To say that it is normal for families to play board games

[Millimat]

Am I delusional to think that families do this? DH hates playing board or card games and this is influencing my DCs opinions. I’m not on about when children are little and it’s about learning rules and turn taking, I’m on about just as a pastime to do as a family activity.
it’s a lighthearted question but I’m intrigued as to how many of you out there play board and card games at home.

dd age 26 goes to board game cafes

Yes im a huge fan and regularly have friends over to.play board games but not everyone is a fan and thats ok

This. We played lots when the children were small. But now teens/ young adults is really is just holidays and Christmas/Easter x

Soo many options nowadays. Have you tried some of the quick card games like sushi go or uno? My daughter isn’t a gamer but really likes dobble.

We have quite a big collection of board games / card games as we have friends who are very into them so when we stay with them we always come back with new ideas of ones to buy!
When the kids were little it was mostly DH and I playing on a Friday night. Then we got the kids playing interesting games as soon as they were old enough to play something other than those awful Orchard Toys games.
They are 16 and 12 now and we play games less often, partly because as they are older there’s more TV we can watch together and all enjoy. Writing this I’m thinking we should try and find the time more, not just on holiday or over Christmas.
The boys sometimes play with friends as well. They like bluffing games like Coup and Skull (Skull can also be played with a standard deck of cards).
Other good family games - Sushi Go, KingDomino, Carcassonne, San Juan, Quacks of Quedlinburg
My favourite easy two player only game is Star Realms or more tricky, Race for the Galaxy which DH and I used to play a lot.
Pandemic is a good cooperative game and Camel Up is hilarious.

Monopoly Deal - much faster than the board version.
Exploding Kittens - all round favourite.
Anomia - brilliant for all ages. I’ve played lightning fast rounds with the kids, then at a much more stately pace with older adults.
Blokus - good for quiet play, for any science minded people, very focused.

we had lunch with some friends last week and the DH brought out Sussed - Emotional Intelligence version after a few glasses (bottles) of wine. I felt resistant initially (old habits) but we had such a laugh, and probably cemented our friendship even more. Games put you in unexpected situations where you end up interacting so differently with people you think you know. We have conversations and have to negotiate situations that wouldn’t arise in any other context. I find it fascinating (and fun!)

Oh I forgot to say there’s no rule that board games have to be a whole family activity if your DH doesn’t like them. Playing with 2 or 3 players is also fine!

Uno is the one thing that unites us all in our house

Yes we do, last night we played a trivia card game and this afternoon after Sunday dinner we will get the cards out. My daughter loves playing games with us. We also have a jigsaw puzzle on the go which she helps me with.

Oh and Yatzee it a family favourite! I get quite competitive! lol

It’s fine for DH not to play of that is his choice. I would judge him though after having an M that would never do anything with us growing up.

What’s not fine is being vocal about it yp the point that it’s influencing your DS.

As usual on MN, you have a DH problem

We didn't do much when the kids were small - Uno or maybe Monopoly if there were enough of us free for long enough for the game to be played indefinitely. But when the youngest were in their teens middle DD and her friends discovered a board games club and suddenly our house was taken over. DS went to university and every cupboard in his old room now houses board games. If ever they send me their Amazon wish lists there are games on there. I should say the board games are still here even though all the family have married and left home.

If the family are in our house on New Year's Eve we have a takeaway and board game night. Otherwise they raid the games room and take them wherever they're going!

Mainly Christmas and holidays, occasionally weekends and always with the (failed) intention of more. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without board games ( and a Christmas jigsaw).

DC’s have continued to play, through uni shared houses and now with their adult friends and colleagues.
We have a couple of very cosy local bars and pubs, that also offer board games to play and board game evenings.

Very common for us, with dc 14 and 12. We'll have a board game night at least once a week.

Yes we play board games. Christmas/new year when we have people over we will get things like Pictionary out. My boys love cluedo, uno, guess who, mouse trap

We do. DCs are now adult, and we still play board games. Most of us prefer word-based games like Articulate, Scrabble, & Trivial Pursuit, but we do play other games as well ( though not Monopoly, none of us like that.) Someone will often buy a game for the whole family for Christmas, and 2 of my sons play board games with friends, too.

If DH doesn't enjoy it, worth exploring why? Maybe he had overly competitive older siblings or something. And everyone doesn't have to enjoy everything.

My DSis doesn't enjoy them. Looking back, she probably had additional needs and her processing speed wasn't up to them, so we used to have to let her win a lot which she hated. She prefers to do her own thing really.

My family have always been big into board games, partner's family the absolute opposite. He's not a fan of 'forced fun' at the best of times, so it was a bit of a culture shock for him at first.

He makes a real effort to join in at Christmas now though bless him, even bought a big new game as a surprise this year.

We do like horrifying the older teenagers with Cards Against Humanity once the grandparents have gone home 😅

We played cards a lot as a family (500s, last card, uno, dutch blitz etc) when DD was growing upmas dh loved cards, sometimes on an quiet Sunday afternoon DD and I would get out Ludo, scrabble, or the god awful Operation when DD begged for it.

Dh has since died and DD is an adult but we still play board games with her partner, Cluedo is a favourite.

100% agree, monopoly is the worst. Would recommend Carcassonne - bit of strategy but a lot of luck, easy to chat whilst playing.

Ms and DS8 had 2 games of UNO Flip after dinner last night. It was his favourite Xmas present he says 🙄

Same here op, my dh doesn't like it and so my dd copies him although there is the odd time she'll play

My kids and I have always played board games and card games and my DH hasn’t. It’s not a problem. My kids are now in their 30’s and we still play whenever we get together. As well as board games we play game console games like MarioParty. It’s such a brilliant way to have fun.
The kids also play board games with their friends.
We’ve always done sports as a family too.
This Xmas we’ve played Azul, Skulls, Quacks of ‘something’ (amazing game!) Qwinto Scribble, snakes and Cabo
The boys still play magic cards online.
i don’t play chess but the kids all do.
As a parent you have to provide all the basics like food, shelter, education, love etc but the value of having fun together is often undervalued. I think it’s huge in keeping families happy and connected.
There are lots of ways to have fun together but board games, card games and group video games are an easy option.

We love board games.

When I was a kid, I couldn’t get my family to play them with me. I won Buccaneer in a cereal box competition and was over the moon - then devastated when nobody would play it with me. I used to set it up and play by myself, moving around the board to play the four different ships in turn.

I married a board gamer - he’s from a European country where Settlers of Catan was massive (the board game renaissance started in Northern Europe with this game, and spread to our shores in more recent years). He introduced me to Catan and from there we have built up a huge collection of games over the years. Our dc, now teens, are very into them, and we play together all the time. They also play with their friends, and go to board game cafes. When the in-laws visit, the dc love playing Rummikub and Sequence with them.

During Covid we had several single friends who were struggling with their mental health. We started doing Friday night Settlers nights, meeting up online and playing the online version together, which they say really helped get them through it. We’re all going on a group holiday to Norway in a few weeks, to stay in a cabin together and do snow stuff on a morning and Settlers (and other games) on an afternoon. Can’t wait.

We play a board game (or three) most evenings after dinner. DC is primary school age, autistic with ADHD so its a good opportunity to combine family time, an opportunity for some more quiet/settled time, and some stealth therapies (fine motor skills for small pieces/holding cards, turn taking, speech therapy etc.)

He's properly getting into games that involve strategy and subterfuge now too which is fun as he is able to play independently rather than needing help. We were given a family gift of Oh My Pigeons by my sister for Christmas which is a fantastic game for all ages.