Tag: game night

Raise The Stakes Of Family Game Night

Getting the entire family together can take a little effort. There is no shortage of activities that pull family members apart most days of the week, from work obligations to sports practices to school events. The United Kingdom-based media provider Independent reported in 2023 on a study of 2,000 parents with children at home. The study found families are only spending six hours a week together, which is less than an hour each day. Furthermore, they only eat meals as a household four days out of seven.

Eking out more time for family may be as easy as scheduling activities that everyone can rally behind. Family game nights give everyone an excuse to gather at least once a week. These tips can make family game night a can’t-miss activity.

Start with Simple Games and Branch Out

The first step to a successful family game night is choosing the right game to engage all participants. This can be challenging when there are young children, teenagers, middle-aged adults, and even seniors participating. Visit an independently owned toy and games store and pick the brain of the proprietor. He or she will likely have some suggestions to get you started. As participants become more comfortable, you can branch out with games.

Make It A Recurring Event

Set a firm day of the week for the game night. This way participants will block out that date and time and make every attempt to attend. Treat game night like any other important appointment.

Consider Games With Movement

Game night doesn’t have to mean sitting around a board game, which young children who have trouble sitting still may characterize as a “bored” game. Games that get people moving, whether it’s charades, drawing games or a game such as Twister® can be more engaging. Game night also can take activities to a golf driving range or an arcade.

Gather For The Right Reasons

Game night should focus on having the entire family together laughing and competing in a good-natured way. It should not be a strict competition where winning is the only goal. Avoid the potential for sore losers who can sour game nights in a flash by letting everyone know that fun is the foremost priority of the night.

Offer Prizes

Encourage participation with the lure of prizes at the end. Prizes will not just go to the overall winner. There can be humorous awards, such as the player who messed up trivia questions the most, or the one who rolled matching pairs of the dice most frequently. You can customize the winning categories depending on the game played so everyone gets a fighting chance at a prize. Keep awards simple, like candy bars or other appealing treats.

Identify A “Game Master”

Every game night should feature a game master who presides over the rules of the game. The rules can be the ones strictly off of the information sheet, or the ones you customize for your own fun. The game master’s job is to make sure the rules are enforced, but also to determine when it’s alright to let things slide.

Family game nights are a vital way to bring everyone together at least once a week in a manner that is entertaining and fosters solid family relationships.

4 Ideas for Family Game Night

Family game nights can be a great way for families to disconnect from their devices and spend quality time together. Much in the way that family dinners can facilitate conversation and closeness, game nights can spark companionship and hours of fun. Game nights are easy to organize and are particularly handy on those nights when there’s not much to do or when the weather makes outside activities implausible.

To get started, use these game ideas as a catalyst for fun.

1. Stick to the classics. Certain games remain tried and true family favorites. These include Monopoly, Trouble, Risk, Clue, and Scrabble. Adults who had a favorite game growing can play it with their own children and see who outsmarts who.

2. Learn card games. From “War” to “Spades” to “Gin” to “Uno,” many card games have withstood the test of time. This is a great way to bridge gaps between grandparents and grandchildren. The older generation can teach these familiar games to children, and everyone can join in the fun.

3. Strengthen drama skills. Charades is a game in which teams must act out a word or phrase based on certain categories and have others on their side guess what is being mimed. Charades often leads to lots of laughs and stumped participants.

4. Shop for new fun. Take a family trip to a toy store or another retailer and browse the games aisle. Let each family member pick out a game that appeals to them and then include them in your family game night rotation.

Families can engage and converse over entertaining games that bridge generations.