51 Interesting Games for Family Get Together

Image: MomJunction Design Team

Family get-togethers are exciting because you get to meet all your favorite cousins and family members. It’s the perfect occasion to host a memorable game night to make sure everyone has a blast. If you are looking for games for family get-togethers, we have got you covered. Family game nights are nights of joy and fun. They not only help family members catch up but also strengthen bonds and bring unlimited laughter. They allow you to create lasting memories and foster connections across generations. In this post, we bring you several games for family get-togethers to make your next family get-together unforgettable!

Family Games That Will Brighten Up The Get-together

Be it kids or adults, everyone is thrilled with the idea of playing exciting games. Fun games can serve as one of the most enjoyable things to do on the weekend with family. These family games provide entertainment and are an excellent opportunity to bond with your family.

Indoor Games To Play At Home With Family

You can play these games when the night is cold or it is raining outside, and even when the climate is pleasant!

1. Doodle With Noodle

Image: Shutterstock

This game will bring a riot of laughter in the room. The challenge here is that the players cannot use their hands to make the shape.

You will need:

• Noodles or spaghetti pasta

How to play:

1. Players have to form a letter in the alphabet or number with the noodle by just using their tongue and lips.
2. You may give a time limit to make it more interesting.
3. If the number of participants is more, make it a group activity by asking each team to do a short word instead of a single letter.

2. Pass The Story

Image: Shutterstock

This family game is sure to get the creative juices flowing.

You will need

• Pen
• Blank paper

How to play

1. The first player writes down the first line and folds that part of the paper horizontally. He/ she has to write only a couple of words in the second line and pass it on to the next player.
2. All the subsequent players have to guess the previous line, complete the incomplete next line, and then add a couple of words in the new line before passing it on to the next player with the previous sentences folded and covered.
3. Once everyone is done adding their creativity to the paper, unfold the paper to get the final story.
4. The final story will be a hilarious, wacky tale.

Point to consider

Try to set a time limit for the game, especially if you are playing it as a part of a small group. It will be more fun than you have imagined.

3. Never Have I Ever

Image: Shutterstock

This is one such game, which is sure to reveal all the secrets of the family.

You will need

• Shot glasses
• A drink of your choice
• A big bowl
• Pieces of paper

How to play

1. Write down funny questions on the pieces of paper, fold them, and put them in the big bowl.
2. For instance write questions like, Never Have I Ever danced in the bathroom or Never Have I Ever tasted dog or cat food.
3. All the family members can sit in a circle, with a shot glass in their hands.
4. Each player gets to ask one question at a time and whoever has done that particular thing has to take a shot. The fun starts here as you take more shots!

4. Man Hunt

Image: Shutterstock

An absolute fun version of hide-n-seek is here for your family game night.

You will need

• 2 whistles
• 2 stopwatches
• 1 torchlight for every pair

How to play

1. Divide the players into two teams and choose team captains.
2. The team captain gets one whistle and a stopwatch.
3. Set a spot as the base camp and also set fixed boundaries.
4. The first team sets their stopwatch to say 3 minutes and gives time to the other team to hide, ideally in pairs.
5. Once those 3 minutes are over, the team captain has to blow the whistle, and the team begins the hunt!
6. The challenge for the hiding team is to return to their base camp without getting caught by the hunters.
7. If any hunter catches a player, they have to become a hunter too.
8. To win this game, the hiding team along with their captain and majority of the team, must return to the base camp and blow the whistle.

5. Drawing Games

Image: IStock

“Art is anything you can get away with”. – Marshall McLuhan. This is a game worth trying this holiday season.

You will need

• A sheet of paper
• Color pens or pencils

How to play

1. One member draws any random shape on the paper.
2. They pass it on to the next person, who has to add their imagination to the given shape.
3. Continue to pass the paper till it reaches the final player.
4. The result will be a funny-looking shape or maybe even art.

6. Bowling at Home

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Bring the bowling alley into your living room and see how interesting it could be. Let the amusement begin.

You will need

• 10 water bottles of the same size
• A fluffy ball

How to play

1. Use the water bottles as pins.
2. Mark a bowling lane with towels or bed sheets rolled up.
3. Play your heart out.

7. Hot Lava

Image: IStock

This family game is not only super fun but also quite tiring.

You will need

• Just the players

How to play

1. Mark the start and end points in the living room.
2. The player will start at the start point and reach the endpoint without stepping on the floor, pretending that the floor is hot lava.
3. Jump from couch to couch, table tops or on the chairs lying around.
4. The player who steps on the floor loses the game and the player who stays off the hot lava for the longest time or reaches the destination fastest wins.

Quick tip

To make things exciting, make the player who accidentally touches the floor a lava monster. If that lava monster touches any player, they become a monster as well!

8. Family Minute To Win It

Image: Shutterstock

Minute-to-win-it games can be played with most objects readily available at home. Here we have given one example of such games. You may try several others.

You will need

• A timer
• Cookies

How to play

1. Players have to place a cookie on the forehead.
2. Move it into their mouth without using their hands.
3. The timer keeps buzzing, and players have to finish it within one minute.

9. Devils In The Dark

Image: Shutterstock

This is similar to hide-n-seek but more fun to play when your family is having a game night party.

You will need

• Just the players

How to play

1. Turn off all the lights in the house.
2. One person has to be the seeker while others go and hide.
3. When the seeker comes close to anyone hiding, the hiding person must scream and scare the hell out of the seeker, just like a devil would do.
4. The bravest seeker wins.

10. Flour Game

Image: IStock

Click lots of pictures while playing this family game, to cherish the memories later.

You will need

• Any flour
• Plate
• Bowl
• Butter knife
• Candies

How to play

1. Fill up the bowl with flour.
2. Close it with a plate and turn the bowl upside down to form the shape of a cake.
3. Place one piece of candy at the top of the flour cake.
4. Every family member starts cutting the flour carefully by taking turns.
5. Make sure you are cutting very thin portions.
6. When a player causes the flour cake to fall, he/she has to fish out the candy with their mouth. No using hands!

11. Grouping on a Couch

Image: Shutterstock

Let those sitting on the couch, unwilling to join in the fun, be tempted to play this game. Ensure this game sees maximum participation.

You will need

• Just the players

How to play

1. Divide your family into teams of two.
2. Every member of the team has to make an effort to get all the team members onto the same couch.
3. If you think it’s easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy, it’s not; the members of the opposite team will be pulling you down, not letting you win the game so quickly.

12. Guess Who Is The Secret Dancer

Image: Shutterstock

An enjoyable family game, sure to get everyone cracking up!

You will need

• Just the players

How to play

1. Make all the family members stand in a circle and choose one of them to be the spy.
2. Send the spy out of the room and while he/she is out, select one player to be the secret dancer.
3. Everyone has to follow the moves of the secret dancer and start dancing.
4. The spy has to come in and guess who the secret master dancer is.
5. The secret dancer has to keep changing the moves and the spy has a maximum of three guesses to find out the dancer.

13. DIY Obstacle Course

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Pillows
• Chairs
• Cones
• Tapes
• Stopwatch

How to play:

1. Create an obstacle course in a safe space around your room using pillows, tape, chairs, and other stuff that you have in the home.
2. You can time each family member as they complete the obstacle course.
3. Make sure to child-proof the course to prevent any injuries.

14. Card Memory Game

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Deck of cards
• Stopwatch

How to play:

1. Lay nine cards on the table.
2. Give everyone at least two minutes to memorize the cards.
3. Turn them over and ask the player to remember the location where they saw a specific card.
4. The family member who scores the most points will be the winner.

15. Pictionary

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Board
• Markers
• Sticky notes

How to play:

1. Write down items that are to be drawn on the board on sticky notes and fold them.
2. Make two teams.
3. Let each person from a team choose a chit.
4. Give them five seconds so they can analyze how to draw.
5. Their team members can keep guessing what the picturist is drawing.
6. The team with the highest score will be the winner.

16. Family Bingo

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Bingo sheet
• Marker

How to play:

1. Prepare a family bingo card and distribute it amongst the family members.
2. Have a designated person call out the items on the bingo card.
3. The players can keep marking off the items.
4. The player who completes a row or a full-card first, should say ‘Bingo!’
5. You can also play again with new bingo cards.

17. I Spy

Image: Shutterstock

How to play:

1. One family member begins the game by saying ‘I spy with my eyes something that is..’ and gives a clue about the object that they see.
2. The other players take turns guessing what the object is based on the clues provided.
3. The player with the correct guess scores a point.
4. If nobody is able to guess the object then the player reveals what the object to be guessed was.
5. You can continue taking turns and guessing objects while building a strong family relationship.

18. Musical chairs

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• Chairs
• Music system

How to play:

1. Set up chairs in a circle with one chair less than the total number of chairs.
2. Assign a person to play or pause music. They should be blindsided or face away from the people playing.
3. Play the music when the players begin to move around the circle.
4. The players must quickly find a chair to sit on once the music is paused.
5. The player who remains standing without a chair is out.
6. Remove a chair from the circle after every round.
7. The player who is able to make it up to the end wins.

19. Hot Potato

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Cushion or stuffed animal
• Music

How to play:

1. Gather all family members in a circle.
2. Assign someone to play music while the players pass an object (cushion or a toy) around the circle.
3. Pause the music suddenly at intervals.
4. The player who is caught holding the object when the music pauses has to perform a challenge or answer a question asked by other players.
5. The last remaining person will be the winner.

20. Ring Toss

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Pegs or bottles
• Rings

How to play:

1. Arrange pegs or bottles in a row at some distance from the players.
2. Distribute rings made of paper or plastic amongst players.
3. Players can take turns to toss rings around the bottles.
4. They can be awarded a score if their ring lands around a bottle.
5. The player with the highest number of scores will be the winner.

21. Dart the Balloon

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Balloon
• Dart
• Dartboard

How to play:

1. In this balloon game, you can inflate colorful balloons and place them on a dartboard.
2. Define a throwing line that is at a certain distance from the dartboard.
3. Divide the darts equally among the family members.
4. The player who pops the maximum number of balloons wins.

22. Ping-Pong Toss

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Ping-pong ball
• Cups
• Marker

How to play:

1. Number the cups from one to five.
2. Fill these cups halfway with water and arrange them such as they are in order of lower to higher numbers.
3. Each player throws five ping pong balls in the cups.
4. The player gets one point if the ball drops in the cup marked one, two if it drops in the cup marked two, and so on.
5. In the end, the player with the maximum number of points wins.

Outdoor Games To Play With Family

Outdoor games help us reduce stress levels. Playing these fun games, you will feel refreshed and rejuvenated. And outdoor games come with the bonus of free access to vitamin D, which helps strengthen the bones, improves the mood, and regulates emotion among others.

23. Build A Castle

Image: Shutterstock

Play it on the beachside and let the players unleash their creativity.

You will need

• Sand
• Buckets
• Other tools

How to play

1. Divide the players into groups with a mix of children and adults.
2. Distribute the tools, sand, and buckets equally among them.
3. Set a time limit of 45 minutes to one hour.
4. Ask each group to build a unique castle – beautiful, funny, tall, wide… let them use their imagination.

24. Water Balloon Pinata

Image: Shutterstock

Be ready to get drenched in this outdoor activity.

You will need

• Balloons
• Water
• Stick
• String or thread

How to play

1. Fill the balloons with water.
2. Tie them up with a string and hang them to a climbing frame in a park, a tree or any hanging roof.
3. Blindfold the player and let them start beating the pinata down.

25. Scavenger Hunt

Image: Shutterstock

Scavenger hunts can be played by groups of any size and definitely make for an epic game night. Let the competition begin.

You will need

• Timer
• A list of items from the house that can be used to hide

How to play

1. Hide all the scavenger hunt items in different corners of the house, inside and out.
2. Then leave clues to find these items.
3. Players have to make use of the clues and begin the hunt to find them.
4. The player who finds the maximum items within the specified time wins the hunt.

26. Bouncing Balloons

Image: IStock

Get going with your head and see how well you are focused.

You will need

• Balloons

How to play

1. Start bouncing the balloons with your head.
2. The challenge in this family game is that you cannot use your hands.
3. Whoever can bounce the balloon for the longest time wins the game.

27. Red Light, Green Light

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Bingo sheet
• Marker

How to play:

1. Choose a leader amongst the family members who will give commands.
2. Other players should line up side by side away from the leader.
3. The leader has to face away from the players and shout ‘green light.’
4. While the leader’s back is turned, the players begin moving forward when they hear ‘green light.’
5. The players have to freeze immediately if at any point the leader shouts ‘red light’ and turns around.
6. If the leader finds any players moving on the ‘red light,’ then that player is out.
7. The game continues until a player reaches the leader or until all players are out.

28. Balloon Volleyball

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Balloon
• Volleyball

How to play:

1. Set up a net with a rope or string.
2. Make two teams with the family members.
3. One team serves the balloon by hitting it over the net.
4. A team gets a point if the balloon lands on the opposite side of the net.
5. The team with the maximum number of points wins.

29. Sack Race

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Sack

How to play:

1. Provide each family member with a pillowcase or a sack.
2. Hop from the starting to the finish line.
3. The player who crosses the finish line first is the winner.

30. Tug of War

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Rope

How to play:

1. Divide the family members into two teams.
2. Mark a line and let the two teams stand on either side of the line holding the rope.
3. Pull the rope in opposite directions.
4. The team successful in bringing the other team across the line wins.

31. Dodge Ball

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Softball

How to play:

1. Divide the family members into two teams.
2. Position them on opposite sides of the playing field.
3. Place softballs in the center of the field.
4. Players can now throw softballs at their opponents. If hit, they are considered out until the next round.
5. It is important for players to dodge these balls and avoid being hit.
6. The team with at least one player standing in the end wins the round.

32. Dog in the Pond

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Handkerchief or soft toy

How to play:

1. Make two teams.
2. These teams should be standing at least 2 meters away from each other.
3. Place a handkerchief, toy, or ball in the center.
4. One member of each team attempts to pick the item placed in the center, while the team member from other team will try to catch the player before they return.
5. Whoever picks the item first and returns back to his team without getting caught by the other team’s member scores a point.
6. In the end, the team with the maximum points wins.

33. DIY Hurdle Run

Image: IStock

You will need:

• String
• Stopwatch

How to play:

1. You can make an obstacle course by wrapping the string around poles, trees, or any other objects present in your backyard.
2. You can also introduce a muddy pit or a pool of water for an extra layer of fun.
3. The family member who finishes the hurdle in the least amount of time wins.

34. Sardines

Image: IStock

How to play:

1. In this interesting twist of the hide-n-seek game, everyone looks for one person who is hiding.
2. When the other person finds the hiding person, they join in the same hiding place.

The last family member to find the hidden group wins the game.

Board Games For Family

Board games are ideal for families who have a mix of aged and young people. Everyone in the family can gather in the living room to play these games.

35. Puzzles

Image: Shutterstock

Families are like puzzles. They fit together in a certain way, and if one piece is missing, it throws everything off. – Richard Schiff.

Solving a puzzle is a lovely way to spend time with your family. It not only nourishes the relationship but also helps build a strong connection among the members. Grab a puzzle of any size — large, medium, or small — and sit with your family to solve it together.

36. Scrabble

Image: Shutterstock

This family game is a traditional favorite. Having a timer to keep the clock ticking and maintaining the scores adds fun to it.

The players have to divide into teams of two each and start building a crossword puzzle by using one letter at a time. It’s ideal to have players of the same level of skills in all the teams.

37. Terraforming Mars

Image: Shutterstock

This board game is perfect for families who love science and technology, and are space junkies looking for challenges. The entertaining game has an engine builder to work on projects and innovative ideas. The players have to primarily work towards making the planet Mars more habitable for living beings.

38. Monopoly

Image: IStock

Monopoly is a classic family board game where players buy, trade, and maintain properties to gain wealth and bankrupt the opponents. The blend of luck and strategy has made this game a favorite choice for family entertainment.

You require funds to buy and trade properties. A player can generate income by taking rent if another player lands on their property. The game continues until all players except one go bankrupt. The last remaining player with the most wealth is the winner.

39. Ludo

Image: IStock

This popular Indian board game has gained international popularity. This game of chance and strategy can include up to four players. The main aim is to move all the game pieces from the starting point to the center of the board.

You can place the ludo board on a flat surface. Each player chooses a color and places their game pieces in the starting area. Players can roll the dice and move accordingly. If a player rolls a six, he gets another turn. The first player to get all their game pieces to the center of the board wins.

A few more games

If you have some more time to spare, you may try these easy-to-play and super entertaining games.

40. Build A Tower

Image: Shutterstock

This game needs things that have a firm surface to hold.

You will need:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Pillows
• Mugs

How to play:

1. Divide the members of the family into two teams of equal numbers.
2. Start stacking things one above the other.
3. Whichever team builds the tallest tower in a minute, wins the game.

41. Two Truths and A Lie

Image: IStock

It’s an interactive and enjoyable way to get to know more about your family.

You will need

• Just the players

How to play

1. State three statements about yourself.
2. Only two of these statements are true and one is false.
3. Your family has to guess which of them is a lie.

42. Telephone

Image: Shutterstock

Your family is sure to burst into laughter once they know the outcome.

You will need

• Just the players

How to play

1. Let all the players sit in a circle.
2. Make sure some distance is maintained as the whispering should not be audible to the other players.
3. The player who begins the game has to whisper a sentence or a phrase into the ears of the next player.
4. The second player has to pass it on to the next player and so on.
5. The last player says it out loud to compare it with the actual phrase spoken by the first player.

43. Movie Quotes

Image: IStock

Instead of watching a movie together, enact your favorite scenes and dialogues through this game.

You will need

• A pen
• Small pieces of paper
• Famous movie quotes

How to play

1. Write down your favorite quotes from various movies (you may select a genre too).
2. Write the name of the film at the bottom of the paper.
3. One person from the family can read out the quotes.
4. The remaining members have to guess the name of the movie.
5. Whoever gets the maximum number of answers correct wins the game.

44. A Spoon and A Joke

Image: Shutterstock

This game is similar to the spoon-and-lemon race but with a twist.

You will need

• A spoon
• A lemon

How to play

1. The game is about telling a joke while holding a spoon with a lemon in the mouth.
2. You can also play this game with a small ball on the spoon.
3. If you think it’s hard to tell a joke with a spoon in the mouth, then imagine how hard it is to control the laughter.

45. The Five Second Rule

Image: IStock

The Ellen DeGeneres Show has made this game very popular. And if you think it is not difficult to list three countries that start with the letter A or naming three rivers, trying doing it under 5 seconds.

You will need

• Timer
• A set of questions

How to play

1. Two players can play it together.
2. Another family member has to ask questions and also check the timer.
3. Whoever gets the maximum right answers within the five seconds time-limit wins.

46. Duck-Duck Goose

Image: IStock

How to play:

1. Make the family members sit around in a circle.
2. The player who is a tagger walks around the circle saying ‘duck,’ ‘duck,’ or ‘goose.’
3. If the tagger shouts ‘goose,’ then the person who is tagged must catch the tagger before returning.
4. If the tagger is tapped, then they have to sit in the middle of the circle.

47. Guess the Song

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Noise-canceling earphones or earplugs

How to play:

1. Divide the family members into two teams.
2. One person from each team wears noise-canceling headphones.
3. One person has to sing a song allotted by the opponent team.
4. If the person with the headphones is able to guess the song, they score a point.
5. The team with the maximum number of points wins in the end.

48. Taste Test

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Blindfold
• Food

How to play:

1. Prepare food with varying tastes.
2. Divide the family members into two teams.
3. One person from the team wears a blindfold.
4. The other person feeds them different food items.
5. If the person wearing the blindfold is able to guess the item correctly, they score a point.
6. Every member of the team takes turns tasting various food items wearing the blindfold.
7. The team with the highest score wins in the end.

49. DIY Mini Golf

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Balls
• Toy golf clubs
• Household items

How to play:

1. You can create a mini golf club in your house with the help of household objects.
2. Each player takes turns trying to get the ball to reach the hole in the fewest possible strokes.
3. The player who targets maximum holes with the fewest strokes wins.

50. Paper Plane Contest

Image: IStock

You will need:

• Sheet
• Measuring tape
• Markers

How to play:

1. Fold the paper and make beautiful airplanes and decorate them with markers.
2. With the help of a measuring tape, mark a starting line from where the players can fly the airplanes.
3. Take turns flying the airplanes.
4. Mark the spot where the players land their airplanes with the help of a measuring tape.
5. The player who can reach the maximum distance from the starting line wins.

51. Simon Says

Image: IStock

How to play:

1. Select one player to be ‘Simon’ for one round.
2. Simon will start giving commands to other players like ‘Simon says to touch your nose.’
3. All players have to follow the commands.
4. If Simon gives a command without saying ‘Simon says,’ players should not follow it.
5. If they do so, they are out from that round.
6. The last player is declared the winner.

Aimee Cross, a genealogist, who is also passionate about creating fun and unique family-themed games, introduces her viewers to a fun game that she invented in a YouTube video which she deems to be perfect for a family reunion or for any other family gathering. She says, “I created a card game that my family could play together. The cards have faces of our ancestors along with facts about them. In my family, when we find a match either through Go Fish or through the Matching Game, then I tell the kids the story about the person that they just matched. And it helps them learn about their ancestors, which for me is always a win-win (i).” Fun games for family reunions can make the event even more special and can help family members bond well with each other.

Infographic: Interesting And Fun Games To Play With Your Family

Are you planning to host a family party but are unsure about what games you can include? We got you! The following infographic presents a few games you can play with the family and make loads of happy memories while doing so. Read on and remember to save it.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Interesting Games for Family Get Together

Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team

Not all games require expensive items. Check out this video for 33 awesome games you can play with simple things you have around the house.

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