The holidays are jam-packed full of opportunities to make memories with family and friends. However, finding things to do together that everyone enjoys doing can be hard. These are the top 10 games to play during the holidays your whole family will love.
There are a lot of dud games out there that end up being more of a snooze fest than a woo-hoo. I know a lot of game closets that are full of games no one ever really enjoyed playing.
You should only invest in the best when it comes to games and there are several that stick out above the rest. Here are the top 10 games to play during the holidays your whole family will love.
Do you want action games? How about card games? Where are my board game people? No matter what your game preferences are, this list of games to play during the holidays has something for everyone!
These games also make wonderful gifts for any family!
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Top 10 games to play during the holidays your whole family will love
Action Games
- Air Pictionary
- Putting a whole new spin on an oldie but a goodie, Air Pictionary is a game that the whole family will enjoy.
- Using the drawing pen, this Pictionary game gets everyone up and moving. All you need to do is download to app to be able to see the full image. For a larger viewing screen, you can also use the app on your comparable smart TV.
- This version is for children 8+. To include children 6+, there is also the children vs adults edition for even more family fun.
- Escape Room Games
- Escape room games provide a fun way for everyone to get involved using their individual strengths.
- These escape room games are great for families as they are set up for children 10+. There are a variety of different themes to choose from!
- If you don’t have younger players, these editions are great for older groups geared towards players 16+.
- Each box has more than one escape room game so you get plenty of reusability!
- It doesn’t matter whether you win or not, though. You will always have an amazing time!
- The Adventure Challenge
- The hit dating book The Adventure Challenge now has a Family Edition! I got their couple’s book for our first anniversary years ago and I have gifted it to many couples since.
Now that they have a version for the whole family to enjoy, I am even more excited!
- The book has a series of activities that are kept a mystery until you scratch off the cover and read the instructions hidden beneath. There is a spot with double-sided tape where you can place a polaroid picture of your family while doing the adventure. At the bottom of each list of instructions is a notes section where you can jot down a thing or two about your experience to help you remember later.
- Once you have completed all of the adventures, you are left with a photo album of all your experiences. It’s the perfect way to save memories while spending time as a family!
- Also look into their couples edition, friends edition, and singles edition! They offer even more fun for all your adventure needs.
- The hit dating book The Adventure Challenge now has a Family Edition! I got their couple’s book for our first anniversary years ago and I have gifted it to many couples since.
Card Games
- Phase 10
- This game is a classic for a reason! Phase 10 is a game that is easy to learn and gives you a new experience each time.
- Phase 10 is rated for children 7+ but you can always team up with the younger crowd.
- Card games are always great to bring with you to a family get-together since they are compact in size and simple to set up. It provides lots of fun with very little work.
- Dutch Blitz
- My kids LOVE this game! Dutch Blitz is another oldie but goodie. It is a fast-paced game that keeps people on their toes. If they want to win that is.
- Set up is simple, with a stack of ten cards in a pile and three single cards face up. At the start of the game, you try to get as many “1” cards out so you can build the number piles up to “10”. Once you play all your cards from your pile of 10, you call “Blitz!”
- Dutch blitz is rated for ages 8+ and is set up for 2-4 players.
- I just found out that they now have an expansion pack for the game, which I am very excited about.
- Find and Seek
- Find And seek is a great game to play with children of all ages. The cards are larger which makes them easy to use with smaller children. It also comes with a bag that makes clean up and storage easy.
- Each card has a colorful picture and a descriptive word on it. Once you’ve picked a card, everyone has to go find an item that matches the description.
- Find and Seek would be a great group game to play when involving adults and little kids.
- All of us
- All of Us is a game that has questions for people of all generations. This card game is geared for children 12+.
- You split into teams and take turns answering questions on the card. The generation you are from determines the question you answer.
- All of us will have you laughing and learning things about each generation that you never knew before.
Board Games
- Ticket to ride
- Ticket to Ride is a fun game with a little bit of strategy where you use train cars to connect railroad routes for points. At the end of the game, the person with the most points wins!
- It also happens to be one of my favorite board games.
- The original Ticket to Ride game is set in the United States and is rated for children 8+.
- They also have a Ticket to Ride First Journey game that is great for younger ages and shorter attention spans.
- There are several other editions that open up even more family fun. Ticket to Ride Europe, Ticket to Ride Rails and Sails, Ticket to Ride New York, and Ticket to Ride First Journey Europe, are just a few of the many other editions that this game has to offer.
- No matter what your geographical interest, Ticket to Ride has something for you!
- Quelf
- Quelf is a board game like no other. It is full of wild and wacky antics that will have the whole family laughing!
- You start out by picking a character. The first person rolls the dice and the color tile they land on is the color card you pick. Each card has its own category of craziness that the player must follow. The first one to reach the end wins!
- This game comes with loads of laughter and crazy memories throughout. This is a game every family needs to have!
- Quelf is for kids 12+. However, it’s only based on whether they can understand the cards. I have played it with my 8 year old.
- They also have a Quelf junior game which is rated for kids 6+!
- Telestrations
- Telestrations is’t technically a board game, but more of a notepad game. Players take turns drawing what you see and guessing what you saw which leads to a wild and wacky experience!
- No artistic skills needed. Be prepared to laugh!
- Telestrations is rated for ages 12+ and can have up to 8 players. Their party pack allows for up to 12 players!
Spending time as a family is something that more people need to do more often. Making memories doesn’t have to be stressful or boring and it is possible to have moments where people aren’t always looking at their phones.
So grab one (or more) of these games for your family, or as a gift for a friend, and let the good times roll this holiday season!