There’s something about winter nights that leads to board games, card games, and more being pulled out and played for the first time all year, at least at my house. And you know what? It’s so much fun! So here’s 30 different games across 7 categories for family game night—figure out which games work best for your family, unplug, and reconnect with these fun, low-cost board games, puzzles, and activities for all ages.

1. Cozy Card Games Everyone Can Learn

Card games are usually pretty easy to pick up and learn—plus, they’re super portable. Here’s a few different “specialty” card games that are a mix of classics and newer hits:

Card games work great for mixed ages because they’re simple but still engaging and competitive enough for older kids. You’d be amazed at the number of games you can play with just a deck of cards.

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2. DIY Indoor Scavenger Hunt

This is a quick, easy activity for littles—create a quick list of items to find around the house and see which kid can find them all first. You can add fun twists like timed rounds, riddles, or themed hunts.

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3. Build-Your-Own Story Challenge

If you have creative kids that love a good story, consider taking game night out of the box of traditional games and into the world of storytelling. Use story cubes or prompt cards where each person adds a sentence or plot twist, or pick a topic or theme and go bananas with it. If you like the idea of a build-your-own story in theory but it seems too daunting, I cannot suggest MadLibs enough. It’ll have your whole family laughing til you cry. (Beware: Most kids tend to use potty language, so you might end up with the “poopy troll who has a toilet-sized finger.” But honestly, it makes it all the better.)

Photo by Sorry!

4. Board Games for Bored Kids

Board games can be so underrated these days. Here’s a few my family loves:

You’ll be surprised at how much fun you have playing—it definitely draws out competitive spirits in the best way.

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5. Hot Cocoa Taste-Test + Trivia

Bear with me. Cheesy? Maybe—although I’d argue it’s more ~chocolatey~ (wink, wink). However, a hot chocolate taste test could be a fun winter activity. (Who said it has to be Christmas for you to drink hot chocolate? I find it perfectly acceptable to drink all winter long!) 

Prepare 3–5 hot cocoa variations (peppermint, dark chocolate, marshmallow, etc.), then test your knowledge. If you have older kids, have each person come with their own set of trivia questions, or find a random family-friendly trivia Q&A to show off your skills! At the start of each round, everyone can try another of the hot chocolate variations.

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6. Minute-to-Win-It Challenges

If you’ve never watched the Minute-to-Win-It show, you need to remedy that immediately. Basically, it was a fun, silly game show where people competed in crazy competitions with only one minute to complete the challenge. It has inspired many boredom busters. Whether you come up with your own versions of the quick, silly competitions using household items or find ideas online, like cup stacking, cookie-on-forehead, or a cotton ball transfer, this is a great way to burn off energy before winding down.

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7. Other Games

Some games just don’t fit in the traditional “board game” category, but are totally worth mentioning.

Consider making game night a weekly or monthly tradition.