Best Stuck-at-Home Games for Kids & Families

I love anything that makes happy mothering feel easier, and, for me, family game time is totally one of those things.

When we gather to play a game as a family, the whole vibe of our house changes. The kids get more focused. The adults loosen up. Honestly, it’s one of the few parts of parenthood for me that feels as good as it looks on Instagram. 😉

I love the silliness, the giggling, and the inside jokes born from this time spent around our oversized dining room table, or with our elbows propped on pillows as we sprawl on the carpet.

Want more of that in your house? Here are a few of our tried-and-true favorite family games:

Best Games for the Whole Family (Age 2+)

With kids ranging from toddler to tween, it can be challenging to find the best family game for our dynamic. This batch can work for all 6 of us!

These games are quick, simple, and a great way to get us through the last half-hour before bed.

Spot It

This versatile card game is a family favorite over here, and even got pulled out shore-side at a family reunion at Lake Tahoe.

While the game we favor is a race to match your card to the deck, it also comes with instructions for 5 other game styles! (We tried one with the cousins and it, too, was a blast!)

It’s great for any age. Every card has at least one match to every other card, so even if a 2-year-old puts a card down for now reason, it doesn’t throw off the game.

When playing with our youngest, we either take turns laying cards down, play as a team, or decrease amount of cards the younger kids have to discard. There is also a Spot It, Jr. you could try with littles.

Buy: Spot It Classic version / Spot It, Jr. Animals version

UNO

I can get fussy about over-long games, so I love that UNO goes fast–we can usually play a round in about 10 minutes. It’s a great way to squeeze some family time in before the kids head off for bed.

Our youngest started playing with us at age 2, as soon as she knew the four card colors. She quickly picked up on the joy of Wild and Skip cards, and is hilariously overjoyed by the power of skipping her dad or making a big sibling “Draw Four.”

Buy: UNO card game

Favorite 2-Player Family Games (Age 4+)

While we love playing together, it takes effort to make sure all 6 of us are available. These games are great for a mini-gaming session for a duo.

Connect 4

If you’re into more sensory games, you might like Connect 4, which is basically an upgraded version of tic-tac-toe.

This quick-playing game is a more tactile experience than it’s pen-and-paper predecessor: We love feeling the ridges on the chips as we wait our turn, and the lovely plastic clinking sound as each chip drops into place. It’s even fun for kids to finish, because they get to drop all the chips out the bottom and hear them clatter to over each other.

Buy: Connect 4

Battleship

Battleship is my go-to kids’ game to play with my 9-year-old son. He loves puzzles and battles, and I love strategy, this classic guess-and-check game hits a sweet spot for us.

While the logic gets our brains working, dramatically enacting the destruction of each battleship tickles my boy’s funny bone.

This is a great pick if you have some time to slow down–like chess, game play length depends a lot on how quickly each player takes his or her turn.

Buy: Battleship

Best Family Games for Elementary Kids (Age 6+)

I’ll be honest–this group is my favorite of the list. These are a bit more challenging and strategic, and bring everyone’s skills and personality to the forefront.

They take a bit longer than the other games I listed, so they are a great screen-free entertainment option for an evening or weekend afternoon.

Bananagrams

Word games are my favorite–and this one might be my favorite-favorite!

This fast-paced anagram game is kind of like Scrabble, but better. It keeps moving at a happy pace (no waiting turns or counting scores) and everyone plays against themselves–making their own little grouping of anagrams based on words they know.

Plus, how can you not like a game that comes packaged in its own banana peel?

Buy: Bananagrams

War / Slapjack / Spoons

Sometimes a simple deck of cards is just what the doctor ordered. This summer my kids learned to play War, and they whiled away many lazy mornings racing to the finish.

Other family favorites–especially popular at our family reunions!–are Slapjack and Spoons. Instructions are linked–all you need is a deck or two of classic playing cards!

Buy: Bicycle Playing Cards

Bohnanza

Don’t be scared off by the topic of this quirky European game–it is a silly concept but a LOT of fun!

(The topic? Bean farming! Yes. Really. Impressive that they made it such fun, right?!)

We were first introduced to this trade-and-collect game by some friends as newlyweds, and though we played the first round with skepticism, “the bean game” quickly became a game night favorite.

Strategic enough to play sans kids, but straightforward enough for ages 6 and up to pick up quickly, Bohnanza is a hit for us!

Buy: Bohnanza

Ticket to Ride

All 6 of us love this game to pieces. (Pun! Sorry. It was right there.)

A great strategy game for age 8+ (under 8 could play on a “team” with a parent to learn the ropes), the object is to build a railroad that connects to cities across the United States–without being cut off by the other players’ railroads.

We love puzzling out our pathways and goofing off while we take turns. 🙂

Perfect for a chill-out Sunday, this board game comes out of our game cabinet more than any other.

Buy: Ticket to Ride

Do you have a favorite game you play as a family? What should we add to our game cabinet this year?

xo,
Jamie

Game images via Amazon

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