Unplug from your devices and spend some bonding family time playing board games. Here’s a collection of family board games that you and kids might like. If your kids are preschoolers or in their teens, there’s a game to suit.
Some of these games are easy to learn if you have younger kids. The list includes some retro classics as well as some of the hottest family-friendly games.
Bonus: Some of these fun board games even have educational benefits. Just don’t tell your kids that. Just tell them it’s unplugged play,
5 Second Rule
Think you’re good at quick thinking and
Cards Against Humanity – Family Edition
If you’re looking for a age-appropriate version of CAH that you can play with your kids, choose Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition. It’s the same premise as the original. In each round, one player asks a question from a black card. and everyone answers with their funniest white card. Ages 8+.
Catan (or Settlers of Catan)
We’ve just recently started playing Catan following a recomendation from another family and we’re hooked. How best to explain Catan? It’s a multiplayer board game that involves strategy and luck. The board features nineteen hexagonal tiles known as terrain hexes.
Players attempt to be the dominant force on the island of Catan by building settlements, cities, and roads on them. However, the dice determines the resources that you get. The number that’s rolled determines which terrain hex produces resources. It’s a challenge to learn at first but worth it. We recommend watching the video that explains it. Ages 9+.
The Chameleon
One of you is the chameleon. In this board game The Chameleon, your job is to blend in and not get caught. Catch that chameleon! Everyone else is trying to work out who the Chameleon is. Everyone suspects everyone else at the beginning. Using one carefully chosen word based on a secret topic, you each try to smoke out the Chameleon, who doesn’t know what the secret topic is. Ages 14+
Cluedo
Get your family playing Cluedo, a classic murder mystery game. It’s a fantastic game to teach deduction as it involves eliminating suspects, weapons and locations. Maybe it’s the opportunity to dramtically announce “It was Professor Plum in the library with the candlestick” but it still provides plenty of entertainment for the entire family. You can play the game with 2 to 6 players but it’s definitely more fun with more players. Suitable for ages 8+.
Dumb Questions To Ask Your Friends
Learn more about your friends and play Dumb Questions To Ask Your Friends! This year’s ultimate party starter, players have to guess which question their friend has answered from their answer. With 400 dumb questions to ask, this is hilarious fun and a great way to find out more about your nearest and dearest. Age 4+.
Exploding Kittens
Exploding Kittens is a strategic card game in which players take turns drawing cards until someone draws an exploding kitten and loses the game. Think Russian Roulette but just in a board game! Start the game by putting the cards face down and players take turns drawing cards, until someone draws an exploding kitten card. If they do, they explode and are out of the card game unless they have a diffuse card. Ages 7+.
Flip 7
Flip over cards one by one without flipping the same number twice. Sounds easy? Think again! This isn’t just any deck of cards… In Flip 7, there’s only one 1 card, two 2’s, three 3’s, etc plus a bunch of special cards that can score you extra points, give you a second chance, or freeze you or your opponents in your tracks. Are you the type of player to play it safe and bank points before you bust, or are you going to risk it all and go for the bonus points by flipping over seven in a row? Press your luck meets strategy in this addictive card game that’s sure to be the greatest card game you’ve ever played! Ages 8+.
The Game of Life
Teach kids some life lessons in The Game of Life board game. As they progress around the board going from Start to Retirement, there’s all kinds of milestones to achieve including getting a job, getting married, having kids. The winner is the player with the most money at the end of the game, much like in real life! Ages 8+. RRP $39.99. There’s also Game of Life Junior for kids aged 5+. Similar to the original version but has more kid-friendly adventures.
Get the Ick
Do you get the icks? Get the Ick is a fun and easy card game that makes the perfect gift for teenagers and adults. Just guess which ick the other players hate the most. Simple! This is an entertaining party game where you can form new friendships with a mutual hatred for ick (or bond over the shared shame of being guilty of one!) Ages 14+.
Guess Who?
For a fun brain game, choose Guess Who? It’s a great logic game and one to get kids asking questions and reflecting on the answer. Each player has to nominate a character and then players have to guess each other’s character. They do this by asking yes or no questions. Do they have brown hair? Are their eyes blue? Based on the answers, they flip down the possible choices leaving fewer characters, based on which they can ask more specific questions. When they think they know who their opponent’s mystery character is, players make a guess. If the guess is wrong, that player loses the game! Ages 6+.
Hedbanz
You can’t go wrong with family games that involve headbands and “Yes” and “No” questions. This is Hedbanz, the game where a player puts on a headband with a card that lists what they are. Everyone else can see the card but not them. They then have to ask “Yes” or “No” questions to figure out what they are before time runs out. Great game to get kids to develop their deductive reasoning skills. Ages 7+.
Herd Mentality
This is the game where you need to think like the crowd to win. In Herd Mentality, if your answer is the odd one out, you’ll be saddled with the Pink Cow – and you don’t want that! Voted as “the best party game ever created” by TechRadar in 2022, “Herd Mentality is guaranteed to have you in stitches… a fabulous game to play with families.” Suitable for ages 10+.
Hurry Up Chicken Butt
A Hot Potato game with jumping, laughing, and lots of animal noises! (And secretly…a little bit of exercise). Hurry Up Chicken Butt gets you on your feet and into a silly mood. Shake the Chicken to reveal your activity, then quickly perform it before passing the Chicken Shaker to the next player. Don’t get caught holding the Chicken when the timer goes off! This game is fast, funny and it’s different every time. Plus, everyone has an equal chance to win…especially the little ones! Perfect for family game night or encouraging groups of kids to play together. Ages 4+.
Jenga
To develop strategy and hand-eye coordination skills, play Jenga. This game requires a steady hand, a strategic approach and some luck. 54 wooden blocks get stacked in a tower and then players take turns pulling out a block and then stacking it on top. Sounds easy but when there’s the blocks on top or below the block you’re trying to remove, it can be a challenge. The game finishes when the tower collapses. Ages 6+. RRP $28.99.
Let’s Hit Each Other with Fake Swords
The title of this game is pretty self-explanatory – It’s the world’s first sword-fighting card game. Determine the winner by collecting cards and engaging in clever sword-fighting duels. Parents, don’t worry, they are squishy foam swords! Ages 7+
Monopoly
It’s a classic game of real estate wheeling and dealing. Best of all, Monopoly teaches your kids about property, budgeting, rent and taxes. Great way to get kids to practice their math skills without them realising. For younger kids who might not be able to sit through an entire game of Monopoly, try Monopoly Bluey Jr.
Mousetrap
With its physical pieces that actually transport and trap mice, the Mouse Trap board game is a fun one for families. Part-board game, part-engineering experiment, it shows kids cause and effect as their mice race around the board collecting cheese pieces and stealing cheese from other players. Ages 6+.
Operation
Encourage hand-eye coordination and get your kids playing Operation. This timeless game involves “operating” on a patient and removing ailments out of his body with a tweezer. But watch out, if you accidentally touch the side, the buzzer will sound and the patient’s nose will light up. This game has been updated and now includes pieces like headphone headache and gamer’s thumb. Ages 4+.
Pictionary
You soon learn who can draw in Pictionary. It’s a game where one player sketches out the clue while teammates try to guess what it is. Hilarious especially when the drawing isn’t that easy to understand. There’s card for both adults and young players so it’s versatile for a family / adult game. Suitable for ages 8+.
Scrabble
Expand your kids’ vocabulary and get them playing Scrabble. In this classic game, players choose seven letter tiles and then try to form a word. Great way to get kids spelling. Also, it tests out their math skills especially when adding the tile numbers and multiplying for triple word scores. Just remember to have a dictionary handy to verify words. For younger kids aged 5 – 7, play Scrabble Junior. Double-sided, one side features picture clues to help young spellers. Ages 8+.
Smart Ass
Yell out your answer in the Smart Ass board game! That’s the point of this trivia game. One player reads a series of clues that get increasingly easier and the other players try to be the first to guess the correct answer. It’s a fun game, with amusing ass references on the board. Players get to throw the dice to choose a category. They include Who Am I? Where am I? What am I? and Hard Ass! There’s also expansion packs such as 90s Nostalgia and Geek Chic.
Want an example of a question? Yell out the answer when you’ve figured it out. “I am a musician. I am a child of destiny. I think when life gives you lemons, make Lemonade. My daughter is Blue sometimes. I am the first woman to win six Grammys in one night. My fans sometimes call themselves the Beehive. I am sometime Sasha Fierce, sometime the Queen. Who am I? with the initial B?” Guess Beyonce? You’re right. Ages 12+. Read the Newy with Kids review.
Stupid Deaths
If your family’s a fan of twisted humour, the Stupid Deaths board game is for you. In this game, players have to guess whether a stupid death is real or made up. You vote True or False using your coffin cards. If you’re wrong, the Grim Reaper moves closer to you and eventually you die (or at least you’re out of the game). It’s a super funny game and you won’t believe how some people die. The game states that it’s for kids 12+. However, if your kids are able to deal with mature subjects, you could play it with kids 9 and older. Read the Newy with Kids review.
That Sound Game
That Sound Game is a fast paced, interactive and very noisy party game created here in Australia. The goal is to get your team to guess as many answers on the category cards as they can in a minute. Use any combination of sounds and movements, but your hands must be behind your back. You also get Lifelines. Use them strategically to help you win. Ages 14+.
Trivial Pursuit (Family Edition)
If trivia’s your thing, then play the Family Edition of Trivial Pursuit. The game is still true to its roots. It still involves moving around a board and answering questions in six categories: Geography, Entertainment, History, Art and Literature, Science and Nature, and Sports and Leisure. However, in this edition, it’s a smaller board so it doesn’t go on forever like the original game. Also, there are specific Adult and Kids questions making it fairer for younger players. Ages 6+. Please note this version is the UK version so some of the questions are specific to that region.
Throw Throw Burrito
Why just play a board game when you can combine it with a sport? Throw Throw Burrito is a cross between dodgeball and a card game. Try to collect matching sets of cards faster than your opponents while simultaneously ducking, dodging, and throwing squishy airborne burritos. While playing the game, it’s best to be mindful that the burritos are made of foam, and can be pulled apart easily. We learned from experience. Luckily, JB Hi Fi sells replacements! Ages 7+
Twister
Some might argue that Twister isn’t a board game and technically it’s not. But think of the players as the board pieces. Spin the wheel and see what body part you need to move to a colour on the floor mat. You’ll be twisted up in no time with other players. Remember the last player standing wins. Recommended for kids birthday parties. Ages 6+.
Upwords
Similar to Scrabble is Upwords, a 3D word-building game. In this game, you choose letter tiles and make words but you can build upwards. It’s a clever strategy which can make it easier for kids to spell words. Ages 8+.
Wavelength
Wavelength is a social guessing game for two teams focused on mind-reading. Teams alternate turns, rotating a dial on a spectrum to guess the hidden location of a bullseye. For each turn, one teammate acts as the Psychic who knows where the bullseye is, drawing a card with a binary pair (e.g., Job – Career). The Psychic then gives a conceptual clue to their team, indicating where on that spectrum they believe the bullseye lies between the two extremes. Ages 14+.
You Can’t Say Umm
Umm? Can you avoid saying it? You Can’t Say Umm is the ultimate noisy party game with a simple mission – avoid saying “umm” at all costs! Two teams race to navigate their way to victory by describing bizarre things from random cards. But here’s the catch: every “umm” triggers the bell, ramping up the pressure. Ages 10+.
Zombie Kittens
For of Exploding Kittens comes Zombie Kittens: a new version of Exploding Kittens, doubling as an expansion for any deck. Experience a game-changer: Player Resurrection! Featuring fresh artwork and cards, Zombie Kittens injects new life into your gameplay. Are you ready to rise from the undead and conquer the apocalypse? Age 7+.
Best games for educational value
- Scrabble
- Monopoly
- Trivial Pursuit
- Smart Ass
Best games for a laugh
- Cards Against Humanity
- Stupid Deaths
- Pictionary
- Throw Throw Burrito
- Twister
- You Can’t Say Umm
Best for families with young kids 4 – 7
- Operation
- 5 Second Rule Jr
- Twister
- Hedbanz
- Hurry Up Chicken Butt
- Monopoly Jr
- Jenga
- Game of Life Junior
Best for families with teens
- Catan
- Cards Against Humanity
- Exploding Kittens
- The Game of Life
- Herd Mentality
- Scrabble
- Smart Ass
- Stupid Deaths
- That Sound Game
- Throw Throw Burrito
- Wavelength
- Zombie Kittens
Got any other recommendations for family game night? Email Newy with Kids with your suggestions.
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