn household members into NPCs (useful for managing large households!)
Get Control Any Sim here. (Be warned: This mod has been buggy since the For Rent patch, so use it at your own risk. My recommendation? Hold off for now and watch that page for an update.)
17. Toddler Creativity Pack
Toddler Creativity Pack mod review.
Is this next mod adorable or what? The Toddler Creativity Pack by PandaSama contains four brand-new toddler items: stacking rings, a xylophone, a drawing pad, and an activity table.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
How come toddlers don't have these things already? It's about time toddlers get some creative items, and, come on, what toddler nursery is complete without stacking rings?
These items are pretty useful, too! All of them help build toddlers' skills, and your little artists can play with their crafts and display their art on the walls. They can create with a sibling, parent, or friend as well as alone.
Toddler Creativity Pack key features:
- Four functional toys and activities
- Several new crafts and drawings, unique to toddlers
- Seamless new animations
Get the Toddler Creativity Pack here.
16. Toddler Stuff Mod Pack
Sims 4 Toddler bedroom mod pack (Toddler Stuff mod pack)
PandaSama has a LOT of stuff for toddlers. Not to be confused with the official Toddler Stuff Pack, PandaSama's Toddler Stuff Mod Pack is another set of must-have items: a rocking horse, sleeping mat, swing chair, and basketball hoop. The sleeping mat and basketball hoop are made specially for toddlers, while Sims of all ages can enjoy the rocking horse and swing chair.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
All of these items are perfect for decorating your toddler's bedroom or playroom, not to mention they're fully functional. The most fun of all is the toddler basketball hoop. Not only does it build the Movement skill, but you can watch your little ones go from fumbling around to future NBA All-Stars as their skill increases.
Toddler Stuff Mod Pack key features:
- Four new functional items for toddlers
- New, detailed animations
Get the Toddler Stuff Mod Pack here.
15. Call A Babysitter
For when you don't want a random NPC watching the kids.
Need someone to watch the kids? Call A Babysitter with LittleMsSam ensures your children are always in good hands, even when the parents are busy.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
The difference between this mod's babysitters and the nannies that come with the game is that Call A Babysitter lets you choose who watches the kids. Instead of relying on a stranger, you can ask a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or family friend to look after the kids. Babysitters behave like regular nannies and can even be controlled directly if you have the Control Any Sim mod (#18 on this list).
Call A Babysitter key features:
- Hire friends or relatives to babysit
Get Call A Babysitter here.
14. Chores
Set up chores for your Sims (mod review).
No one likes doing chores, but what simulation of family life is complete without them? The next mod by LittleMsSam adds a household cleaning schedule to Parenthood's Family Bulletin Board. You can set up the schedule however you like, and even the kids can clean.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
Kids and teens are expected to help around the house in many real families, so why not give them the same responsibility in the Sims? You can have perfect, responsible angels who do their part without complaint, or you can make your less obedient kids complain and argue.
Of course, you could just use this as a free alternative to maid service, since Sims clean autonomously during their shift unless you tell them not to.
Chores key features:
- Household cleaning schedule
- Sims clean autonomously when it's their turn
Get Chores here. Don't have Parenthood? The same page has an addon that lets you use the board from Discover University instead.
13. Live In Business
Live In Business mod review.
There are a variety of businesses you can own in The Sims 4, but managing a business and raising a family at the same time can be tricky. If you want to make money, you have to actively be playing as your shopkeeper, restaurateur, or veterinarian—so, unless you work strictly during school hours, you've got to sacrifice precious time with the family. Or make them all join you at work, I guess.
LittleMsSam's Live In Business mod lets you balance work and family life. As the name implies, it gives you the option to run a business right from your own home. It also adds new business types, including a daycare for those of you who can't get enough of toddlers.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
While your Sims might still struggle to balance work and family time, you as the player don't have to! Now you can run your bookshop and play the rest of the family at the same time, without forcing family members to either work or awkwardly hang out. Plus, what Family-Oriented Sim doesn't want to run an at-home daycare?
Live In Business key features:
- Businesses that work on residential lots
- Immersive, base game compatible business gameplay
- New ownable businesses
Get Live In Business here. LittleMsSam has a bunch more mods great for family gameplay, so check out her other mods here.
12. LGBTQIA+ / Gender & Orientation Overhaul Mod
The base game options don't always cut it.
If you rejoiced when the custom gender, pride flag, and pronoun updates came out (no pun intended), you'll love Lumpinou's LGBTQIA+ mod. This mod adds more genders and orientations, as well as new traits, social interactions, coming out, and gender transition.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
LGBTQIA+ or questioning Sims can come out to friends and family, who can react in different ways. They'll also react to certain choices, like a transgender Sim dressing differently or choosing a new name. The best part is that you choose how family members respond, so you can create heartwarming coming out stories or be the reason your kid needs therapy (see #5 on this list).
LGBTQIA+ / Gender & Orientation Overhaul Mod key features:
- More gender identities & orientations
- Discover identity/orientation through gameplay
- Coming out (and friends' and family's reactions)
- In-game gender transition
- New Sim and lot traits
Find out more on the official mod page. Interested? Get the mod here.
11. Sims 4 Multiplayer Mod (S4MP)
How (not) to play Sims 4 with multiplayer.
If you're looking for a new way to play, look no further than the Sims 4 Multiplayer Mod. This groundbreaking mod lets you and your friends play The Sims 4 cooperatively (or competitively, if that's your thing). Playing together is as simple as downloading a mod and connecting to a server.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
If the Sims is a virtual dollhouse, S4MP is playing house. You and your friends will live together under one roof, each playing as a different family member. It's a total game-changer, so if you've got friends who play the Sims, why not convince them to give it a try?
A word of advice, you might not want to adopt random toddlers and shove all the responsibility of raising them onto your friends. That's a quick way to lose IRL friends.
Sims 4 Multiplayer Mod key features:
- Online multiplayer
Get the Sims 4 Multiplayer Mod here.
10. Life Manager
Life Manager mod overview.
Do you love tracking your Sims' family trees? Does it disappoint you when the townies you marry have no ancestry of their own? Thanks to Sacrificial's Life Manager, every Sim can have a family tree, even legacy founders and random townies.
The mod's main feature is its family tree generator, which makes a family tree going back five generations from any Sim you choose. That's all the way back to great-great-great grandparents!
How it makes family gameplay fun:
Not only does Life Manager make family trees for your parent-less Sims, it even adds the relatives it generates into the game! Not everyone will be alive, of course, but it will at least give the Sim in question parents, if not grandparents. Now everyone who marries into the family will bring in-laws, and your family tree will never be dull!
Life Manager key features:
- Family tree generator
- Generated relatives appear in the world
- Various cheats
Get Life Manager here.
A quick but important disclaimer: Scarlet's Mod List lists Sacrificial's mods as "confirmed broken and/or use at your own risk." As far as I can tell, the family tree generator works fine, but some of the cheats are spotty. As with all mods, use caution and back up your save files before installing.
9. Stay-at-Home Parent Career and Aspiration
$550 an hour would make me reconsider not having kids.
Raising kids is a full-time job. That's why KiaraSims4Mods created the Stay-at-Home Parent career, a work-from-home job that officially turns parenting into your Sim's career.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
The job responsibilities are exactly what you would expect: domestic tasks, socializing with family, and working on the Parenting skill. So what sets this career apart from ordinary stay-at-home parenting? Stay-at-Home Parents get a stipend of §550/week—who can turn down free money?
Kiara also has a Stay-at-Home Parent aspiration, ideal for parents who aren't overachieving Super Parents but don't want a Big Happy Family either (two kids are enough, thank you!).
Stay-at-Home Parent Career and Aspiration key features:
- "Career" that provides a stipend to stay-at-home parents
- New parenting aspiration
Get the Stay-at-Home Parent career here and the aspiration here.
8. Child Birth Mod
Throwing a gender reveal party with PandaSama's Child Birth Mod.
There are a number of ways prospective Sim parents can expand the family. Adoption, science babies, playing with genetics in Create-A-Sim… Of course, there's always the old-fashioned way: Try for Baby, wait three days, then spin around in front of a bassinet to magically teleport your child out of the womb.
Wait, that's weird. But PandaSama's Child Birth Mod makes childbirth and everything surrounding it a little more realistic. Actually, a lot more realistic.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
Before kids comes pregnancy, and that's where this mod starts. It adds new features to pregnancy, including ultrasound scans you can show off to friends and family and even exciting gender reveal parties!
The main focus, though, is when it's time for baby to come. It brings enhancements to hospital and at-home births: a more involved birth process, multiple birth methods (don't worry, everything's censored), even a risk of emergency complications. Fans of Call the Midwife (like myself) will be thrilled to know the mod comes with a midwife NPC and a cheat to trigger emergencies for maximum drama.
Child Birth Mod key features:
- More pregnancy features, such as ultrasound scans
- Gender reveal parties
- Childbirth overhaul and new birth methods
- Breastfeeding overhaul
Get the Child Birth Mod here.
7. Faerie Baby Mod
Now with 100% less changelings!
Childbirth not for you? Sims who don't want to (or can't) make a baby "as nature intended" have a new option, thanks to Sims modder Naunakht. For the price of 1,200 Simoleons and a lock of hair, the Woodland Goddess will grant any Sim or couple a newborn child.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
Science babies are cool, but they feel really out of place in some saves. The Faerie Baby Mod solves this by swapping science for magic, so even Sims in fantasy and medieval worlds can experience the joy and wonder of science (er, faerie) babies.
Faerie babies work just like science babies: they arrive after a short rabbithole trip and inherit their parent or parents' genetics. And, no, you won't end up with a changeling. The Woodland Goddess is a benevolent faerie.
Faerie Baby Mod key features:
- Replaces "Have a Science Baby" with "Procure a Baby from the Fae"
Get the Faerie Baby Mod here.
6. Relationship & Pregnancy Overhaul (RPO) Collection
Relationship & Pregnancy Overhaul mod review. Start at 3:55.
Lumpinou's Relationship & Pregnancy Overhaul (previously called WooHoo Wellness) is a HUGE collection of mods that deal with pregnancy, relationships, and family drama. It contains a whopping 19 mods that work alone or as a set, so you can pick and choose what sorts of experiences you want. (Be warned, a few deal with mature themes.)
How it makes family gameplay fun:
The RPO Collection lets you start family gameplay before you even Try for Baby with Pregnancy & Family Preferences. Decide whether your Sims do or don't want kids and watch how it affects their feelings and family relationships when a baby inevitably enters the picture. Children can have preferences, too: some long for siblings, while others find the thought of sharing their parents' attention with another kid nightmare.
Thinking of adopting? Adoption Expansion & Overhaul adds depth to the adoption process and ways for adopted Sims to try to find their biological parents later in life. Those facing unwanted pregnancy can put the child up for adoption or arrange for a friend or relative to adopt them.
Now, I know some of you love drama. I know; I do too. Luckily, Lumpinou made Paternity Testing, Teen Pregnancy, and Custody & Permanent Separations for us drama llamas.
Relationship & Pregnancy Overhaul Collection key features:
- Pregnancy & Family Preferences: Preferences for having/not having children, with reactions and effects on family relationships
- Adoption Expansion & Overhaul: Features surrounding adoption, including giving up children for adoption
- Paternity Testing / Teen Pregnancy: Exactly what these sound like, plus all the associated drama
- Custody & Permanent Separations: Custody (including split custody), reasons for divorce, amicable separations, and more
- …and 14 more mods and counting!
I can't come close to doing this huge collection justice in so few paragraphs, so check out the official RPO page to read about these mods in detail, then head here to grab the set or download them individually from Lumpinou's mod index.
5. Family Therapy
Family and couples therapy in The Sims 4. Start at 3:48.
No family is perfect, and if you jumped on that last mod when I mentioned drama, I'm guessing your Sim families are more dysfunctional than most. Thankfully for your poor Sims, adeepindigo created the Family Therapy mod. Family Therapy helps individuals, couples, and families work through a range of issues, like childhood phases, grief, divorce, and evil family members.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
Therapy sessions don't happen in a rabbithole. This mod's therapist NPC makes house calls, so your families can work out their issues right on your screen. With a ton of new social interactions unique to therapy, the experience is incredibly immersive.
Family Therapy integrates with other mods, too! If you have Basemental Drugs (21+) and Healthcare Redux installed, you'll see two more options in the therapy focus menu: "Addiction in the Family" and "Physical and Mental Health".
Family Therapy key features:
- Individual, couple, and family therapy
- Several therapy
- Interactive therapy sessions
- New social interactions
Read more on the official mod page. Family Therapy is part of adeepindigo's Rabbithole Activity Mods collection, which you can download here.
4. Youth, Family, and Friends Activities
Family activities mod review.
Let's step away from the drama for a bit. Adeepindigo's Youth, Family, and Friends Activities adds a TON of new activities for kids and families (and their friends). The new activities come under three categories: Toddler Activities, Youth Activities, and Family Activities.
Start your toddler's education early by sending them to preschool, build their motor skills at toddler gym, or take them on a play date to have fun with friends. Sign your kids and teens up for extracurricular activities in the Youth Activities menu, or let them have fun at the arcade or school dance.
The Family Activities are fun activities the whole family can enjoy. You can invite friends! These activities change depending on the day and season (if Seasons is installed); for example, you can visit the Pumpkin Patch in the fall or go to church (perfect if you have Rambunctious Religions) on weekends.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
Real families go out and do things, but the base game doesn't offer much in the way of family outings. This mod fixes that, bringing your Sim families new experiences from church to camping to a variety of educational activities. Oh, and your kids can finally go trick or treating! (Why should only the neighbor kids get to trick or treat?)
These activities may only be rabbitholes, but they aren't lacking in gameplay value at all. All the mod's activities help build your Sims' skills, relationships, and character values. They'll also come back with moodlets reflecting how much they liked (or didn't like) the outing.
Youth, Family, and Friends Activities key features:
- 30+ new rabbithole activities for kids and families
- Skill, relationship, and character value gains during activities
- Seasonal activities, integrated with Seasons' calendar
Read more on the official mod page. Youth, Family, and Friends Activities is part of adeepindigo's Rabbithole Activity Mods and Kids and Teens Mods collection and can be downloaded from either collection's page.
3. Education Overhaul
Education Overhaul mod review. Start at 2:08.
I wish I could include all of adeepindigo's Kids and Teens Mods on this list, but I don't want any one creator to hog all the attention (even if they are amazing). The last but not least of her mods I'll talk about here is her Education Overhaul, which adds a ton of new features to The Sims 4's school system.
Education Overhaul brings back several features from older games that sadly didn't make it into The Sims 4: private school, field trips, detention, even military school! (Don't worry, your cadets will come home after they graduate.) It comes with new features, too, like preschool, new homework assignments, and a revamp of Discover University's Education career.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
This mod is the perfect mix of old and new features to make education immersive, not just a formality. More away options and school events like field trips, prom, and graduation make the school day so much more interesting. At home, kids and teens can study on the computer and do different types of homework assignments which build different skills.
Speaking of skills, school finally teaches students to do more than just fill up their job performance bar! Students in preschool through high school gain skills and character values while at school, making class time extra worthwhile.
Education Overhaul key features:
- New schools, including private and boarding schools
- Field trips
- Prom, graduation, and other school events (High School Years not required!)
- Snow days and summer vacation
- School boosts skills and character values
- Several other new and returning features
Read more on the official mod page. Family Therapy is part of adeepindigo's Kids and Teens Mods collection, which you can download here.
2. Custom Events
Celebrate the new addition to the family, no matter how they arrived.
KiaraSims4Mods is a treasure trove of small mods. Among Kiara's mods is a huge collection of new social events, covering things from parties to business events to—you guessed it—family celebrations!
How it makes family gameplay fun:
Welcome the newest family member with a Baby Shower and Meet the Baby party. Was the baby brought by the social worker instead of the stork? There's an Adoption Celebration, too!
The family can come together for a Family Reunion, or the kids can invite their friends over for a Sleepover. There's even an Anniversary for the parents. They can throw a huge party orget away from the kids for a while and celebrate with a special date.
Custom Events key features:
- New social events
Follow the links to get the custom events I mentioned. To find Kiara's other events, hover over "Events" in the top bar on her site and choose a category to browse. Events by other creators can be found on Mod the Sims and other modders' sites.
1. Foster Family
Becoming a foster parent in The Sims 4. Start at 2:37.
Number one on this list is a must-have mod for non-traditional family gameplay. Register with the LMS Foster Family Network in LittleMsSam's Foster Family mod, and you can provide a temporary but loving home to children in need.
How it makes family gameplay fun:
Not only does Foster Family bring a new type of family into the game, the gameplay is also pretty different. You don't control foster children directly, so the focus is on parenting. It's great if you're looking for a parenting challenge or don't want to micromanage an entire family.
You could play a bunch of different storylines with this mod. You could run a foster home where you help as many kids as you can, even helping them find permanent homes and keeping in touch after they move out. Or you could do a foster-to-adoption story.
Tired of raising kids? The LMS Foster Family Network also connects cats and dogs with foster homes, so why not take in a four-legged friend?
Foster Family key features:
- New type of family gameplay
- Foster kids and pets
- Played Sims and NPCs to adopt foster children/pets
Get Foster Family here.
