10 Fun Family Board Games

Nothing quite beats a good old-fashioned board game. Although these tabletop games may not be as popular in today’s digital world as they were before, they can actually be even more appealing as an unplugged respite from the deluge of phones, televisions and tablets. During times like these, fun family board games can be great ways to spend quality time with loved ones. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re great entertainment when stuck indoors.

These 10 board games are bound to provide endless hours of fun for all members of the family.

Monopoly

It’s a well-known fact that Monopoly never gets old. And if you have kids, there’s never a bad time to introduce your kids to the game. If you’re really looking for a time-killer, try Monopoly Longest Game Ever. This version has more properties than any other Monopoly game and has multiple features that make it difficult for players to run out of money.

If you don’t think your kids have the attention stamina for such a feat, go the opposite direction with Monopoly Speed. Hasbro claims it can be played in under 10 minutes.

Scrabble

Looking for a more highbrow board game that is as educational as it is entertaining? Try the world’s most popular word game. Take turns forming the highest-scoring words you can find and then tally up the points at the end.

The game is suitable for children age eight and older. But like most classic board games, there is a junior version.

Operation

Cavity Sam needs your help! In this fun family game players take turns using tweezers to remove funny ailments including a charlie horse, funny bone and butterflies in the stomach. You collect the money if you can take the ailment piece out without getting buzzed. The player with the most money at the end wins.

Operation may not lead your children to a medical degree but it will keep them engaged and maybe even improve their fine motor skills.

Clue

Colonel Mustard in the dining room with the candlestick.

With endless possible outcomes, the classic “whodunit” game never gets old. The fun family board game has been updated with new rooms, weapons and guests. But you can always just stick to the classic original version.

If the idea of having your child try to solve a fictitious murder isn’t appetizing, try Clue Junior where players are on a mission to solve the case of the missing cake.

Mouse Trap

If you’re hoping to get your children interested in the sciences, give them some first-hand engineering experience with Mouse Trap. The game revolves around the eponymous Rube Goldberg machine. Players race around the board trying to collect cheese wedges, all while avoiding getting trapped.

The game is suited for two to four players and children age six and up.

Guess Who?

In this classic guessing game, players choose a mystery character and then use yes or no questions to try to determine their opponent’s character. After each question, you can knock down the eliminated characters on your board. When you believe you know the identity, you can take a guess. But be careful – if you guess wrong, your opponent automatically wins.

Guess Who? is a two-player game so if playing with the whole family you might want to consider creating teams.

Courtesy of Mattel

Apples to Apples Junior

Apples to Apples is a hilarious card game of crazy comparisons. In each round, one player (the judge) plays a green, adjective card. The other players then select a red, noun card that best suits that adjective. The judge decides which pair is best fitting (or funniest, or crowd-pleasing). It can be as serious or as silly as you like.

The junior version is suitable for children ages nine and up. There’s also Apples to Apples Kids if you’re playing with an even younger crowd.

Spontuneous

Who doesn’t love bursting into song? In this fun family board game, all players write down a series of random words. In Spontuneous, players take turns announcing one of their words. The rest of the group then has to belt out a line of a song that uses that particular word. First player to do so wins that round.

The game can accommodate up to 10 players, so it’s a great choice for a large group. And don’t worry – singing talent is not required.

What games has your family been playing lately? Let us know in the comments below?

Codenames

In Codenames, players are split into two teams and 25 cards, each with a different code name, are laid out on the table. All the cards belong to one of the two teams. One player on each team, the “spymaster,” knows which codenames belong to their team. The spymasters take turns giving one-word clues to their teammates to try to get them to guess the right codenames.

Not only is the game fun, it’s played quickly so you can play many rounds in one game night.

Busytown Eye Found It

If you’ve got little ones around (ages three and up), we’ve got you covered. Busytown is based off the animated world of the same name created by children’s author Richard Scurry. In this game, players race around the big, colorful game board searching for hidden objects.

Looking for a different kind of family fun? Try these coloring pages.