Family game night ideas

A game night that works for a 6-year-old and a 16-year-old

The hardest part of a family game night is the age gap. A game that holds a teenager's attention is usually too hard for a kindergartner, and the reverse is just as true. The 40 ideas on this wheel are chosen to work across ages: most have simple rules, take 10 to 30 minutes and let the youngest play on a team with a parent or older sibling.

A few are no-setup games, like twenty questions or the story chain, that you can play in the car or while waiting for pizza. Others need a little stuff: paper for draw-and-guess, plastic cups for bowling, a deck of cards for spoons. None needs a particular brand of game, and nothing needs a screen.

Regular beats fancy. Families who put a night on the calendar, say every second Friday at 6:30, tend to keep it going. Rotate who gets to spin and who picks the snack, so the night belongs to everyone.

What's on this wheel

• Charades in two teams
• Card game tournament
• Fort building and flashlight tag
• Draw-and-guess on big paper
• Trivia, one question each
• Bingo with homemade cards
• Scavenger hunt around the house
• Musical chairs
• Hide and seek in the dark
• Jigsaw puzzle race
• Balloon keep-it-up
• Story chain, one sentence each
• Rolling dice race to 50
• Indoor bowling with plastic cups
• Paper airplane contest
• Guess the song from humming
• Sock toss into a laundry basket
• Dominoes
• Tic-tac-toe championship
• Twenty questions
• Building block challenge
• Cup stacking relay
• Freeze dance
• Memory card matching
• Obstacle course with pillows
• Word chain game
• Cookie decorating contest
• Draw a family member challenge
• Simon says
• Treasure hunt with clues
• Mini golf in the hallway
• Spoons card game
• Mystery bag guessing
• Backyard relay race
• Silent movie acting
• Shadow puppets
• Name five things in a category
• Board game of the kid's choice
• Karaoke sing-off
• Egg-and-spoon race

Running the evening

1. Open Entries and remove games your house cannot play. No yard means no backyard relay.
2. Let a different family member press Spin each time, and play three games before the night ends.
3. Use Remove from wheel after each game so the next spin brings something new.

Similar ready-made wheels

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All ready-made wheels

Make your own wheel with your list

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