Family game night is a nice way to spend quality time with your kids, as long as you keep them engaged with a variety of age appropriate games. This is my family’s top 10 picks, but my age recommendations are not the same as the manufacturers’. We play the short, easier games until the younger ones get bored or tired, then we switch to the longer, more complicated games.
1. Monopoly – Monopoly is fun with kids over 10. Children younger than that tend to get bored or frustrated. It sometimes takes hours to play, so you might want to start early in the evening. You can change the rules to make it easier or go faster if you do have younger children playing.
2. Yahtzee – Yahtzee can be played in a variety of ways to accommodate children as young as 6, but I recommend it for kids 8 and up. You can just play one game or all six. We make our own score pads on our computer. I have made them with up to 24 games on one sheet and played all day.
3. Farkle – Farkle is fun because it is faster paced and doesn’t usually take a lot of time. I recommend this game for children 8 and up, but younger kids like to play too, they just tend to need help.
4. Aggravation – Aggravation is fun for children 5 and up. If your child can count, they can play Aggravation, as long as they can handle ‘getting out’ without getting upset.
5. War – This card game is fast paced and keeps kid’s interest as long as they can count. I started playing this game with my kids when they were about 5. It can last a long time, but you can end the game by counting the cards each player has to determine who has the least amount of cards to win.
6. Uno – This is fun to play with a lot of players. Children 8 and up do fine, younger kids may need some help.
7. Phase 10 – Phase 10 is a little more difficult than Uno, but children 8 and up should do fine as long you make sure they know what phase they are on.
8. Crazy 8’s – Crazy 8’s is similar to Uno, but played with a regular deck of cards. It’s easier because you don’t have Skip and Reverse cards, so kids 6 and up can enjoy this game.
9. Old Maid – Nothing makes preschoolers happier than a deck of Old Maid cards. Three-year-olds might need help at first, but will catch on if you are patient.
10. Go Fish – You can play Go Fish with preschoolers. They get a real kick out of telling you to “Go Fish!”
