Is your family a lover of board games? Are you looking for the best board games for family game night? If so, you don’t need to look any further! I have found the best family board games for you and put them in one location.
Whether you want to check out my top 10 family board games or you’re looking for classic family board games, I have them listed for you. I’ve also found some games that are great for even the younger children in your family.
Are Board Games Good for Families?
Board games are great for families. By playing board games together, you are spending time with one another and building relationships. Playing board games together will also foster a sense of belonging within your family. They’re a way to spend quality time with one another as well as a way to build great memories.
Board games also can improve communication skills, reasoning skills, teach how to win and lose graciously, and increase cognitive skills. Games can also reduce stress and increase confidence. Your young children will learn to focus for longer periods of time.
What are the Best Family Board Games?
I’m sure no two people will agree on what games are the best family board games, but there are a lot of great games out there for your family to enjoy. Below I’ve linked personal family favorites as well as board games with amazing reviews. I think several of these will find themselves under the tree this Christmas!
When choosing a game, think about the ages and capabilities of your children. Read the description and reviews to see if the game seems like something your family could handle and would enjoy. For example, my family tends to like games that have at least some strategy involved. We also enjoy ones that have a decent level of interaction between players.
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Top 10 family board games
If your family has an absolute favorite not listed, be sure to let me know in the comments, but most of these are ones we personally own and love. There are a few that we don’t yet own but have amazing reviews from other families. I’d love to know which are your favorites.
- Trekking the National Parks. This has been our recent favorite. Not only is there strategy involved, but you learn about the national parks along the way. If you love this one, you’ll also love Trekking the World!
- Catan is a very interactive game involving trading and strategy. It can get pretty intense! This is best for older kids and adults. Also, if you have more than 4 players, you will want the expansion pack, which allows for 2 more players.
- Labyrinth has a five-star review with over 12,000 reviews! It’s a must-have for every family. My family has been loving this one lately!
- Carcassonne is a must-have family game. It is another that does involve strategy, but you are also able to not worry about scoring if you want to play it with a younger child. Set in medieval times, you want to end up with the most points at the end.
- Sequence is a great strategy game for up to 12 players! It’s easy enough for children but challenging for adults as well.
- Blokus is easy to learn and is fun for everyone. You will need to use reasoning and problem-solving to win!
- Ticket to Ride is such a fun game. You can play it safe or take some risks. We really enjoy this one.
- Quirkle is fairly simple once you get the hang of it, and it’s easy enough for younger children to play. It does take some strategy to win.
- Tsuro is a quick but fun family game that’s great for ages 5 or 6 and up. You can play with up to 8 players.
- Mouse Trap is a great collaborative board game for families. It’s great for 2-4 players, ages 6 and up.
Classic family board games
The games listed below are classic family board games. Most of these have been around longer than I have, and I have fond memories of playing these with my siblings or friends while growing up. Since they’ve withstood the test of time, they’re must-have classics to own.
- Monopoly
- Checkers
- Scrabble
- The Game of Life
- Clue
- Candyland
- Mastermind
- Trouble
- Battleship
- Operation
- Guess Who?
- Sorry
- Backgammon
Board games for all ages
If you’re not a fan of playing Memory or Candyland over and over again with your younger children, here are some great options that are great for youngsters but are still enjoyable for you as a parent. Now, my youngest children do enjoy a good memory game (and they’re pretty great at it, too), but sometimes it’s nice to have some other options. We recently got Tsuro and have been enjoying that, however, I’m wanting to try out several of the others listed.
- My First Carcassonne is a younger version of the regular game listed above, and is better if you have all younger children.
- Outfoxed is a great cooperative game to play with the family. It’s perfect for younger children, but will keep adults entertained as well.
- Ticket to Ride: First Journey is another one that’s great if your children are too young for the regular version.
- Quirkle is listed above but is a great one for all ages.
- Sequence or Sequence for Kids is easy enough for all, but challenging even for adults. You could use either version, depending on the age range of your children.
- Tsuro
- Labyrinth
- Dixit is a storytelling game and seems to work for even children under the recommended age of 8. It has 5 star reviews.
- Zingo is made for pre-readers and early readers to play with older people and is fun for all!
- My First Castle Panic is another great game for families with younger children. Work together to save the castle!
Family Game Night
I hope you are now motivated to get started on a family game night if you haven’t already. Games are such a great way to build relationships and memories with your family. Which board games for families do you own and love? What’s the next game you’ll add to your collection? I’d love for you to share below.
You may also enjoy:
The Importance of Family Traditions
The Importance of Sibling Relationships
