Family game night ideas for kids

Before you start

Clear the floor and move anything breakable away. Ages are only a guide. For more to do together, try the riddles for kids with answers, would you rather questions or this or that questions.

1. Animal charades

Ages: 4 and up.

You need: nothing at all.

1. One person thinks of an animal and acts it out without a sound.
2. Everyone else guesses out loud.
3. The first right guess takes the next turn.
4. Everyone gets a turn.

Little ones: Let a grown-up whisper the animal, and pick easy ones such as cat, frog or fish.

Big kids: Act out an animal doing something, such as a sleepy elephant or a hungry monkey.

2. Twenty questions

Ages: 6 and up.

You need: only your voices.

1. One person thinks of an object, animal or person and keeps it secret.
2. Everyone else asks questions that can be answered yes or no.
3. Count the questions.
4. Guess within twenty questions, or the thinker reveals the answer.

Little ones: Play with ten questions and start with “Is it an animal?”

Big kids: Limit it to things in one room.

3. Story relay

Ages: 5 and up.

You need: nothing at all.

1. The first person starts with one sentence, such as “A tiny dragon found a spoon.”
2. The next person adds one sentence.
3. Go round the circle twice.
4. The last person ends the story.

Little ones: Let little ones add one word or an animal sound.

Big kids: Each sentence must include a word picked by the previous speaker.

4. Treasure hunt with clues

Ages: 5 and up.

You need: paper, a pencil and a small prize such as a snack.

1. A grown-up or big kid hides a prize and writes four or five clues.
2. Each clue points to the next hiding spot, such as “Where we keep the spoons.”
3. Players read and follow the clues together.
4. Share the prize.

Little ones: Use picture clues.

Big kids: Write the clues as rhymes or riddles.

5. Silent ball

Ages: 4 and up.

You need: a pair of rolled-up socks.

1. Sit in a circle on the floor, with the floor clear around you.
2. Pass the soft sock ball by gently tossing it underhand to a friend.
3. Nobody speaks. If you drop it, just wave and carry on.
4. Pass to everyone once.

Little ones: Roll the ball along the floor instead of tossing it.

Big kids: Add a second sock ball.

Safety: Use only soft things, never throw hard objects, and keep the floor clear.

6. Memory tray

Ages: 5 and up.

You need: a tray, a tea towel and ten household items.

1. Put ten safe items on the tray, such as a spoon, a sock, a cup and a book.
2. Everyone looks for thirty seconds.
3. Cover it with the towel while one person removes an item.
4. Uncover it and guess what is missing.

Little ones: Use only five items.

Big kids: Remove two items, or ask players to name all ten in order.

7. Beat-the-clock tidy-up

Ages: 4 and up.

You need: a timer and a basket or box.

1. Choose one area, such as the toy corner.
2. Set the timer for three minutes.
3. Everyone puts things in their place together.
4. Cheer when the timer rings.

Little ones: Tidy only the soft toys, and name each one as it goes in the basket.

Big kids: Use a short song as the timer.

8. Shadow puppets

Ages: 3 and up.

You need: a lamp or torch and a plain wall.

1. Dim the room and shine the light at the wall.
2. Use your hands to make a bird, a rabbit or a dog.
3. Take turns so others can guess the shape.
4. Try a bigger animal with two hands.

Little ones: Try a simple bunny or a waving bird.

Big kids: Let two puppets tell a story.

A 45-minute family game night

• 0 to 5 minutes: Gather and agree on the rules.
• 5 to 15 minutes: Animal charades.
• 15 to 25 minutes: Treasure hunt.
• 25 to 35 minutes: Memory tray and story relay.
• 35 to 45 minutes: Tidy-up, then shadow puppets.

Ground rules

• Kind winners: Cheer for everyone, and say well played.
• Kind losers: It is fine to feel disappointed. Take a breath and join the next game.
• Everyone can pass: Anyone may say pass at any time, with no questions asked.

A note for parents

A few minutes of laughing together matters more than who wins. Let children choose a game or act as timekeeper sometimes. If a game is not working, switch to another, and stay close to younger children.

Want more? Try puppet and shadow play, draw and play your own board game, plan a party with birthday party games, word games for kids, the easy maths games, treasure hunt ideas, memory games, indoor games or the stories and activities.

Questions

How long should a family game night last?

About 45 minutes suits most families. Stop while everyone is still smiling.

What if the children are different ages?

Use the little ones tweak for younger players and the big kids twist for older ones.

Do we need to buy anything?

No. Every game uses things you already have, such as socks, spoons, paper and a lamp.

How do we keep it friendly when someone gets upset?

Remind everyone of the ground rules, let anyone pass, and take a short break.