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Original poster

Fantastic family game for small children

90 replies

grey12 · 02/12/2021 10:05

Hi!

I have small kids almost 4 and 5 (and a baby) and I'm looking for a fantastic family game. Board game, actions, whatever, super flexible with the type.

Let me be very honest: I am struggling with depression and would like something to help me have some nice fun time with the kids. I have been reading about new games that are really something fun and great and I wanted to try something new.

Ideally not something with lots of small pieces (because of the 1yo, she'll grab stuff....) but I would still like to hear about it if you know something really good.

I was going to get "frozen unicorns" but the reviews weren't good.....

Thank you!!!

OP posts:
BoredZelda · 02/12/2021 11:29

How well do they read?

We have articulate for kids. It might be a little old for them but if they read well, it is playable, with an adult to help them skip past the words or things they might not know. Having a child try to describe daddy pig without saying daddy pig is really quite funny. But for the adults, we rarely get through a game without having to stop the timer several times to allow us to stop laughing. My MILs toad impression is now legendary.

In a couple of years, the Exploding Kittens range will start to appeal

Love love love exploding kittens.

Eeeeeps · 02/12/2021 11:32

Egg slam

WildStallyn · 02/12/2021 11:33

For non-readers - Tummy Ache, Three Little Pigs, Frustration, Dobble.

For readers - What a Performance, Charades, Articulate for Kids

No reading needed but more advanced than Tummy Ache etc - Sleeping Queens, Enchanted Forest, OK Play, Junior Monopoly.

Derbee · 02/12/2021 11:33

Absolutely Dobble! It can be played with in SO many ways.

Derbee · 02/12/2021 11:34

Also, Articulate for kids. Even if they can’t read, you can whisper the word to them, and they can guess each others descriptions. It’s great fun, and very sweet to hear the clues they give

Capferret · 02/12/2021 11:35

Tummy ache, ideal for that age group.

loz12345 · 02/12/2021 12:01

We have just taught our 4 year old to play monopoly jnr, he was only 4 in June so thought he might struggle but got the hang of it, it will work well when your youngest is older too as my 11 year old plays it with his brother and still enjoys it

rockywilderness · 02/12/2021 12:10

My kids favourite game ever is the spray bottle game (can also use a water pistol).
You think of a category, for example Christmas Dinner - and secretly write down your option, i.e Turkey.
Everyone takes it in turn to guess an item and whoever guesses the one you wrote down gets sprayed in the face. It's absolutely hysterical - especially as the tension builds - and the kids love spraying us when we lose :-)
You have to be slightly careful to set ground rules that its one spray only or you can set off arguments!

110APiccadilly · 02/12/2021 12:12

We had a game which I think was a precursor to the Pick and Mix People one Orchard Games do when I was about that age and I remember my brother and I found it endlessly hilarious.

CazM2012 · 02/12/2021 12:30

Where’s my bottom? We still play it after having it a few years and all the kids still think it’s great Grin

www.theworks.co.uk/p/activity-packs/wheres-my-bottom-activity-set/9781786927057.html?CAWELAID=720011340002627132&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-qGNBhD3ARIsAO_o7ymXNPehB-LWz_L8UMlUToSwgzedabrZmQSP-MgQdFMxX9QYQaYP3MgaAuiuEALw_wcB

reluctantbrit · 02/12/2021 13:14

Tummy Ache, Shopping Trolley are great one.

Monopoly Junior can also. work, DD got hers for her 4th birthday and got into it straight away.

Ludo is a good one, we played it first with simplified rules.

Uno - you can get Junior versions.

Shut the Box is also good

Offtobednow · 02/12/2021 14:45

@MeanMrMustardSeed

Outfoxed. It’s a brilliant cooperative game and has got a fun decoder element that children really enjoy.
Yes, Outfoxed is brilliant for children. Mine really enjoyed it and as cooperative no-one loses and sulks!
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 02/12/2021 14:47

Stinky Pig.

Pass a pig round in a circle, and whoever is holding it when it farts takes a coin. Roll the dice and see what you have to do with your coin (keep or hand it over to someone) and carry on til all coins are collected.

Whoever has the most coins at the end loses.

Its fucjing hilarious!

fruitpastille · 02/12/2021 16:05

Uno and Dobble are fun for everyone. Jenga is good too and they can build with the pieces as an alternative. I find orchard games v boring for adults but they are good for learning basics like turn taking/ winning/ not winning.

Original poster
grey12 · 02/12/2021 18:23

@Offtobednow I'm liking the idea of "no one loses"!!!

OP posts:
hels71 · 02/12/2021 18:25

Too many monkeys

barms90 · 02/12/2021 18:51

I really like haba games. Orchard orchard is an amazing game were u win or lose together...you collect wooden fruit before the crow eats it. Also rhino hero is good and I work with kids and they all love pig goes pop...not sure why.
Oh and also busy town I found it

Cam2020 · 02/12/2021 18:58

Another vote for any Orchard games. Giraffes in Scarfs and Shopping list are firm favourites.

Also kid's playing cards - snap, pairs, whatever they call Old Maid these days. Bingo type games from kid's mamagazines also go down well.

picklemewalnuts · 02/12/2021 18:58

Games to play rather than games in a box-

Hunt the thimble/malteser. Get the children to wait outside the room while you hide a malteser/thimble equivalent item. They come in and look. The one who finds it gets a malteser, then hides it for the next round (with you either helping them hide it or waiting outside with their sibs. Goes on for hours, and you can cheat to make sure everyone wins.

Sardines. One child hides, the rest of you look and as you find them, squeeze into their hiding place.

Pin the tail on the donkey.

Pass the parcel- they can help wrap, then play.

Honestly, the old games can be great.

toolazytothinkofausername · 02/12/2021 19:01

Pop up pirate

Ilikecheeseontoast · 02/12/2021 19:01

Charades???

RabbitFooFoo · 02/12/2021 19:10

Hisss by Gamewright
Crazy Coconut - my son loves this and still does at 10, basically like a monkey catapult where you try and get coconuts into your opponents cups. Lots of fun.
Pling Pong

What a performance

Peabody25 · 02/12/2021 19:11

We really liked funny bunny, polar panic, hungry hippos, outfoxed, Jenga and pop up pirates.

Outfoxed is good as they need to work together against the fox. Funny bunny is really easy to understand, they just turn a card over with either a 1, 2, 3 or a carrot on and either move forward or turn the carrot. It's the first to get their bunny to the end.

emsmum79 · 02/12/2021 19:12

Funny bunny is very good.

gogohm · 02/12/2021 19:21

Uno is a great game, the basic version travels well too. Orchard games are good generally. Junior monopoly junior cluedo etc but depends on the children, mine could play the full version too as dd1 was a precocious reader, and read for dd2