Mumsnet users share their tips for a family night in with Goliath Games

[JustineBMumsnet]

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It’s not uncommon in a normal year to find yourself spending more time at home with your family as the nights draw in. With that even more likely to happen this year, making the most of family nights in is key, so you may have a few tips and tricks on how you enjoy this time together. With this in mind, Goliath Games would like to hear your tips for the perfect family night in.

Here’s what Goliath Games has to say: “Often it’s difficult to find something that the whole family will enjoy on a night in. Games like Wordsearch can bring everyone together as it appeals to anyone: from kids to parents, even grandparents! It’s such a well-recognised format and is easy to understand, just be the first to find the words on the board! Wordsearch is also educational, helping with spelling, reading and helps develop hand-eye coordination; but don’t worry the kids won’t realise they are learning as it’s so much fun!”

Do you have go-to snack ideas that please everyone, or do you order a takeaway to maximise on family time? Perhaps you find it helps to switch things up with a new board game? Or maybe your family has an old classic that you dig out time and time again?

Whatever your tips for a family night in, share them with Goliath Games on the thread below and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

Dh and I have a love of board games and card games and we always have lots of fun playing together as a family!

House rules established before play commences: no cheating, no sore losers and no rubbing it in if you win

We order takeaway and usually watch a film. The children are only 4 and 6 and don't hugely have the patience for board games. They do like playing what's that smell though.

• Get little kids showered and in pjs early (normally we do it right before going to bed) so that if they’re tired they can just go straight off
• DS is young, and prone to getting so excited that he ends up having a meltdown, so we usually make time for watching a film/reading a bedtime story after the games to help him wind down
• Clear rules about fair play and good attitudes before anything is begun! 😑 I live in a house of players who are not only willing to occasionally cheat BUT have the worst stinking attitudes if they’re losing! There’s been a few blowups, tears, etc, and now I’m v clear I won’t play if that’s the case.

I have a 7 year age gap between my eldest and youngest so we have found ways to adapt games to suit each of them so that they both get a challenge and they both stay engaged. For example, in the word search game we would have the younger one search for a list of letters while the elder searches for words. In other more complex strategy games, we have placed counters on the board that the younger one has to roll a dice to get to in order to thwart the elders chances. It works well and saves lots of rows over what game to play because we can all play together.

We all love board games, cards etc .. in fact during the first lockdown when DS (19) was home from Uni we played every single night and I got a bit fed up and longed for peace and time in my own . We all enjoy Cluedo, Mexican Train, Rumikub ... plus my DH will get put his board games from his youth (he's over 60!). We had a games evening last night playing Quirkle.

I love games, we do play most weekends if the three of us are home, harder to find games just for two.

Not so fussed about the snacks ... just a glass or two of wine,

Films are harder - trying to find something we all enjoy is not so easy.

We love a games night and usually get a new game each Christmas. We make our own pizza, dim the lights and just generally have a silly time.

We love Articulate for Kids and Uno- nice and quick with a good level of competitive spirit.

Takeaway and a movie. Recently we have joined some virtual quizzes which has also been great fun!

We have a huge stack of games and take it in turns to choose one
We have some that are longer and more involved - trivial pursuit family edition, various monopolies, risk, Scotland Yard, pandemic etc and then some shorted fast paced games like bananagrams, exploding kittens, cards against humanity family edition , etc.

We usually have a desert and play more than one game so everyone is happy, as they won’t choose the same games to play.

We take it in turns to choose the snacks and games so that everybody is happy!! Games are changing now my DC are older and we're looking forward to trying some of the escape room games in December!
Our snacks have changed too - from hot chocolate and sweets to beer, pink gin and nachos! Still great that teenagers want to spend time with their old manny!

We love playing games together, either computer or boardgames. Current favourites are carcasonne, labyrinth and dobble. Just introduced dd to Catan as well which she kicked out arses at 😄

We have a reasonable sized stash of games, no game is restricted as too old or too young. We adapt the rules, set up to suit whoever is playing to maximise the fun and competition and to ensure everyone has a fair chance of winning.

Everything revolves around the game, snacks etc are always savoury, a basic bowl of crisps/nuts.

We have a games evening about once a fortnight- my kids favourites are monopoly, game of life, trivial pursuit, Pictionary and family fortunes!

The DC like to arrange drinks and snacks for everyone - usually popcorn, crisps and juice for the kids and wine for me (helps me deal with DC2's inevitable tantrum when he doesn't win )

We like cooperative games!

We take it in turns to pick the game and have plenty of snacks

planning a fun family game night including snack ideas, game night rules and board game suggestion. Enter to win a family games night prize pack.

I have a dc with asd and playing games together is a challenge but so worthwhile at helping him develop skills like turn taking, losing (and winning) graciously, accepting loss and limits, cooperating as well as competing... the list goes on. But it can be more hard work, than fun. I look for games with a wide age range that can be played with 2 players as well as bigger groups. It helps to start him off against me (I’m a convincing loser) before playing with a bigger group, but it’s also good to have activities that we can participate in with grandparents and wider family too because it can be so easy for him to be left out. I can’t honestly say that games nights are fun for me, in the circumstances, but they are important.
We always have ice cream afterwards - usually with a selection of toppings but occasionally with dh’s meltingly soft Belgian waffles.

We love family game night!!

Firstly we always make it fun by letting the kids each choose a game (if we have time the grown ups also choose their own games too). We mix it up but some favourites are twister, Jenga, too trumps, go fish, cluedo kids, monopoly kids, game of life kids version, frustration...etc. We also like to do a Mario party night - Mario party is sort of a board game that you play on the Nintendo switch or other console and it's fab. So many ways to play and even our 5 year old can play unaided. We've also had family bingo nights where I bought prizes, made vouchers and printed them (half hour massage for mum/dad, kids get one night to stay up late) I got Dabbers and made up colourful signs - the dcs had never played before so this was really fun for them.

Then we do either party food (buffet style with loads of little plates) or simple dinner e.g. hot dogs/pizza . Pick n mix or popcorn is also fun for a game night treat!!

We don't take it too seriously, try to minimise any arguments and cheating and just generally have a good laugh.

Top tips would be;

Team up with really little ones if they're a little too young to play the game on their own.

If your kids are younger start with much simpler games and play just for an hour. (Orchard games are good for little ones)

It doesn't need to be an expensive game, it's not about the actual game, just that you're enjoying it all together.

Switch phones off (or put them away) and just enjoy the family time

You could 'fashion' your own trophy or pick up one of those cheap plastic ones for the ultimate game winner to keep until the next game night.

Games nights have taught how to be a gracious winner/loser
Phone free time for all
Having FUN as a family
We start with a card game and go from there as they a quick are "lure in" my reluctant teens
Current card favourites are uno,dobble,lexicon and strip jack naked/rummy
Board games- cluedo,go for broke,game of life(original version) and indigo

I have 2 sons one 14 one 3 we love games nights , my 3 year old is really getting into games we bought a vintage stop the train game from a charity ship we all love playing that . Also love all the silly games and eldest loves a game of scrabble

Take away every time.

We let the children take it in turns to choose a game so there is something each of them enjoy.

We don't negotiate on the rules so everyone knows they have been treated fairly.

We play games until a set time. That way games that take a longer time to finish don't go on past bedtime. The winner is the one with the most points at the time if there isn't enough time to finish the game.

We have an interval with drinks and snacks to keep morale high

Under my daughters bed is a plethora of board games. We let a different one of the family choose the game each week, and we always eat a mixup of snacks when we play :)

Board games and pizza!