If you are looking for a way to have fun and capitalize on all this extra time at home, I suggest a good, old-fashioned game night. So, to help you find the perfect game to play, I have complied a list of games that come highly recommended by me and some of my fellow Knoxville Mom contributors.
Cooperative Games
Cooperative games are a great option for younger players. They encourage teamwork and teach children how to play board games without any extra pressure, because either EVERYONE wins or EVERYONE loses.
Count Your Chickens
Number of Players: 2-4
Ages: 3+
Players work together to help the baby chicks get to their mother. Plus, this game involves counting so players are learning something along the way.
Eye Found It
Number of Players: 1-6
Ages: 4+
Players work together to find hidden objects. It comes in a variety of versions including Disney, Dreamworks, BusyTown, etc. There is even a card game version.
Hoot Owl Hoot
Number of Players: 2-4
Ages: 4+
In this game, everyone is trying to help the owls make it home before the sun comes up. It’s a great game for younger children and takes only 15 minutes to play.
Mermaid Island
Number of Players: 2-4
Ages: 5+
This is another great option in the cooperative game category. Everyone is attempting to move all the mermaids to the island before the witch gets there.
Card Games
Too Many Monkeys
Number of Players: 2-6
Ages: 6+
The object is to get a monkey named Primo back to bed. Amazon says it takes only 15 minutes to play AND that it helps reinforce skills like number sequencing and probability.
Exploding Kittens
Number of Players: 2-5
Ages: 7+
I love this game! The object is to avoid drawing an exploding kitten from the deck. You can try to prevent this by playing a variety of quirky and hilarious cat-themed cards. If you like this game, I recommend getting the expansion pack “Imploding Kittens.” I think it makes the game even more fun, and it allows you to play with up to 6 players.
Fluxx
Number of Players: 2-6
Ages: 8+
It’s a game card, but the exciting part is that both the rules and even the object of the game change as you play.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Number of Players: 2 or more
Ages: 8+
The name of this game alone should tell you that it’s going to be fun. It’s an easy-to-learn, fast-paced, tongue-twisting game.
Board Games
Spy Alley
Number of Players: 2 to 6
Ages: 8+
If you have always wanted to try to be a spy, this game is for you. As a spy, you work to complete a mission while figuring out the secret identity of other players. The game says it involves exciting elements such as disguises, code books, and passwords.
Ticket to Ride
Number of Players: 2-5
Ages: 8+
My husband and I have spent many evenings playing this game at his parents’ house. It’s one of our favorites. Players work to earn points by completing routes between various cities. It involves a lot of strategy, but it’s easy to learn.
Ticket to Ride First Journey
Number of Players: 2-4
Ages: 6+
This is a great alternative if you have kids who aren’t quite old enough for Ticket to Ride. All the same fun, but for younger players.
Don’t Rock the Boat
Number of Players: 2-4
Ages: 5+
Players work to balance pieces on a boat without sending any other pieces overboard. The pirate theme makes this game extra fun.
Catan
Number of Players: 3-4
Ages: 10+
Catan is my all-time favorite board game. I love it because it takes so much strategy. Players use resources to build settlements, roads, and cities with the goal of being the first player to earn 10 points. It’s definitely a game that takes a little longer to play and learn, but it’s so much fun.
Party Games
Taboo
Number of Players: 4 or more
Ages: 13+
This game was always a hit at my family’s Thanksgiving. The object is to get your team to guess the word written on your card, but the catch is that there are certain words you are not allowed to say as clues. Plus, there is a buzzer involved.
Cranium
Number of Players: 4 or more
Ages: 16+
I played Cranium at so many slumber parties back in the day. It involves performing hilarious tasks that can include anything from sculpting with the Cranium clay to singing.
Pie Face
Number of Players: 2 or more
Ages: 5+
It’s a game that uses whipped cream and someone gets pied in the face — a total win-win with kids.
Watch Ya’ Mouth
Number of Players: 3-10
Ages: 8+
Remember that weird mouthpiece that the orthodontist put in your mouth when he put your braces on? Well, this tests your ability to talk while wearing one of those. Speaking from experience, it’s way harder than it looks. And, don’t worry; it comes with 10 mouthpieces so you won’t have to share germs.
Googly Eyes
Number of Players: 4-16
Ages: 7+
This game challenges you to draw pictures while wearing glasses that distort your vision. Super fun to play, and if you’re a bad artist like me, you can blame your bad drawings on the glasses.
Wits and Wagers
Number of Players: 4 or more
Ages: 10+
This game is great because it can be played with many players and can be played in teams. Also, it’s a trivia game but you don’t have to know the right answers to win.
The Classics
If you’re not in the mood to try out a new game, these classics are always great go-tos.
• Clue
• Aggravation
• Life
• Battleship
• Scrabble
• Scattergories
• Uno
• Guess Who?
• Rook
• Candyland
• Chutes and Ladders
• Yahtzee
