5 Favorite Family Games
I’ve mentioned before that we’re a pretty major game family and especially on weekend mornings or after school, it’s one of my favorite things to play a game around the kitchen table with whichever girls are interested in playing with me.
I’ve shared lots of family game recommendations here before, and I thought it was time to add five new favorites, in case you could use a little game playing in your life too.
5 New Favorite Family Games
AZUL
We just bought Azul for Ella for her tenth birthday a few weeks ago, but we got hooked on it over Christmas break when some friends of ours brought it over and taught it to us. It’s kind of a pattern making game and it’s easy to learn but has enough strategy to keep it interesting game after game.
The Bears and the Bees
The Bears and the Bees is a simple but surprisingly fun game where you’re matching colors to make a giant beehive. It’s pretty quick and has a small deck, so it’s perfect for taking along with you or playing a quick game before dinner or bedtime. (Do I always accidentally call it “the birds and the bees”? Yes, I do).
Antiquity Quest
I learned Hand & Foot from Bart’s family shortly after we started dating and we’ve played HUNDREDS of games of it over the years. Antiquity Quest is a spin on that game and it’s our current go-to game. I also like that you don’t play in teams so you don’t need an even number of people like you do for Hand & Foot.
Labyrinth
We bought Labyrinth back in 2017 as a Christmas gift for Ella and it’s been in constant rotation since then. The board pieces move around so the routes are constantly shifting as you try to find a path to your assigned treasure. Ani (7) is particularly into this one right now and it’s for sure my dad’s favorite of our family games to play with my girls when he comes to visit.
Pandemic
I mean, this game might have something of a branding issue at the moment, but there’s no question that Pandemic is a pretty fun family game. We got it for Christmas from Bart’s parents and it was pretty much ALL Ella wanted to play for months. It’s a collaborative game where you all work to eradicate different viruses before they overwhelm the world.
Any favorite family games at your house right now? I’m always looking for more suggestions!
If you liked this post about family games, you might like these posts too:
- Tips for hosting a game night
- Our favorite games for two people
- 10 games to play with preschoolers (that won’t make you want to tear out your hair)
Photos by Heather Mildenstein
I have recently made the leap to homeschooling my kids and I like the idea of gameschooling. My kids 8 and 10 and really like The Allowance Game from Lakeshore Learning. It’s a game that helps kids practice their money skills. I have also heard great things about Story Cubes but we have not played that one yet.
My oldest kids are 3 and 5. I’m always keen to find games that are fun for all of us. Do you think any of these would be good for younger kids?
A 5 year old could definitely play The Bears and the Bees. Some 3 year olds might be able to handle it too!
If you like Cover Your Assets ( from a previous post), you should try the next game, Cover Your Kingdoms. Same premise, but takes the game to a new level. It definitely surpassed it’s predecessor as our favorite.
We LOVE Cover Your Assets, so going to order Cover you Kingdoms!! Hadn’t heard about this so thanks!!
Jeff Beck, Grandpa Beck’s son and the developer of The Bears and The Bees and Cover Your Kingdom here. It made my day to see two of our games on your list! We’re so happy that they are providing fun experiences for your family. If you ever have a question or a suggestion for improvement, don’t hesitate to reach out.
I just came to comment that I’ve never once played Hand & Foot with teams. I had no idea that was how some people played it! I love Ticket to Ride with my family, but my nephew is too young for that. I like playing Outfoxed with him. It’s a spin on Clue, and it’s collaborative (the best kind of kids games, in my opinion).