Our family game night was one I looked forward to when I was younger. We all would pull up a chair around our kitchen table, make ice cream floats and play cards. It was a great time together.
Those were good times because of the way it pulled us all back in as a family. My husband also had a similar experiences in his family so we both were in agreement that we wanted to continue this tradition with our family.
Good intentions however were only the beginning. We soon found that with a 7 yr age span in our clan, finding a game that all could play (and understand!) was quite a challenge.
Some Great Answers
So you weren't really expecting me to not have a few ideas here, were you? I do. Starting with the game we learned on our last family vacation - Mexican Train Dominoes. We all could play it together - important with the size of our family - and it was fun. Plus the dominoes rules for Mexican Train aren't hard to learn. We did find after buying the inexpensive game that the rules in the game were not the same as the ones we learned. Find the "Hellstrom" domino rules on the website listed below.
Another choice we too found is Apples to Apples. Unlike Mexican Train dominos, this game takes a bit of explanation of what the clues and the judge cards say and a bit of help with reading the definitions. But there is a Jr. version of this game.
And for Christmas last year, Grandma bought a tile game called Blokus. It does involve some critical thinking skills, but our 7 yr. old was able to pick it up right away. It is only a 4-player game.
All these games are relatively inexpensive and sturdy. Mexican Train dominos, etal are definite must-haves for your family nights. You will enjoy the laughter and memories they will bring!
Those were good times because of the way it pulled us all back in as a family. My husband also had a similar experiences in his family so we both were in agreement that we wanted to continue this tradition with our family.
Good intentions however were only the beginning. We soon found that with a 7 yr age span in our clan, finding a game that all could play (and understand!) was quite a challenge.
Some Great Answers
So you weren't really expecting me to not have a few ideas here, were you? I do. Starting with the game we learned on our last family vacation - Mexican Train Dominoes. We all could play it together - important with the size of our family - and it was fun. Plus the dominoes rules for Mexican Train aren't hard to learn. We did find after buying the inexpensive game that the rules in the game were not the same as the ones we learned. Find the "Hellstrom" domino rules on the website listed below.
Another choice we too found is Apples to Apples. Unlike Mexican Train dominos, this game takes a bit of explanation of what the clues and the judge cards say and a bit of help with reading the definitions. But there is a Jr. version of this game.
And for Christmas last year, Grandma bought a tile game called Blokus. It does involve some critical thinking skills, but our 7 yr. old was able to pick it up right away. It is only a 4-player game.
All these games are relatively inexpensive and sturdy. Mexican Train dominos, etal are definite must-haves for your family nights. You will enjoy the laughter and memories they will bring!
About the Author:
Take a look at our good Christmas gifts website for gift ideas specifically chosen for familes. Plus, read our Mexican Train Domino rules. Are you a parent? The you have to visit our effective parenting skills site for parenting tips from a couple of pros - parents of 5 adopted kiddos!
