50 Fun Family Games to Play at Home

Family game nights are a great way to spend quality time together as a family, and fun family games can be the perfect addition to any family get-together. Whether you’re looking for classic card games like Go Fish or Uno, or fun party games like Hot Potato or Exploding Kittens, there are lots of fun family game ideas that everyone in the family can enjoy.

One of the best things about fun family games is that they can easily be tailored to all different ages and ability levels. For younger kids, simple games with picture cards or board games can provide hours of fun, while older kids may want to try their hand at something more challenging like charades or even brainteasers. And no matter what age group you’re dealing with, fun family games are a great way to get everyone involved and laughing.

Clear off the coffee table, it’s time for a classic family game!

Board Games

Who doesn’t love board games? Some of the best family board games are classics like Monopoly, Life, Clue, and Scrabble. However, if you’re looking for something with a bit more of a modern twist, there are lots of exciting new games like Ticket to Ride or Catan for kids who like a game filled with strategy.

For little kids, there are classics like Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, and Mousetrap. Plus, there are also lots of great “board” games that don’t actually have a board like Memory, Guess Who, and Apples to Apples, Jr.

Be sure to take a look at our list of recommended fun family games at the end of this article! 

Classic Party Style Games

Hot Potato

One classic and retro of the fun family games is Hot Potato.  Do you remember playing this in a circle in elementary school? To play this simple game all you need is something to be the potato like a beanbag or small, but soft, ball to pass.  Everyone sits in a circle and passes the potato while music plays.  When the music stops, the person with the “hot potato” is out.  You continue until just two people are left passing the potato.  Last one without the potato is the winner.  

There are lots of variations of this game available on the market if you’re looking to gift this game like classic Hot Potato or Tater Toss.  

Pass the Parcel

In this game, each player passes a wrapped parcel around in a circle while music is playing. When the music stops, the player who is holding the parcel unwraps one layer and then re-wraps it before passing it on. The last person to unwrap all of the layers wins.

Musical Chairs

Each player moves around chairs in a circle until the music stops, at which point they must find a chair to sit on. One chair is taken away each time until there’s only one left, and the player seated in this chair when the music stops will be declared as the winner!

Simon Says

In this classic game, one person takes on the role of “Simon” and calls out instructions such as “Simon says touch your nose” or “Simon says clap your hands”. All players must follow these instructions but should refrain from doing anything if Simon does not call it out first. The last person standing (i.e., following all of Simon’s requests) wins!

Scavenger Hunts

For younger children, fun family games like scavenger hunts can be a great way to keep them busy and engaged. You can make it as simple or as complex as you want, and the best part is that everyone in the family can join in no matter their age group! To create a scavenger hunt, you’ll need to write up a list of items (or challenges) that the players must find or complete. The player or team who finds and completes all items on the list first wins.

Here are some scavenger hunt ideas that could provide some great family fun:

• • Nature Scavenger Hunt: Make a list of natural things and send your teams out on an adventure around your neighborhood. Have them look for items like different kinds of leaves, rocks, types of birds, or any other natural elements they can find.

• • Indoor Scavenger Hunt: Have participants explore the house looking for objects such as books, toys, clothing items or utensils. You can add challenges to this game by having them search for specific items in each room.

• • Treasure Hunt: Create a series of riddles and clues that lead to a special surprise at the end. This is a great way to make it more challenging as players have to solve each clue before moving on to the next one.

• • Alphabet Scavenger Hunt: Each player must find something that starts with each letter of the alphabet in order – this could be items around their home or even words written on signs in their neighborhood.

Outdoor Games

When the weather is nice and the extended family is coming to visit, playing outdoor games is a great activity to keep everyone engaged. Games like tag, hide and seek, touch football, or frisbee are always family favorites that get the kids moving. Other games that are great for a large group are Volleyball, Bocce Ball, or even Croquet.

Perhaps one of the more popular games that you’ll see at family get-togethers is Cornhole. Cornhole is a great game that even younger players can enjoy, too. You don’t have to be good at Cornhole to have fun. You can play a relaxing game or get more involved and create a tournament-style play.

If you want to go seriously old school, it’s never the wrong time to introduce outdoor games like Red Rover, Mother May I, and What Time Is It Mr. Fox.

How to Play Red Rover

Red Rover is a classic game for kids. It’s easy to learn and fun for all ages. The object of the game is to break through your opponent’s line by calling out the name of someone from the other team. Here’s how to play:

1. Divide players into two teams, with equal numbers of players on each side.
2. Each team lines up in two single-file lines facing each other, arm-in-arm. The teams should be a few feet apart.
3. One player from one team calls out the name of a player on the opposite team, saying “Red Rover, Red Rover, let (name) come over!”
4. The player whose name was called out must then run to the other side, trying to break through the line of players that are linked together.
5. If the player breaks through, they can take one of their opponents back with them to their team.
6. If the player does not break through, they must join the opposite team, and a new round begins with another player calling out someone’s name.
7. The game continues until one team has all of the players on their side. That team is then declared to be the winners!

Card Games

Go Fish & Crazy Eights

Card games like Go Fish or Crazy Eights are fun family game night ideas that can be enjoyed by all ages. No matter which fun family game you choose, the whole family is sure to have a great time playing together! With everyone getting involved in fun activities and spending quality time together, it’s no wonder fun family games are the perfect way to spend an evening. So make sure you pull out your favorite board games, cards, and puzzles — it’s the perfect time for fun with your whole family.

Spit (Card Game)

If you have a regular deck of cards, a fast-paced card game that’s fun to play is Spit and if you’ve never played it, you must. It’s a card game for two players and the goal is to be the first one to get rid of all your cards. With each player dealt half of the deck, they race against each other as they try to match their opponent’s cards in certain sequences or ‘builds.’ As soon as you get rid of all your cards, you win the game. It’s a great way to get your family in on some fast-paced fun and it won’t take more than 10 minutes for everyone to learn the rules.

Uno

Another fun card game to play is Uno. It’s a classic that has been around for ages and can be played with two to 10 players. The goal of the game is to be the first one to get rid of all your cards by matching colors or numbers in order. You can also use action cards like ‘reverse’ or ‘skip’ to mess up your opponent or increase your chances of winning. Uno is a great game for all ages and can provide hours of entertainment. The rounds go by quickly making it a fun game to play multiple rounds.

Game of War

One last card game that’s easy enough for kids to learn while still being exciting enough for adults to enjoy is War. The goal of the game is simple; each player gets half the deck and whoever winds up with all the cards is the winner. It’s fast-paced and doesn’t take more than a few minutes to finish, making it an easy game for parties or family gatherings. War (the card game, obviously!) is a great way to bond with your kids and spend quality family time together.

Extended Family Game Night Ideas

If you’re hosting an official family game night, some fun and exciting games you may like to try are Pictionary, Charades, Taboo, or even a fun game of Twister. Okay, maybe save Twister for the kiddos so you grownups don’t break a hip. For larger groups, you may want to consider team-based games like Taboo or Songburst.

Games like Taboo make a great party game because you can play them on teams and find ways to incorporate younger kids during family time. This is a game that we have been playing for over 20 years in our family and it never gets old. Some of our funniest family stories have come from playing games at our family gatherings.

Trivia Games

Trivia games are also a fun way to get everyone involved in family game night. Trivial Pursuit can be a great game to be played by the whole family with their new Trivial Pursuit Family Edition.

Dice Games

Dice games are easy to learn and provide hours of entertainment. Some popular dice games include Farkle, Yahtzee, and LCR. Yahtzee is a fun dice game that can also double as a sneaky way to help your kids learn math skills. Counting the dice involves skip counting, plus it also involves strategy!

Games for Children Ages 5-7

• Candy Land
• Chutes and Ladders
• Guess Who?
• Hi Ho! Cherry-O
• Sequence for Kids
• The Game of Life Junior
• Zingo!
• UNO Moo!
• Robot Turtles
• Hoot Owl Hoot!
• Zingo
• Mousetrap
• Operation
• Cootie
• Don’t Break the Ice