Family Gift Guide: 21 Games That Are Fast and Easy to Play

Playing games together as a family is a great way to connect as you learn from one another and strategize together. Many families receive or purchase games for Christmas or throughout the year. To make your shopping search easier, this extensive list of family games takes into consideration player’s ages, number of players, easy to learn, and time it takes to play. You’re sure to find a game just right for your family.

Let the Fun Begin!

5 Second Rule: Ages 10 and up. 3 or more players. Pick a topic and name 3 things that fit the topic–in 5 seconds!

Beasts of Balance: Ages 7 and up. Stacking game that’s hybrid–board plus a connected digital device.

Blokus: Ages 7 and up. 2-4 players. 30 minutes. Our family received this as a gift. It’s a game of strategy. Even if you’re not good at it, you learn a lot.

Connect Four: Ages 6 and up. 2 players. Using yellow and red checker pieces and a grid, line up four in a row to win. My four year old insists on playing this game his way. He lines up his pieces however he likes, then declares himself winner every time. Whatever works, right? 🙂

Cranium: Ages 16 years and up. 4 or more players. Show off your skills by drawing, sleuthing, acting and more. A guess-it game.

Disney’s Beat the Parents: Ages 6 and up. 2 or more players. We just went to DisneyWorld in the spring. My boys will love the chance to beat us parents in a little Disney trivia match. I just ordered this one.

Escape: Big Box Family Dice Game: All ages. Interactive, family dice game. Can be played in 10 minutes. Includes a soundtrack CD.
Family Challenge: Ages 6 and up. 2 or more players. Parents and kids play against each other in a fun challenge to answer questions.

Family Feud: Platinum Edition: Ages 8 and up. 3+ players. Based on the popular game show. Can be played along with an app.

Googly Eyes Game: Ages 7 and up. 4-16 players. Everybody puts on vision-altering googles and tries to guess what a teammate is drawing. Whacky fun!

HedBanz: Ages 7 and up. 2 to 6 players. Don a headband with a cartoon character. No peeking! Take turns asking questions to guess what’s on your forehead. Goofy fun!

Husker Du>: Ages 4 and up. 1 or more players. This is a renewal of the classic picture memory-matching game. I played this as a kid and STILL love it! In fact, I bought a vintage set from ebay. Brings back wonderful childhood memories.

Jenga: Ages 6 and up. 1 or more players. Stack the blocks, then pull them out one at a time. Loser tumbles the stack. Classic fun.

Loaded Questions: Ages 6 and up. 4 to 6 players. Card game with over 200 questions. Each player responds. Players in turn guess who gave each answer to the question. Great way to get to know one another. We have the board game edition. Great for parties too.

Monkey’s Up: Ages 6 and up. 1 to 6 players. Play for the best score by flipping and switching monkeys.

Phase 10: Ages 7 and up. 2 to 6 players. Our family loves this game! It’s an easy-to-learn, Rummy-type card game with a twist. Buy a couple of sets to play this at your next big family get together.

Skyjo: Ages 8 and up. 2-5 players. Get as few points as possible by flipping and trading cards. Fast-paced game. 10 minutes.

Taboo: Ages 13 and up. 4 or more players. Draw a card, and without using any of the “taboo” words listed, get your team to guess a specific word. This is a game I’ve played for years–with family and in church groups. Every family’s game closet should have it.

Uno Emoji: Ages 7 and up. 2 to 10 players. Still the same Uno with a new, Emoji look. Timeless fun!

Wits and Wagers: Family Edition:Ages 6 and up. 3 or more players. Play time: 25 minutes. A trivia game where kids can beat the parents! Our family loves to play this one with friends for a fun game night.

Watch Ya Mouth: Family Edition: Ages 8 and up. 2 to 10 players. Try to say tongue teasers while wearing cheek stretchers, and the fun just happens!

And if you have little people in your house, holding cards in little hands can be tricky. Don’t forget to order this set of four, wooden playing card holders. Santa brought them to us last year, and they’re a BIG help.

Have a fun game your family loves to play? Please comment and let me know.