Ten All-Time Favorite Family Games

Research shows that the healthiest families have three common “characteristics:”

  1. Cohesion:  The ability to “stick together” even in the face of problems.
  2. Adaptability:  Problem-solving skills that help the family  “change tactics” when one method fails.  Instead of giving up, they try another way.
  3. Communication:  They talk to one another often and respectfully.  They can discuss things without resorting to shouting and name-calling.

One reason family games are so important is that they allow families to develop these characteristics in fun, light-hearted ways.  Families who play together often develop cohesion, adaptability and communication skills that they will use again and again.  Whether coping with a family tragedy, making the best of a bad family vacation, or just getting the garage cleaned, family skills are important to healthy, happy families.

Family games also strengthen individual family bonds by giving us opportunities for appropriate physical contact, opportunities to laugh, and time to enjoy simply being together.  Family games and family recreation are absolutely critical to a family’s overall health.

Here are 10 of my favorite simple and inexpensive family games.  Try some of these, and then leave your comments and share your favorite games with other readers:

1. Marshmallow Relay

Required materials:

To Play:

Each member of your family should take a marshmallow, lick it, and stick it to their forehead.  Then, one at a time, each member navigates through the obstacle course and then tags the next member of the family.  If the marshmallow falls to the ground, that participant must start over at the beginning.  Once everyone has had a turn to maneuver through the obstacle course, start over at the beginning and see if you can beat your time.

Variation:  Divide into two teams and race.  (This version introduces the element of competition, so depending on your family dynamics, it may be a way to have more fun, or it may be a way to start an argument).

If you have marshmallows left over, you can make some indoor smores:

1)  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (shiny side up)

2) Heat oven to broiling. In the following order, stack the ingredients (you know the drill) 1/2 of a graham cracker, 1/4 of a chocolate bar (or your favorite miniature chocolate bar–try peanut butter cups and other varieties), and finally, a marshmallow.

3) Place cookie sheet in oven just long enough for chocolate to begin to melt and marshmallow to turn golden brown

4) Take tray out of oven and place a second graham cracker on top.

2. Whatever Floats Your Boat

Required Materials:

To Play:

The object of the game is simple:  Build an aluminum foil boat that will hold the most pennies without sinking.

3.  Rhinoceros Beetle Bash

Required materials:

To Play:

1. Blow up several balloons and attach them to a wall with masking tape.  Balloons should be close to the ground (within 3 feet of the floor).  Choose a wall that can withstand a little bit of bumping without being damaged.

2. Each adult should poke a thumbtack through a piece of masking tape, with the sticky side facing the head of the tack.  Next, adhere the masking tape across the bridge of your nose as if it were a “stinger.”  (Adults should supervise closely if children stick tacks to their noses). This “stinger will be used to pop the balloons

3. A child places a blindfold on the adult, and then the adult should drop down on all fours so that the child can ride on the adult’s back.

4.  Listening to directions from the child, the adult will attempt to pop balloons with his or her “stinger.”

Variation:  Leave several inflated balloons on the ground, and allow all family members to race to see who can pop the most.

NOTE:  Use extreme caution with popped balloons to avoid a choking hazard.

4. Bicycle Tube Relay

Required Materials:

One or two deflated bicycle innertubes

To Play:

All family members stand in a circle and join hands.  The innertube should be around the wrist of one of the participants as if it is a very large bracelet.  At the signal “go,” your team will race to pass the innertube all the way around the circle without letting go of hands.  Team members will have to slip the innertube over their heads and bodies, or step into the innertube and pull it up over their heads.  If you have a large group, let the “smaller” children race against the adults.  This is a game where the little guy has an advantage.

5.  Dad’s a sweetie

Required materials:

In advance, attach several dozen pieces of candy to an old T-shirt using hot glue.  When it is time to play the game, Dad (or another player) puts on the candy-covered T-shirt, and at the signal, begins to run for his life.  Other players give chase and attempt to grab pieces of candy off from the shirt.

6.  Manna

This is a family teamwork game that will test your problem-solving skills and your creativity.

Required materials:

Spread the marbles or pebbles around the outside of the 2-foot square.  Add a few wrapped candies here and there.  Some of the pellets and candies should be too far away to reach while standing inside the square.

To Play:

All family members stand inside the marked-off square.  For a large family, figuring out how to fit everyone inside the square is just part of the challenge, but if you must, widen the square just a bit. Working as a team, the family will attempt to “harvest” a container full of manna (marbles or candy) without stepping outside of the square.  Family members can share any candy they retrieve.  Your entire family must be inside the square at all times. No part of your body or clothing may touch the floor outside of the square at any time.

(Reflection:  Once you had gathered the “easy-to-reach” marbles, how was each family member important in doing the work required to fill the entire jar.  How did it feel to be that close to one another?)

7.  Balloon Train

This is another “teamwork” game.  To increase the difficulty, set up a small obstacle course before beginning.

Each family member will blow up and tie a large balloon. Standing in a single-file line, place your balloon between yourself and the person in front of you.  Now, move close together so that the balloons are held in place without the use of your hands.  When the person in charge signals, see if you can make it from one side of the room (or yard) to the other without dropping any balloons.  Or, if you are using an obstacle course, see if the whole family can navigate the course without dropping or popping any balloons.  If any balloons pop, the train has to start over at the beginning.  If any balloons drop to the ground, the team must stop and the balloon must be replaced before the balloon train can move forward again.

8. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag

This is a “less sedentary” version of the classic game.

1. Mark a large yard or field with a center line and then mark two “goal lines” at opposite ends of the field.

2. Divide into two teams.  All members face off with a partner from the opposite team to play a round of “rock, paper, scissors.”  You know this game:  rock crushes scissors, paper covers rock, scissors cut paper.

3. On signal, all players chant “rock, paper, scissors, shoot” and then all players throw their desired signs.

4. The player who loses the rock, paper, scissors duel must immediately turn and start running toward his team’s goal line.  The duel winner gives chase and attempts to tag the loser before he crosses the goal line to safety. Players who are tagged must defect to the opposite team.

5.  If both players in the rock, paper, scissors duel throw the same sign, they must sit down on the ground, and the last one to sit must defect to the opposing team.

6.  If there are more players on one team than on another, the extra players may help chase down and tag players from the opposite team.

7.  Play continues until all players are on the same team.

9. Cold Feet

This is a fun outdoor game when the weather gets warmer.  Fill a small wading pool with water and place lawn chairs or stools around the outside of the pool-one for each player.  Next, have all players remove their shoes and socks, and dump a bag of cubed ice into the wading pool.  The person in charge shouts “go,” and all players race to see who can remove the most ice cubes using only their toes.

This game can also be played indoors.  Seat two or three players along the edge of a bathtub, fill the tub with 3-4 inches of water, and place ice cubes in water, as above. Submerge a plastic shoebox, a large can, or other “collection bin” within reach of each player’s feet where ice cubes can be dropped when play begins.

The winner is the one with the most ice cubes at the end of a given period of time.

10. Wagon Wheel

This game works best with a group of at least ten people.  If you are playing with younger players, be sure to alternate them with older, stronger players.  All players remove their shoes and sit in a large circle with their feet pointing toward the center, as if they are spokes on a large wagon wheel.  One player stands in the middle of the wagon wheel, and then the seated players scoot toward the center, gently pressing their feet up against the legs of the standing player.  The standing player in the center then crosses her arms over her chest and on a given signal, she “falls” backwards, keeping her body stiff and straight like a board. Her feet should remain planted.  The seated players will catch her before she lands, and then, working as a team, they push the standing player around and around the circle. It will usually take two or three seated players working together to push the standing player away to the other side of the circle.