New Ideas For Family Game Night


Okay, so it's Saturday, but it's raining, so a picnic at the park is out.  Or maybe it's Family Game Night, but you're not looking forward to another round of Monopoly or Uno.  You can always mix it up by combining the two... when you've mortgaged the next to last of your properties, you have to call out that you only have one left!

Or you can create your own family games!  Here are some that I've come up with, or that I remember my mom playing with me as a child.

The Dictionary Game
When it's your turn, you are the moderator.  Open the dictionary and find an obscure word, and write the proper definition on a slip of paper.  Then read the word aloud, and let every one else write their own definition on slips of paper.  The moderator then reads all the papers, and everyone votes on which is the real one.  Those who guessed right, get a point.  Anyone who was able to fool someone else, also gets a point (per vote).  Play to 15 or 20 points, or whenever you get tired of playing.

Spelling Bee
This one's for the kids, so Mom and Dad, just sit back and moderate.  Usually teachers send home weekly lists of vocabulary words.  The middle and high schoolers will often have a different list for different classes (social studies, science).  If you don't have a relevant list for your child, you can easily find age and grade appropriate vocabulary words online.  Play as seen on TV.  The winner gets a prize:  ice cream, a day of no chores, stay up an hour past bedtime... you decide.

Who Knows More?
Get out a stack of paper for this one, and your kitchen timer.  Okay ready?  In two minutes, who can list the most U.S. States?  The most U.S. Presidents?  The most countries in the world?  The most kinds of flowers... trees... common pet names... television sitcoms... love songs?  You name it.  You can make a deck of cards to draw from, or just make up categories up as you go along.  Each player gets a point for each correct thing they've been able to list.  Play to 500 points, or just add up the points after one hour of play.

If you have an idea for a homemade family game, please share!