Are you desperate to reclaim family time without the constant interruptions from cell phones, laptops and gaming consoles? Here is your ultimate family gift guide of the best family fun games to play inside that the entire family will love this Christmas!
Why Choose Fun Games to Play Inside?
I’m sure you have heard the old saying, the family that plays together, stays together! Well, during these very high- tech times that we live in, it is becoming more difficult to compete for our family’s time and attention because of the abundance of devices that every member of the family seems to be attached to. Our family time is being hijacked, fragmented and severely interrupted. What if this Christmas, we brought back family game night with old fashioned card and board games?
How Does Game Night Benefit Our Families?
Choosing fun games to play inside together as a family gives us an opportunity to reconnect while ditching the distractions of electronics and the busyness of the world around us. Board games and card games not only provide the entire family with some good ole’ fashioned fun but it also provides parents the opportunity to teach their children some valuable life lessons and skills. So, while the family is spending quality time together, they are also learning lessons that will equip and prepare them for the real world.
What Lessons Can be Learned Through Family Game Night?
Family games to play inside are not only thoughtful gifts that the whole family can enjoy but they are also valuable gifts that can teach children a variety of skills that they can carry forward into adulthood. These lessons will benefit them in school, in the workplace and in relationships of their own.
Playing Games as a Family Can Teach Children:
- Individual and group problem solving skills
- Teamwork
- The value of healthy competition
- Valuable lessons about how to win and lose well
- What good sportsmanship is and how to show it to others
- How to learn the rules of a game and how to follow them
- What it means to have integrity
- How to take turns
- The importance of spending quality time together as a family
- Games give families the opportunity for intergenerational fun
How Family Game Night Brought Our Family Together
Before I share my awesome list of must have family fun games to play inside, I want to share how family game night kept our family close through some difficult and trying life circumstances.
As an only child, I was raised in a home with my parents and my great-grandparents. We were constantly playing games together. We did not have cable T.V. or cell phones, so obviously times were simpler, but I would not trade those experiences for all the money in the world. Those moments brought me closer to both my parents and my grandparents and created some of my most treasured memories.
Fast forward to me becoming a parent. Since our children were small, we tried to instill in them the love of fun games to play inside together. Growing up, they loved to play Go Fish, Chutes and Ladders and Operation. As they grew older and their abilities advanced, we tried to continue introducing them to new and more challenging board and card games.
My mom was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 57 and was an avid game player all her life! She could whoop anyone in Gin Rummy and loved any game that brought our family together. Over the years, she taught us many games that she was raised on and also took pride in learning new games that the kids enjoyed! Mom was an all- in, hands on kind of Nannie!
But, as some of her abilities diminished, as a result of her brain cancer, many of the other activities she enjoyed doing with the kids had to change. However, her love for games stayed intact and she enjoyed challenging her brain as personal “therapy.” Fun games to play inside connected our family on a deeper level and allowed my mom to continue participating in quality family time while allowing us to make meaningful memories together that my children will now be able to treasure for a lifetime!
You never know what the true value of a gifted game will be!
The Ultimate Family Game Gift Guide for Fun Games to Play Inside
This game is a classic and one that I grew up playing! My mom and great-grandmother taught me this game when I was just a little girl and it has become a family favorite in our home.
I remember spending hours at the kitchen table as a little girl learning how to play and strategize with this game! My mom taught my children how to play and they enjoying playing with one another or as a family!
Every Christmas, this card game provided HOURS of entertainment for my cousins and I. It is a blast to play and your family will love it!
Warning! This game has an addictive nature to it (at least it did for my Mom!) As my Mom’s condition with brain cancer worsened, her ability to sequence numbers became more and more challenging. However, this game allowed her to work her mind and practice her skills while having a great time with her family! I cannot tell you how many games of Racko we would play together DAILY! This is a must-have game for every family!
Bring your skill and strategy to this family favorite! Fun (and competitive) for the whole family!
Hours of laughter and crazy entertainment with this hilarious family card game! Bring your sense of humor and your silliness! This is one of those card games that even your “too cool” tween/teens will enjoy playing with the family! No one can take themselves too seriously!
Bring on the chaos! This game is loud and crazy but TONS OF FUN! It is fast paced and strategic but easy to catch on to!
This is a BRILLIANT, time saving alternative to the old fashioned favorite, Monopoly! Our family LOVES a good game of Monopoly but often times do NOT have hours to see the game to completion! If your family loves Monopoly, they will love Monopoly Deal.
I admit, this was not a favorite of mine the first time we played, however my kids LOVED it! Does not take long to learn or long to play but the family will enjoy it!
I first saw this game riding in the car with a friend and her son. It is a spin off of the classic game of Simon…but this time you are wearing the game! This game provides two headsets so you can play solo or with another player! Kids and Adults will LOVE this game! But, you must bring your memory and your quick reflexes!
Lulu Home Giant Checkers, 3-in-1 Jumbo Checkers Rug Checkers Board Game with Super Tic Tac Toe Set
This is a great 3:1 game option for 2 players! We got this for our children at Christmas last year and they have really enjoyed playing it! It is a “quiet” alternative to some of the other, more boisterous games!
This is an oldie but a goodie and also my 11 year old daughter’s new favorite game! When I told her I played this game when I was younger, she looked at me like I had ten heads because surely this was a brand NEW game in her mind. It might not be new but it is just as fun as I remember when I was her age!
Frustrating, fun and challenging all wrapped into one fun game to play inside! Bring your strategy and your sturdy hand! Fun for everyone with minimal set up and clean up!
There are so many fun games to play inside with the family that this list only scratches the surface. My hope is that you will make dedicated family time a non-negotiable in your home and intentionally encourage technology free activities in your home. Instead of turning on the T.V., try choosing one of these fun games to play inside that your entire family will love! Playing games together as a family can certainly make for a fun activity but they also give families the opportunity to reconnect, create new family traditions and make memories that will last a lifetime!
We usually have a game out on our dining table to play whenever we’re enjoying a meal together. Right now Rummikub is out, but we’re cycling through Farkle, Settlers of Catan, 7 Wonders.
What a fun family tradition Elaine! Thanks for sharing! Game time with the family is such a special time!