Hey there, fellow dads and parenting pros! Let me tell you something, there’s nothing quite like a night in with your family, especially when games are involved.
If it’s just us or we’ve got the whole crew over, game night is the way to bond. Some games are total kid-magnets, while others are more “dad-approved,” but I’ve found a few gems that somehow manage to make everyone laugh, shout, and occasionally accuse each other of cheating.
Now, if you’re anything like me, you love keeping things simple, here’s the deal, four of these games need nothing more than some paper, pens, and your brilliant imaginations.
The other three are totally worth a trip to the store. Oh, and don’t forget the snacks, because no game night is complete without a little fuel for all that competitive energy.
Ready to level up your family game nights?
Let me kick things off with a game that’s equal parts creativity and chaos, Write, Draw, Pass.
You might’ve heard it called “Paper Telephone” or “Telestrations” if you’ve ever seen those fancy dry-erase versions. In our house, we just call it the “Silly Notebook Game,” because, well, things get ridiculous fast. It’s the perfect mix of writing, drawing, and laughing until your sides hurt.
This game works for anyone who can read and write, so it’s great for kids and adults alike.
All you need are some pencils, erasers, and long strips of paper.
Here’s how it goes down:
Let’s talk about a timeless crowd-pleaser, Charades. This one’s been around forever, and for good reason. It’s simple, it’s inclusive, and it’s basically a free-for-all of laughter and friendly competition.
Whether you’re miming like a pro or just shouting random guesses from the sidelines, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Heck, even the littlest ones can get in on the action with a little help.
Here’s how we roll:
Grab some pencils, scrap paper, and a timer (your phone works perfectly fine). Split into two teams, because everything’s more fun when there’s a little rivalry involved.
Each team brainstorms a list of words or phrases for the other team to act out. It would be better if you throw in something totally random, like “pineapple pizza” or “dad trying to parallel park.”
Once the lists are ready, hand them off to the person with the best handwriting (probably not me, I’m a dad, after all).
Now, the real fun begins.
Players take turns acting out their assigned word or phrase, without talking, of course, while their teammates try to guess what it is. You’ve got two or three minutes to get it right, and let’s just say, things can get… creative.
No pointing at objects in the room, but you *can* point at someone who’s close to guessing correctly. And don’t forget the classic hand signals for syllables or a number of words, it’s all part of the charm.
What I love about it is that everyone gets a turn to shine, or embarrass themselves, depending on how competitive your crew gets. If you’ve got uneven numbers, no biggie. Just have someone go twice. (Volunteer yourself if you’re feeling brave!)
At the end of the game, tally up the scores, and crown the ultimate Charades champs. But honestly, everyone wins when there’s this much fun involved.
Another gem that’s perfect for family game night, Animal, Vegetable, Mineral. Maybe you’ve heard it called “Twenty Questions” or just “Questions.”
Whatever you call it, this one is a total brain teaser and a great way to get everyone thinking.
You’ll need at least four players, but the more, the better. Split into two teams, and each team comes up with a list of nouns, things like “elephant” (animal), “carrot” (vegetable), or “diamond” (mineral).
Keep it simple, though, no abstract concepts like “time” or weird hybrids like “cotton-polyester shirts.” Stick to the basics, folks.
Once the lists are ready, hand them off to the person on your team with the best handwriting (again, not me, I’m lucky if my grocery list is legible). They’ll write out the words on scraps of paper for the other team to guess.
Here’s where the fun begins, each player picks a card and announces whether their word is an animal, vegetable, or mineral. Then, their teammates start asking yes-or-no questions to narrow it down. “Is it bigger than a breadbox?” “Does it live in the ocean?” You get the idea.
After 20 questions, or sooner if you’re feeling confident, it’s time to make your best guess.
The beauty of this game? It works for all ages. I’ve played with kids as young as first or second grade, and they absolutely hold their own. Plus, there’s something hilarious about watching adults overthink while the kids nail the answer in three questions flat. At the end of the game, tally up who guessed the most correctly.
Word nerds, this next one’s for you, the Dictionary Game. When I was a kid, we’d huddle around this massive Oxford English Dictionary like it was the ultimate treasure chest (which, honestly, it kind of was).
These days, you don’t even need a physical dictionary, just hop online, search “browse dictionary,” and boom, you’ve got a goldmine of random words at your fingertips.
It’s the perfect game for late elementary schoolers and up, but let’s be real, us dads can get just as competitive with this one.
Here’s how it works, grab some scrap paper and pencils for everyone, and get ready to flex those vocabulary muscles.
Players take turns being the “word picker.” Their job? Find a weird, obscure word that they’re pretty sure no one else knows. They read it out loud, and then the real fun begins.
The word picker writes down the actual definition while everyone else tries to come up with their own fake, but totally plausible, definition.
It would be perfect can make it sound legit enough to fool the group.
Once all the definitions are in, the word picker mixes them up and reads them aloud one by one. Then, everyone votes on which one they think is the real deal.
Here’s the twist, the more votes your fake definition gets, the more points you rack up.
But if everyone guesses the actual definition? No points for anyone. It’s equal parts strategy and silliness, and let me tell you, there’s nothing better than watching someone try to sell “a type of underwater fern” as the definition for a word that actually means “a small, mischievous woodland creature.”
This game is a blast for everyone, especially when someone throws out a definition so ridiculous it has the whole room laughing.
Plus, you might just learn a new word or two, though half the fun is making stuff up.
Now, let me also mention some other store-bought games that are absolute winners for family game nights.
Okay, listen, if there’s one board game that really gets my whole family going, it’s Sorry. I’m telling you, this game turns into a full-blown event at our house.
It’s super simple, like, even the little ones, four-year-olds and up, can jump in, count spaces, move their little pieces.
Don’t let the simplicity fool you. The actual gameplay? Super fun!
The moment those kids realize they can knock someone all the way back to “start,” it’s like watching a baby villain origin story. Half funny, half "aww," and totally entertaining.
Oh man, it gets loud. The second someone pulls that card and has to choose who to send packing, it’s chaos.
Everyone’s yelling and arguing like we’re in a courtroom. “Is that fair? Should you do it?”, total drama.
And I love every second of it.
Oh, and here’s a little trick, if you’ve got more than four people who wanna play, just mash two boards together. Yeah, the game takes longer, but who cares? The more chaos, the better!
Next up, we’ve got Apples to Apples Junior, a game that’s basically designed for multi-generational fun. The age recommendation says 9, but I’ve played this with bright first-graders who absolutely crushed it.
The Junior version keeps things light and accessible, so no one feels left out. Plus, it’s a great way to get everyone talking and laughing over the most random comparisons.
Now, here’s a hot take, skip the adult version unless you’re ready to deal with some serious pop-culture confusion.
Grandma might not know who Billie Eilish is, and your kids probably won’t recognize references to Pierre Trudeau.
If you do go for the adult set, take a few minutes to weed out the cards that’ll leave half the table scratching their heads. Keep it fair, keep it fun.
Finally, let’s talk about Dixit, a game that’s as beautiful as it is brilliant.
With its whimsical, surreal artwork by Marie Cardouat, this game feels like stepping into a dream. It’s all about interpreting pictures, which means age, background, or reading level doesn’t really matter. You just need a little imagination and some basic vocabulary to play.
It’s perfect for multigenerational groups because it levels the playing field. Whether you’re 6 or 60, you’ll be leaning in, squinting at the cards, and coming up with the wackiest explanations for what you see.
- DIY Games: Write, Draw, Pass, Charades (silent hilarity), Animal, Vegetable, Mineral (brain teasers), and Dictionary Game (vocabulary showdown).
- Store-Bought Games: Sorry (cutthroat fun for all ages), Apples to Apples Junior (family-friendly debates), and Dixit (art + imagination = magic).
- Perfect for family game nights with kids, partners, or even grandparents.
You know, as a gay dad who spends a lot of time thinking about how to make family moments special, I can’t stress enough how much games bring us closer together.
You know what I’ve realized? Regardless if it’s those silly DIY games we make up on the spot or the classic store-bought ones we save for special nights, game night always hits different.
It’s not just about killing time, it’s about bonding. You’re teaching your kids teamwork, patience, how to be creative, and yeah… maybe how to handle a little friendly competition.
And let me be honest with you for a second, half the fun is laughing at stuff like Dad’s stick-figure drawings that somehow always end up looking like spaghetti monsters.
If I could give one piece of advice, it’d be this: don’t stress it. You don’t need a Pinterest-perfect setup or a bunch of fancy stuff to have fun.
Just grab whatever’s lying around, paper, an old game, a pack of cards, and roll with it. It’s gonna get loud, it’s gonna get wild, and that noise? That’s the good stuff. That’s the connection.
And hey, if you’re ever looking for more fun ideas, stuff about parenting, family life, for example " Fun & Easy Ways to Teach Kids About Money " check out my blog: austinplease.com.
It’s where I drop all my thoughts on being a gay dad, surviving messy living rooms, and squeezing joy out of the everyday.
Come say hi! I’d seriously love to hear what works in your house too.
So here’s to game nights, laugh attacks, and making those “remember when” moments!
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