We’ve previously talked around here about our favorite Disney themed board games. Those are all still good choices, but I realize not everyone loves Disney as much as our family. We forgive you, and still like you. For the most part. So here, we’ve rounded up the best board games for the whole family —

Preschool-friendly (but not oppressively boring)

Hi Ho Cherry-O – One of my favorite games growing up, I have thoroughly enjoyed this as one of each of my kids’ “first games”. It helps with one-to-one counting as well as teaching the littlest family members how to play games in general (taking turns, following instructions, etc).

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game – We don’t have this one, but I have looked into it this year as an alternative recommendation to Hi Ho Cherry-O. I still have to include the former for nostalgia and quality game play, but this is an incredible little game, too. With a similar premise to Hi Ho Cherry-O, it also helps teach a few small strategic moves, color recognition, and manual dexterity (as you pick up the acorns with your “Squirrel Squeezer” tweezer tool).

Candy Land – Both Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders have come out with branded versions such as Disney Princess, Spiderman, etc but I’m a sucker for the old, classic games. My kids have loved this one as much as I always did, and we enjoy playing it with them!

Chutes and Ladders – Chutes and Ladders is another classic favorite that you probably played growing up, too! It’s just as entertaining for today’s kids, and I love that it still includes reinforcement of good choices and the possible consequences of poor choices 🙂

Go Fish! – Unlike the last two, I’m not convinced there is a “definitive version” of Go Fish! Pick one, play it with your kids, and have fun. Or, you could always buy this Bicycle six-pack of classic card games for kids, and introduce them to two of my other childhood favorites: Old Maid and Crazy 8’s!

Connect Four – My son lovingly refers to this as “the coin game”, and mostly enjoys creating patterns with the tokens before watching them crash to the ground. This is still good learning in my opinion, and as preschoolers get bigger they can actually learn how to play, too. (And now, children of the 80s/90s, I apologize if you have, “Go for it – Connect Four!” in your head…)

Shopping Cart Dash – Pick your shopping list and try to be the first to fill your cart and purchase the correct items. My mom picked this up for my kids several years ago, and though I’ve never seen it in stores around us it has long been a favorite in our house. It’s very straightforward so young kids can play, but just unique enough that my bigger kids really enjoy it still, too.

Where is Sock Monkey? – Another gem found by my mother, my kids got this as a gift to play at her house but it came home with us almost immediately. We have played it dozens of times, and it’s still as much fun as the first. “Twenty Questions” type clues and a race against the clock meet hide and seek and an adorable plush sock monkey. I can’t recommend this one highly enough!

Elefun – This was another one of my favorites, and all three of my kids have loved it. The elephant inexplicably sneezes out some butterflies (or now, fireflies, though they look strikingly similar) and kids have to catch them with their nets. It’s one I gave as a gift to several other kids before having mine, and one we pull out and play often. Admittedly, I’m a little relieved they’re big enough to work it themselves while I sit and laugh at with them.

Cranium Hullabaloo – This one is ever-so-slightly reminiscent of Twister in the game-play, except that instead of contortion, kids learn vocabulary and direction following skills, and everyone gets a little exercise. It’s a fun game of learning, hopping, spinning, and dancing that my kids have loved for years!

Uno Moo – You’ll learn shortly my love for all most things Uno. This was the last edition to our Uno collection, but is one of our favorites. It’s for the preschool set – and it’s absolutely adorable. This was the first game my daughters learned to play by themselves.

Fun for Kids & Adults Alike

Disney Eye Found It – So a few caveats about this game: First, it’s a team quest. For us that’s good, for some it may be less than ideal. Second, it’s nearly freaking impossible to “win”. We have played it a dozen times and won once. That said, trying to get the whole team to finish before Cinderella’s clock strikes midnight is legitimately fun. For Disney fans, the collision of animated worlds on the beautiful, giant game board is reason enough to own it. (also available: Journey Through Time, Dreamworks, and Richard Scarry’s Busytown)

Spot It! – When we first received this game, I marveled at the math that went into making sure every pair of cards, no matter which two were chosen at random, had exactly one matching set of images. I still marvel at that, but it’s while having a really good time playing. We’ve played with kids and adults of all ages; it really is anyone’s game, and everyone has fun. Be the first to spot the matching images, collect the most cards to win! This also makes a really great travel game because it takes up virtually no space. (also available: Alphabet, MLB, On the Road, Animals, and many more)

Pass the Pigs – While we’re talking about travel-friendly games, this one had to be mentioned! I first played Pass the Pigs with a friend in elementary school and was thrilled to come across it again as an adult. Roll the pigs, score based on how they land. A little strategy is involved too, as you decide when to stop and score your points before you “Pig Out” and lose them all!

Clue Though the age recommendations say 8 and up, my girls have enjoyed this one for a year or two. It took a little help to get the concept, but as soon as it clicked it became an instant favorite. They like the mystery angle, the fact that it is just challenging enough to make them feel like it’s a “grown up game”, and that anyone can win!

Uno – I grew up playing Uno like it was my job, and it wasn’t until I was married that I learned we had added extra rules in my family. They made the game better though, and have stuck even into our new, merged families 😉 Even with the regular rules, though, Uno is a classic for a reason. For many years we collected just about every new “version” of Uno, until they just got sort of ridiculous. If you already have regular Uno (or a character-branded version of the same game), I can only in good conscience recommend the following additions to your Uno collection: Uno Disney (mainly for the awesome sparkling Tinkerbell button),  Disney Theme Park Edition, and Uno Attack (hilarious, high-energy fun!).

Telestrations – Hands down our new favorite game. It’s hilarious and fun with just adults, and I was tempted to put it on the list below for older children. That said, we play with 7-year-olds and it’s somehow even more fun. It’s a different game because they don’t always draw and guess like adults, but with a few rule tweaks it’s their favorite, too. (If you buy it and want our secrets to modify it for the younger crew, just ask!)  The good news for kids (or less competitive adults) is that there is no score keeping, but it’s still a blast.

Sort it Out – If you’re a fan of trivial facts and/or lists, you’ll love this one! Learn which animal’s brain weighs most and whether a cheetah or a steam train is fastest. Despite the seemingly academic premise, it’s a game you can actually kind of check out on, make some guesses, and laugh a lot along the way!

Apples to Apples (and Apples to Apples Jr) – Depending on the age of your kids, one of these is a good pick. Select the card from your hand that you think is best described by a card played by the judge. From there, the “surprising and outrageous comparisons” provide the entertainment! We have enjoyed this one with extended family that includes “not really game people”.

Beat the Parents – The Beat the Parents series of games is absolutely brilliant for “game families”. They take one theme (ours is Disney, which I know is terribly shocking) and provide age-appropriate questions and tasks for kids or adults. Your entire family can play together, and the kids don’t have to let the grown-ups win!

Hedbanz – When I was 11, I got the original Hedbanz game. It then disappeared, only to reappear for my kids’ generation in half a dozen forms. We have literally three versions and love them all – and in researching for this guide, realized we probably “need” the Marvel version, too!

Game of Life – I’m pretty sure this game didn’t change from the 60s to the 90s, but now it’s all sorts of different. Kids have chosen the careers, the children are no longer formless little pegs, and phrases like “Day of Reckoning” have been completely eliminated. Alas, it’s still a super fun game and I’ve never met a kid in my 32 years that didn’t enjoy it.

Pictopia – A game that encourages strategy, cooperation, teamwork, and Disney trivia is a winner in our family. There’s a Star Wars version too, if you enjoy that sort of thing.

Scene It? I imagine many of you have played some form of Scene It or another since it burst onto the scene several years ago.  In case you haven’t though – and because it simply couldn’t be left off of such a list – here’s the deal. You watch clips of {your favorite show, movie, etc} and answer questions. Some are based on speed, some are logic problems, some are trivia. The coolest things about the franchise are that 1) you can just pop the DVD and play for fun if you’d like (no board, no rules), and 2) there is seriously something for everyone. Have a friend who is hard to shop for but loves Star Trek/Comedies/Disney Movies/Marvel/the 80s/Classic Movies/Music/Harry Potter/Sports/Seinfeld/The Simpsons/Glee/Twilight/Nickelodeon/James Bond/YouGetMyDrift…? You’ve got a great gift idea.

For Grown-ups and Big Kids*

Pit – I feel like I played this game with my mom and some of my parents’ friends when I was pretty young… but every time I go to pull it out to play with my own daughters, it feels overwhelming. I remember shouting at one another to try and come up with all of the same “commodity” and ringing the bell (or more slyly, stealing a spoon when we made up our own rules for this one, too) when we got the complete set. That’s not a great elevator pitch, but it’s a fantastically fun game.

Set – My brilliant cousin introduced my girls and me to this game, apparently all the kids at Harvard and MENSA meetings are playing it. A “set” is a group of three cards where each feature (color, shape, number, and shading) is either all the same or all different. It’s a game of speed, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that kids brains can work out the game really well. You can find Set apps for your phone if you want to try it out, but there’s something special about the real game played with real family members and friends.

Trivial Pursuit Family – This is another great game that has paired “kid cards” and adult cards” for a game the whole family can play together. We really, really love Trivial Pursuit games, so I’d be happy to make other suggestions on our favorite versions… but this is a “board games for families” list, so the one with “family” in the name earned the spot!

Scattergories – A longtime favorite in my household growing up, Scattergories keeps getting updated looks for each new generation but otherwise staying the same – because it’s the kind of fun that lasts decades.

Pay Day – Yet another game that has stood the test of time, I played this a lot one with my mother and my girls request it often. Depending on the age of the kids playing, you can play fewer or more months, skip the option of “loans”, etc – but it’s always fun. Pay Day also begins to teach money counting and basic economic concepts, if that’s a prerequisite in your game purchases.

Cranium – The original Cranium game (or rather, any version of the original game) is still an absolute blast, and perhaps a must-have for every game-loving family. It’s just so well rounded, there’s something in it for everyone! (Note: There’s also a Disney version, if you’re interested!)

5 Second Rule – Pick a topic and name three things that fit. Sounds super simple, except that 5 seconds is a ridiculously short amount of time! We worried this may be “boring” or easy, but it absolutely isn’t. The stuff we end up blurting out in a panic is just good, clean, comedy gold. 😉

*These games are recommended for older children and adults from a technique/knowledge/understanding standpoint. You won’t find Cards Against Humanity or other “adult” games around here! 🙂

Honorable Mentions

Pie Face Game – This game looks absolutely hysterical. I love the premise and have some friends who have played and really enjoyed it. Having not played it myself though, and not even taken a look at how well it’s made or thought through how long kids will actually be entertained, I couldn’t technically recommend it. I couldn’t ignore it though, because look at it! 🙂 If you have this one, let me know in the comments what you think of it!

SponTUNEous – A handful of people all recommended this one for me and my family, so I can’t wait to play after Christmas! The basic premise is this: you hear a word, and have to sing the first song that comes to mind. It’s top-selling and award-winning, and the reviews are absolutely glowing. The description points out that multiple generations can play together, and have great conversations about music and memories. And before you make excuses, it’s right in the tagline: “Talent not required”

CHECK OUT MORE GIFT GUIDES HERE —

CREATIVE GIFTS & TOYS THAT FOSTER IMAGINATION

GIFTS FOR THE MEN YOU LOVE

BEST BOARD GAMES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

GREAT GIFTS FOR FITNESS FANS

GIFT IDEAS FOR HER

… and stay tuned for more installments of our “Twelve Days of Gift Guides” as we count down to Black Friday!