Game Night {Neighborhood Games} Kids Activities Blog

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Game Night

One of our favorite things to do as a family is to play games or have a family game night. We can escape the everyday busy-ness that our lives have fallen into and laugh together as a family. Kids (and parents) are not allowed to have electronics with them during games, so 100% of your focus is on playing. We happen to be a pretty competitive family, so our games can get intense, but we always make it a fun time. Last week, we discussed fun ways to get to know your neighbors on your street. A really fun way is to come up with several neighborhood games and host a Neighborhood Game Night.

Neighborhood Games

1. Board Game Night Invite a few families over and ask them to bring their favorite board game. Split off into groups based on interest and play. Set a time limit to play a game and rotate to a new one or just go with the flow. Maybe get the group together to play a big game like Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit, or Cranium. There are many different variations on this evening, depending on what games you play. The purpose is to spend time together, have fun, and play a few games! 2. Field Day Remember how Field Day was our favorite day of the year in grade school? Put together an old-fashioned field day for your street complete with all your favorite games like potato sack races, water balloon tosses and three-legged races. Have everyone bring their lunch/dinner in a brown paper sack and award ribbons for the winners of each race. Don’t forget the tug-of-war! 3. Progressive Game Night Another fun twist to game night, make it progressive by visiting a few different homes throughout the evening. Four or Five families each host a segment with their favorite game and a snack. Games will need to be simple and fast moving and involves everyone like Twister or Charades. Make it even more challenging by adding in a scoring system and award a winner of the evening. I see a “traveling trophy” and this becoming an annual event! Fun!

4. Electronic Game Tournament

In the age of Wii and XBox 360 Connect, electronic games have become active…and fun for both adults and kids! Host a tournament using one of these fun game systems and play tennis, bowling, bicycling – you name it. Put together a “dance-off” with one of the fun dancing games. Have a bracket to determine who advances to the finals and wins. Kids are going to love trying to beat their parents at Wii Sports Resort!

5. Game Show Fun

One of our most fun evenings we had with our extended family was when we played a bunch of “Minute to Win It” games. Based on the popular tv game show, we came up with some challenging and goofy games. Ever tried stacking dice on a popsicle stick in your mouth? Eating a cookie off your face? Or blowing paper cups across the table with a straw? These games are fun for every age and got everyone participating. There are a lot of great ideas for games online that require little to no preparation. I promise, you will be laughing all evening long! Game night is such a great way to bond with family and friends. It gets you thinking, laughing, and enjoying spending time together…..creating fun memories! Here are some more kids activities that could make your next game night extra fun: