Mumsnet Talk

Looking for a present for step brothers family don't see them much but will see then at Xmas was thinking a game for them all would be good but need ideas.

How old are the children? How big is the family?

I think Animal upon animal is fab

Depends on how old the DC are. I like:

Bang! (bullet version) for teens
Apples to Apples for 10+
Cranium for 8+
Junior Monopoly for 7+
Coppit for 5+
Ludo for anyone smaller than that

Pass the Bomb
Articulate

Kids are 2, 6 and 16!

Who nu cranium is brilliant

Agree with Pass the Bomb and Cranium

Crokinole (v. expensive: www.mastersgames.com/images/table/crokinole-octagonal-b-WIL-002.jpg)
Pitchcar www.wired.com/geekdad/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/pitchcar1.jpg
Gulo gulo www.wired.com/images_blogs/geekdad/images/2009/03/05/gulo.jpg
Hey, That's My Fish!
Loopin' Louie

kokoriko by Lego isn't a board game but it's a great family game for kids about 5 up. It's even better if you get the kids to build barns for their chickens out of dominoes.
Unfortunately my nephews always gang up on me when we play and leave me with no eggs!

Blokus
Ingenious

Both simple rules, easy for kids to pick up, but still really fun for adults.

I love the classics like pictionary (there's a similar one with plasticine) and monopoly. There's also taboo, if anyone knows it. My family has always been pretty big on board and card games, trying to convince my DP on how cool they are for the sake of our LO

Chinese chequers
Agree Monopoly
Big jenga (not a board game but works across all ages)

Monopoly is pretty awful as a family game, as it

(a) takes too long
(b) involves cut-throat behaviour
(c) involves long periods of time where one or more players have effectively lost and everyone else is twiddling thumbs either already bankrupt or waiting to land on their Monopoly

and lots of people would own it already anyway.

Not a board game, but a card game - Set. It's fab. The 6 yo will be able to play it (and probably win).

It might be quite tricky to find something that a 2yo will concentrate on.

I love qwirkle cubes.

That animal upon animal looks fab, I've put it on my wishlist! Thanks!

Not sure you'll find anything that appeals to a 2-year old and a 16 year old and doesn't leave the 6-year old feeling outclassed by the older sibling and bl**dy irritated by the younger sibling!... 2-year old might like a giant floor version of snakes and ladders, but much beyond that and he/she will probably get bored halfway through and mess up everyone else's counters/playing pieces. If a well behaved 2-year old, maybe Frustration (like ludo, only the die is contained in plastic so said 2-year old can't throw it across the room and lose it under the furniture, although will probably cause all the little men to jump out of their holes by pushing the button too hard on the die casing). As for the 16-year old, I suspect he/she will roll eyes in despair at the thought of having to play a board game with siblings, anyway .
For children of more board-game ages and that way inclined, then most games provide some fun. Labyrinth (by Ravensburger) is good fun - you have to try to create pathways for yourself to get to particular items of treasure on your card, whilst keeping an eye on what other people might be heading for so that you don't help them... and it probably isn't as well known as other games, so more chance the family don't already have it. Or Battleships, or Trivial Pursuit, or Cluedo, or all the other traditional board games... Uno is a fun, simple card game. Connect 4 is a fun 2-player game that quite young people can enjoy, but maybe not 2-year olds and besides, all these games are the sort of thing people are already likely to have if they like that sort of thing!!!!!!!!

Liking the look of the animal one. But will check out others.

I'm swithering between, animal apon animal, kokoriko and bettle drive. TBH I'm not sure there a board game kind of family but I have no other ideas.

orchard toys make great games for kids

saying that with the age range it will be tricky

at 4,6,and 8 mine love
run,run as fast as you can<orchard toys>
hungry dinos<like hungry hippos>
build a beetle
snakes and ladders 3d

avoid pig goes pop at all costs<i know no one who has bough this game its worked properly!>

set is good, ds is getting it (might need to handicap older kids though)
settlers in good, everyone keeps involved, but may be too old yet
simple card game called Turn left Turn right (I think, we have it in dutch, not not 100% sure of English name) has policemen cards and you have to work out which item is 2 steps left then 3 steps right. It works for mixed ages as once you have won, you have to move on to second level of instructions on the card (our variation)

What about creationary, the lego version of pictionary? I'm thinking about getting it for us for our family present from Santa this year.

Toom of doom, is a year on year favourite in out house, along with good old fashioned Ludo.

KittyLilith - creationary had awful reviews on the bad toy thread - sorry!

Other lego games are good, eg shave a sheep

We love board games in our family and our favourites are...
For older children (my children are 10 and 12) and adults we have had many a happy hour with Ticket to Ride (be warned addictive) and Small Worlds (for the fantasy loving, contains hobbits, elves, trolls) also, Rummikub and rummikub word.