I don’t know about you guys, but my family and I love to play board games whenever we get together (there are 6 kids so you can image how much fun that is).
Whether it’s a random Tuesday night over break or Christmas Eve, we love to invite friends over, team up and go head-to-head; while celebrating with some holiday drinks of course! So if you are bored at home because you are snowed in or you miss being at school, whip out some games and get the party started!
1. Apples to Apples
This is a GREAT game for big groups! It’s easy because there are no teams, it’s just a big group of people laughing and trying to convince one person to choose them.
Everyone gets a hand of cards with random nouns on them; you could have a card that says “Tom Hanks” or you could get “Warts;” it’s all in the luck of the draw. What makes the game fun is the judge, or the person chosen each round to decide who’s card best describes the target word.
For instance, if the judge draws the word “success” you have to look through your cards to find the best word that you think describes success; the most successful players are those who can play to the opinions of the judge!
2. Pictionary
Whoever invented this game is awesome. This game is tons of fun whether you are playing with 4 people or 10. Team up with your friend or family member and get ready to have some fun.
Pictionary works somewhat like charades, except instead of acting things out for your partner to guess, you are drawing them out on paper! Whether you are drawing something simple or challenging, the name of the game is who can get their partner to guess the fastest.
However, be careful who you allow to be team partners; when my sister and I pair up, we can basically read each other’s minds so no one else has a chance of winning!
3. Scene It!
It doesn’t get much better than Scene It! Whether you are playing with friends or family, this game is sure to stir up some fun in your living room.
Depending on which game you get (there are all different themes like Friends, Simpsons, Squabble…etc), the directions will vary, but its basically always the same. Pop in the dvd that comes with the game, crack open the board/pieces and you are ready to go.
Team up with whoever you want to play with and get ready as the two teams go at it as questions appear on your television screen. Whoever answers the questions first gets to move forward on the board!
I would highly suggest Scene It! Squabble….Guys vs. Girls!
4. Poker
What a great way to bond with your family; by gambling! You don’t have to play with real money though; use poker chips as a substitute and start placing bets.
If you don’t know how to play poker, brush up on the rules online, teach the other players, and start the game.
Essentially, each person starts with a hand which they use to play off the flop, or the first set of 3 cards dealt. Each player tries to create a winning hand using the cards in their hand and those in the flop, turn, and river cards.
Players place bets based on their hand or “fold” if their cards aren’t cutting it. Whichever players remain at the end, they show their cards to the table, and the player with the best hand takes the pile of chips, money, Cheez-It’s, or whatever it is you are betting.
5. Boggle
This is for families who love fast-paced competition…and words! This game is kind of like a shortened, faster version of Scrabble.
The game is simple: find the most words out of the scrambled letters before your fellow wordsmiths can find them in the allotted minute time.
You may spend most of the game arguing over which words are made up and who is cheating, but hey, at least you spent some time together!
6. Monopoly
This game should come with a warning because every time we play it, we hate each other after… but it’s so addicting!
Despite the fact that it pins family against family, we can’t stop playing it. Watch out for cheaters who like to steal extra money out of the bank when no one is looking.
Build your empire by stepping on the properties of your friends/family and get that monopoly, dammit!
