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Our Family's Favorite Board Games for Game Night

12 items

Amy Jones

Finding a board game that your kids love and that you don't secretly hate playing is the real challenge. After years of family game nights (and a few duds), this is our library of the absolute, tried-and-true winners. Inside, you'll find our go-to pi...

Sections

Our Favorite First Games for Little Kids (Ages 3-6)

Awesome Games for Big Kids (Ages 7-12)

Games the Entire Family Can Play Together

The "No-Fighting" Zone: Co-op Games

Our Favorite First Games for Little Kids (Ages 3-6)

Getting toddlers and preschoolers to sit for a whole game can be tough! These are the perfect "starter" games that have super simple rules, require no reading, and are great for teaching the basics like colors, counting, and taking turns. They're fun...

This was the very first board game all of my kids played. There's no counting or reading, just the pure joy of matching colors. The excitement on a toddler's face when they draw a card that sends them flying ahead is just the best. It's a true rite o...

Candy Land Board Game

We love the shared drama of this game! Everyone cheers when you get to climb a big ladder and groans together when you hit a long chute. It's such a gentle way to learn about winning and losing, and the kids ask to play it over and over again

Chutes and Ladders

Honestly, the kids would play with the little squirrel squeezer tool even if it wasn't a game! This is our go-to for teaching colors and turn-taking. It’s a modern classic for a reason—it's cute, fun, and secretly educational.

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

Awesome Games for Big Kids (Ages 7-12)

Once they've mastered the basics, this is where game night gets really interesting. These are our top picks for older kids who are ready for a bit more strategy, reading, and friendly competition. They're engaging enough to keep everyone hooked, pare...

We call this the game of "sweet revenge" in our house, and it's always hilarious. The best part is the sheer joy and drama of getting to slide across the board and send someone else's piece back to the start. It’s a classic for a reason!

Sorry!

This is our family's favorite for a rainy afternoon. I love watching the kids get serious with their little notepads, trying to solve the mystery like real detectives. It's a fantastic game that actually makes them use their powers of deduction.

Clue

This is the first "big" game we introduced to our kids, and it was an instant hit. It looks complicated, but it's surprisingly easy to learn. There's nothing more satisfying than collecting your cards and finally placing a long train route you've bee...

Ticket to Ride

Games the Entire Family Can Play Together

Finding a game that a 7-year-old and a teenager can both play with their parents is the ultimate challenge. These are our tried-and-true winners for a full family game night—they're easy to learn, quick to play, and genuinely fun for a wide range of ...

This is the game that lives in my purse. It's perfect for keeping kids busy while waiting for food at a restaurant or on a camping trip. The rules are universal, and the chaos of a "Draw Four" card is a joy that never gets old.

UNO

The best part of Jenga is the crash! The shared silence in the room as someone tries to pull a tricky block is just electric. It's a simple, physical game of suspense that everyone from our 5-year-old to grandpa can play together.

Classic Jenga or Giant Jenga

When we need a quick game that's guaranteed to end in laughter, this is the one. It’s delightfully absurd, fast-paced, and silly. It takes two minutes to learn and is a massive hit when you don't have the time or energy for a long, serious game.

Exploding Kittens

The "No-Fighting" Zone: Co-op Games

This is my favorite category for a guaranteed peaceful and fun game night. In cooperative (or "co-op") games, everyone works together as a team to beat the game itself. It's all the fun and strategy, with none of the sibling squabbles!

My kids get so into the story of this game, yelling "We have to get the treasure before the island sinks!" It feels like you're in an adventure movie, and the high-fives when we all win together as a team are the best.

Forbidden Island

This was the first cooperative game we ever bought, and it's perfect for little ones. It's sweet, colorful, and completely stress-free. It's a wonderful way to introduce the idea of teamwork to young kids, where the only goal is to get the cute owls ...

Hoot Owl Hoot

This game is fantastic for channeling competitive energy into teamwork. Instead of fighting each other, the kids have to work together to decide how to best defend our castle walls from the approaching monsters. They get so into planning the strategy...

Castle Panic