I rounded up all the games that we love to play as a family + a few other ditties! If you’re looking for someone who hard to shop for this is a great list to go off of or check out the PARENTS/IN-LAW GIFT GUIDE.
Large Solitaire – We got these for our friends last year and they were a huge hit. We get the oak boards, if you put in the notes that you want marbles like mine they pick ones similar to what we have.
Exploding Kittens – A kid friendly version of Russian roulette!
SKYJO – We bought this one last year, my kids LOVE IT!! Easy one to take with us on the go too. There’s youtube videos that will help ya learn how to play if you have ADD like me and don’t like to read instructions.
Ladder Ball – I don’t recommend this one for indoor use. haha But it’s great for the Spring and Summer.
Ticket to Ride – People RAVE ABOUT this game. We haven’t played it, but it’s my assistant’s favorite! You get a whole bunch of destination cards and try to get as many of them done as possible before someone runs out of trains. Definitely a strategy game, good for older kids + adults.
Paddlesmash – I wish we had this in Hawaii, would have been so fun for the kids. It’s pickleball meets roundnet. Took to family reunions this summer and it was played with the whole time!
Catch Phrase – A classic! A fast paced game great for groups. This box is so cute, it looks like a vintage book so it’d be cute sitting on your shelf. They have a whole bunch of games that are similar in style.
Sussed – Another one we picked up within the last year. Kind of like apples to apples, but also not? The reader reads a scenario then reads the 3 choices to pick from. The reader picks an answer and everyone lays down A, B, or C trying to guess what the reader chose. If they got the answer right, then they get a point. Super easy to play!
Kubb – Amazon explains it best, “Kubb is a lawn game where the objective is to hit a wooden block with a stick. The origins of the game are thought to be Viking. So it’s also called Viking chess.” We have and love it!
Ok Play Tile Game – We have taken this with us on the go for a few months now and it’s so fun! Easy to learn for the littles and packs up so small to fit in your purse.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza – The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards and be the first to slap your hand on the central pile of cards when you see a match or when a special card appears. Now, to play the game, each player gets 12 cards dealt from the shuffled pack and players must not look at their cards. The players have to keep these five crazy words – Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza in mind. As soon as there is a match between a card and a spoken word, race against each other to slap your hand on the central pile of cards. The last one to do so must take them all. Sometimes being last is not that bad at all as the person can slap everyone else’s hands harder. We all had fun slapping hard on the last-but-one player!
Retro Uno – Classic uno, just cuter cards.
I Should Have Known That – “A trivia game about things you ought to know!” Super fun for larger groups. It’s random trivia questions, so you’ll learn something too.
Bananagrams – It’s like combining crosswords with Scrabble and is fast paced. Fun for kids that can spell.
Left Center Right – This one is great to bring money and throw down a buck or two and play as a huge group. It’s a pretty simple game, Jett picked it up quickly! Just played it and WON on our cruise!
Codenames – This one is SO FUN with large groups. You have different cards that act as a board. Each team has leader that is giving clues. The goal is to get all the words blocked out on your map card.
Fletter – It’s a fun and educational card game for kids, teens, and adults that allows them to learn and play together. With these alphabets flash card games for kids, you can make learning vocabulary more enjoyable and intriguing. I’m all for it!
Nertz – Probably our most played game as a family. It’s kind of confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s SO FUN. If you’re competitive like we are, it get’s wild!
Pop Darts – Wayyyy better then real darts putting holes in your walls, this is another one my boys really love.
Secret Hitler – Again, so fun for big groups. Another mafia-like game. You’re trying to figure out who the secret hitler is as a group you vote people out and whoever is standing last wins!
Corn Hole – My boys love playing this. I picked a set that was a classic look!
Cover Your Assets – This is the one game my boys BEG to play and it’s so much fun as a family. Fair warning, if you’ve got kids that are competitive, this game can get lively! But it’s super easy to learn, fun for large numbers (just buy multiple decks), and can keep the troops entertained for hours! The idea is to get two matching cards to create an “asset” and to protect that asset by collecting more and piling them on top of each other. Only the top “asset” is in danger of being stolen by another player. This is hand’s down one of the best games ever made!
Puck Flick Game – I know the boys would have a blast with this one, just what your fingers! It’s like mini shuffle board.
Kan Jam – Another fun outdoor one. The goal is to try and get the frisbee through into the opening in the can!
Monopoly Deal – The board game takes forever, and my kids definitely lose interest and get all mad over it. This card game version is way better and we all love it! If you’re in it for the long haul here’s a link to the board game.
Jumbo Pong – Beer pong without the beer. Fill them up with the hose and then dump the water on yourself when you loose.
Tilt N’ Shout – Super fun to play with your kids. You are given a category and each person has to say something that goes along with that category and then tilt their side of the board. If the other person can’t name anything before the marble gets to their side, you win the round!
Bocce Ball Set – Another great one for all ages. You throw the smaller ball out and then everyone tries to get as close to the ball as possible with their designated balls.
Qwirkle – Qwirkle is another of our favorite matching games that is easy for our younger kids to play but can be made challenging for the older kids to play as well!
Spikeball – Great for the teens, they love this one! If you have larger spaces then this will work indoors. You bounce the ball off the net to the other team and if they don’t get you get a point!… at least that’s what I’ve picked up from watching it.
Chinese Checkers – Made by the same company that did the solitaire one! I got the oak board for this one too. They are great to leave out too because they are so pretty, plus they get used wayyy more.
Herd Mentality – The goal of the game is to try not to stick out. We play this one a lot as a family. It makes us realize how dumb we are.
Hitster – For all you music lovers in your life. You connect to spotify and scan the QR code on the card. When it’s your turn the song plays and you have to guess where it goes within your timeline (you don’t have to get the exact year right). It’s fun because it can take you down memory lane with some of the hits that are on it!
Crossnet – 4 square meets volleyball we pulled this out for parties this summer. If you’ve got competitive people in your fam then this may or may not be the game for you haha.
Play Nine – If you have golf lovers, this is a fun one. It’s great because you don’t actually have to know golf to play! A great card game that my boys love.
What Do You Meme? – Think Apples to Apples with Memes! This one is super funny. There’s a family version and a not so family friendly version.
Mind the Gap – The goal is to have the most age diverse team because there is trivia questions from Boomer to Gen Z. Great for a large crowd.
Settlers of Catan – Settlers of Catan is an enduring classic, and for good reason. It’s approachable for new players but deep enough for experienced (and very competitive players) to really sink their teeth into. On the surface, the game is simple enough. You build settlements across the island of Catan in pursuit of economic domination. It’s all about managing resources and trying to outsmart your opponents. Here’s the expansion pack if you’ve got a big family like us.
Sharing my favorite puzzles HERE and HERE. Whenever my kids have a break from school we always pull out a puzzle, it’s so relaxing and fun. We also use THIS puzzle board and it’s amazing.
