Family games to play at Christmas

[ArabellaUmbrella]

This year we will have both sets of Grandparents for Christmas, plus my 2 DS aged 9 and 14, plus my brother in his 40s. I'm looking for ideas for games that we can all play, nothing too complicated, something we can all have a laugh playing. Ideas and suggestions very gratefully received, thank you!

We like Deer in the headlights it's a quick card and dice based game. It's easy to understand and quick to set up.

Ooh I haven't heard of that, will take a look, thank you

We play 3 pack Rummy with large groups of people as well as Find the Lady. Google them for instructions?

We do play traditional card games like rummy, twizzle, go fish etc, haven't heard of find the lady, will have a google.

We also play a game based on charades. You divide everyone into pairs. Each individual is then given 6 slips of paper and they write the name of a real life person or fictional/tv/historical/cartoon character on each slip. These are then folded and put in a bowl. ROUND 1: one partner of pair 1 takes out a slip of paper and described the person written on it. If the partner guesses it, they keep it. If not, it's folded and goes back in. They have 1 minute to do this. You go through all the pairs of partners doing this until it's done. When all of the slips of paper have been used, count up the scores and fold all the slips and out them back in the bowl. ROUND 2: as round 1 but you can only use 1 single word to describe the character on the paper. ROUND 3: as round 1 & 2 but you have to act out the character without speaking. At the end, add up every pair's grand total to find the winner. This game was taught to us by family in Australia. I think it's called Shenanigans over there? It's hilarious.

Dobble is good to. You can buy it from Amazon.

Too....not to!

Dobbie is really good - especially because the younger ones have the chance to win because it is based on matching pairs.

Mexican trains, dominoes with up to 12 spots on each half.

Great ideas, thank you

Spoons. Always causes total hysteria

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoons

We played The Minister's Cat last Christmas round the table.13 of us aged from 8-79.

Basically you go round the table clapping a beat saying 'the ministers cat is a ... ' and find a word to describe it with each letter of the alphabet. It gets funnier the further you get through the alphabet ( and get through the wine...)but good for all ages!

Code names

Pictionary is also great for big groups.

Uno extreme is brilliant and so funny

These are all great, love the spoons game! Ministers cat could be fun too. Thank you.

Find the lady is essentially 'Hearts', for those that have pissed away spent many a happy hour playing that on a Windows computer!

Funmummy we play that one too. Fond memories of my DH acting out Kofi Annan by doing the ‘calm down, calm down’ hand gesture

Linkee, Articulate, Risk.

Got to be Mean Santa. Get a sack and a large dice. Fill sack with wrapped presents [things from pound shop such as box Maltesers, shower gel, fluffy socks, cheap bits and pieces from Primark etc] also wrap any unwanted bits from your present drawer - you get the drift. Then add one or two bigger gifts such as a five pound note, gift card or similar [ I think one year we had a selfie stick that proved very popular]. Now all sit round with sack in the middle and take turns to throw the dice. If you throw a six you take a present from the sack and unwrap it for all to see [amongst much exagerated ooing and ahhing from the other participants]. Place the present in front of you and continue with the game. If you throw a one it entitles you to steal a present from another and so the game goes on until the sack is empty.Our family play this every year and it is very popular with adults and children alike. It can be very amusing when a big macho man gets some pink fluffy socks or lipstick and proceeds to try to fob these items off to the next person to throw a one and is looking to steal.

Brussel Pants legendary game for us
Supplies, stopwatch, raw brussel sprouts, colander, kitchen tongs, the largest pair of bloomer type pants you can purchase.
Teams of two.
One person wears the brussel pants the other stands as far away as the space will allow and uses the tongs to pick up a sprout and transfer it to The colander then launch it at teammate who has to catch it in the pants. Timed over two minutes.
Two rounds so both teammates get to wear the pants.

Top game

Monopoly (maybe the junior version), cluedo, family trivial pursuits)

The "shenanigans" game we play this in 2 teams rather than pairs.

Bananagrams is great too

The Big Taboo
Sherlock Holmes 221B Baker Street (younger DC might have to pair up with someone)

More ideas! Some of these sound very funny, thank you.