Games for rainy afternoons

[puddle]

We spent this afternoon in because of the rain having fun with some games. I was wondering if anyone wants to share some tips on good games to buy to play with their children, especially games which keep older and younger ones happy.

My two are ds 5.9 and dd 3

The big hits of this afternoon were:

A fishing game - dd's favourite where you catch fish with a line and magnet.

Mousetrap - I HATE this game - it never works properly and the process seems far too complex for the paltry reward at the end when the contraption NEVER works. But ds loves it.

Charades for Kids - this is fantastic for both my two - it has cards with pictures for the younger one and my older one can read and choose what he is supposed to be acting out.

Guess Who - a guessing game with a fiddly board where you pick a person and the other player has to work out who it is by elimimating all the other people on the board. Works with both my children.

My DS loves this Thomas game:

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/glance/-/kids/B0006NM9J6/ref=br_lf_k_h_b_cs_2/202-7320483-4776620

My DS and DD (18m) both like Hungry Hippos and the Elefun game.

DS also likes Screwball Scramble, its a game by Tomy where there is a ballbearing that you have to move along a circuit and you do it by wiggling, sliding, turning and pushing knobs that make the various components of the game work. Quite good for fine motor skills and problem solving.

twister ,we haven't laughed so much in ages
hide & seek indoors
huge boxes if you can get them,lots of imaginative play including us!
bingo
junior monopoly
the shopping game, orchard toys make this
lego extreme or variations of this from woolies
connect four

Jenga,
connect 4,
Card games,
oparation

Hiding behind the full length curtains, laughing and giggling hysterically -my two ( 18m and 6years) spend hours doing this [bemused mother emoticon]

Hullaballoo is good for mixed ages here

Jigsaws
making cakes or anything yummy

uno, my youngest is six and has just started it, so we are playing it every day at the mo. Great fun.

Thanks for these, any more ideas out there? Was really looking for more 'formal' games rather than the kind of 'make a tent' activities that you can also do - preferably games that you can play with a three year old and a nearly six-er.

mainly so that I can quietly jettison mousetrap.

Orchard games are fantastic-we love Knickerbocker Glory.
They do numerous games,and all a bit different from the normal ones

Tummyache is good.