Now is the perfect time to take the board games out of the closet, dust them off, and set them up. Or, if your board game collection is a bit low, now is the perfect time to purchase a classic or add one of the games you’ve always meant to try but just never got the chance.
Here is our list of 18 family-friendly board games and card games to keep you entertained and engaged whenever you’re looking for fun indoors.
Chess and Checkers. You can get two games in one box. Practice your strategy and skill while playing either checkers or chess. And if chess isn’t your game, use this extended time at home to learn a new game together.
Uno. You’ll find many varieties of Uno available including the classic pack, Uno Dare, and Uno Flip. You can even find decks with some of your favorite characters including The Lion King, Super Mario, Minecraft, and Jurassic World to name a few. The rules are simple and game play is designed for 2-10 players.
HedBandz. This is a true multi-generational game, because you can opt to purchase the regular version or the Junior version. Players wear a headband with a card. Other players have to answer questions to help the player get what the card shows. But, you must guess properly before the timer runs out.
Scrabble. It’s the classic word game. Can you make a word from the random tiles you’ve drawn? The game serves as a great way to practice spelling and vocabulary. Plus it’s fun to see who can use the most letters and which player always opts for the simple 3-letter words. A Scrabble Junior version is also available, designed for children as young as 5.
5 Second Rule. It sounds easy, until you play. Can you name 3 items of a certain topic within 5 seconds? Get ready for some silly answers and some cat-got-your-tongue moments. The game is also available as 5 Second Rule Jr. for younger players.
Monopoly. There’s a reason why Monopoly has been around, and popular, since 1935. The “fast-dealing property trading game” is a great way for kids to practice their math skills. You can opt for the classic version or purchase one of the special editions such as Frozen II, Star Wars, and Toy Story to name a few.
Twister. We may be inside, but it’s still important to keep our bodies moving. Now is a perfect time for Twister. I don’t think you can play this game without laughing.
Jenga. How tall can you build the tower? Who will be the one that causes it to come tumbling down? And as a bonus, this game can even be played with just one player.
The Game of Life. Experience one of life’s many adventures. Will you choose the college or career path? What type of home will you live in? Who will retire first? The game is recommended for children 8 and up.
Bicycle Playing Cards. A deck of cards is almost as essential as hand sanitizer right now. There are so many family-friendly games to play. Go Fish, Gin Rummy, War, Poker. And, you can even teach the kids how to play solitaire. Younger children can practice sorting the cards into like piles, and practicing math skills (finding two cards that add up to 12, for instance).
Connect 4. Tell the younger kids it’s the same idea as tic-tac-toe. Line up 4 discs in a row to win!
Bop It. What’s great about this game is it’s physically interactive (which may mean it doesn’t count as a Board game…). Kids love trying to react as fast as possible to the commands it gives.
Dominoes. There’s really no wrong way to play Dominoes. Depending on the age of your children, you can customize the game to fit your child’s needs. Younger children can match up pieces that show the same numbers. Children can practice their addition skills by finding all the dominoes that show a sum of 8 for example. Use them to build. Set them up and watch them come falling down.
Bingo. This game works with as few as 4 people and can be super fun for kids. Especially when they get to yell Bingo! It may be a challenge to keep track of the numbers that have been called, though, so it may not be the best idea for younger kids.
Cards Against Humanity. Definitely meant for older kids, like Teens – but you be the judge. Absolutely Not Safe For Work, as they say, because there are some very inappropriate things in the cards, but it can be a lot of fun.
JackBox.TV. This video game set is full of wordplay and more inappropriate silly stuff, and it can be played by multiple people in the room with the use of a cell phone. We’ve even heard of people being able to play it online remotely. Again, likely meant for older kids.
Risk. This game of Geo-politics is best for older kids or those with good attention spans. It’s a great learning opportunity and, if you’re all up for it, can eat up a ton of time.
Puzzles. Sure, these aren’t technically games, but we love doing puzzles as a family or group. As long as you have space to leave it out for a while, you can alternate between working on it and taking breaks when it gets frustrating.
Got a favorite Board Game we haven’t included? Let us know.
We’ve added a link to our Amazon store where you can find all these products. If you buy any of these games via that link, you’ll be supporting a local small business run by 2 Moms, at no extra cost to you. Thanks!
Photo credits – game board by Robert Coelho, Jenga by Virgil Cayasa, chess by Micha? Parzuchowski, dominoes by Ryan Quintal – all from Unsplash.
