Depending on the age of your children, you’re either getting a response of “Yippee” or “That is so stupid, I don’t want to play” when you introduce the inception of game night at home. Make it non-optional, but make it fun! It will be worth trying and creating a bound between your kids more than you would have ever imagine.
Locate a day during the week where everyone will be home. If you don’t have one night where everyone will be home, you would probably have a bigger issue to juggle some things around so that you have at least one night where the entire family stays at home.
Giving Mom or Dad’s back and knees can handle it, put a blanket on the floor. Make it fun, not something the kids dread. Set up a theme for a game. You may try a Hawaiian theme, having pineapples and things like that, everyone wears leis, or even Sponge Bob lives in a pineapple under the sea!
For the theme. Each person needs to have an idea about the theme to the blanket. For instance, each person could talk about what they know about Hawaii or ask any questions they may have about Hawaii. (Or Sponge Bob trivia!)
It is not necessary to relate to the theme; you just need the atmosphere and conversation. You might play Yatzee, Life, Clue, Sorry, Chutes and Ladders, Don’t Spill the Beans, Uno, Texas Hold ‘Em. No matter which game you’re playing. You could adapt your theme into various intervals during the game. Every time someone lands on a yellow square, everyone must take a bite of pineapple. Spin a ten and all must eat a macadamia nut! If you choose the Go to Jail card, it’s your turn to do the Hula!
At the end of each game night, plan the next week’s theme. Family members can take turns determining the theme and the accompanying snacks. If it’s too much for one person to plan the game or if your children are too young, these tasks can be made easy. Your three year old can choose a clown theme complete with balloons and everyone will need to wear clown make-up. Your 7th grader may prefer an art theme and paint or draw the decorations.
These games don’t have to be expensive. You can choose a new game from thrift stores or buy props from garage sales for $1.00. You can find most decorations from your house or get some from a second hand games shop or even the dollar store. Make it fun although your children won’t probably be able to remember the games you’ve played together, but they will thank you for all the hours you put in a work, and those games can always cherish the family time together. Remember that the family that plays together stays together.