The weather is cooling and holiday breaks are nearing. With our teen and tween at home, it’s easy for everyone to disappear into their corners and scroll the holidays away. Not this year! Cue evil laugh. I’m planning to bust out some of my favorite childhood games. Not only are they sure to get everyone laughing, but they also sneak in a bit of exercise for your brain and body.
Here are 10 throwback games I’m planning to revisit (brace yourselves, Holderness clan):
Capture the Flag
Have some competitive types in your family? Need a way to burn off some steam after being inside together all day? Divide your group into teams and head to the local park for this classic showdown. Punny team names are required. Also, this glow-in-the-dark version looks awesome!
Pictionary
You don’t have to be a great artist for this guessing game inspired by another party favorite: charades. Although it certainly does help. It’s a great way to test both sides of your brain at once as you try to draw your chosen word for your teammates to guess.
Twister
Nothing breaks the ice as fast as a game of Twister (or reminds you it’s time to give yoga another try). If everyone seems to be loafing around, bring out the mat and spin the dial to turn your friends and family into giggling pretzels.
Red Rover
If you have a large group, this game is an excellent way to get everyone outside and moving. Divide into two teams and stand at opposite ends of the yard, holding hands. Take turns summoning a player to run over and try to break through the chain.
Guess Who?
Flipping down the face cards of this memory game was always so satisfying. Opponents ask yes or no questions to try and guess the character on each others’ cards. For extra credit, print out your own pictures of well-known figures to personalize your game board.
H-O-R-S-E
This is a current favorite here but gives me serious elementary school recess flashbacks. Once someone makes a basket, everyone else has to try and make one from the same spot. Miss and you gain a letter. The first “horse” loses. Because basketball isn’t my strength, I add choreography to mine. It’s hilarious to see my kids have to knock out a few dance moves before shooting.
Apples to Apples
Long before the naughty adult version in the black box, there was a simple card game all about matching nouns and adjectives. Everyone has seven noun cards. One by one, you take turns drawing a single adjective card, awarding the most clever combination.
Scavenger Hunt
Time off work or school is the perfect reason to have a scavenger hunt. Everyone has to work together in a race to complete all of the riddles and find the prize. Set one up outside or use our handy PDF to create one at home.
Scrabble
Scrabble is a fantastic game for a rainy or snowy day. Make some cocoa, grab your tiles and fight to be named the top speller in the group. To mix it up, try choosing a fun theme before you start the game that everyone has to stick to.
Tag
When was the last time you played tag? If you’re struggling to find the motivation to run right now, turning it into a chase-or-be-chased situation may be the answer. Add in some playground obstacles or head to the track.
Which game do you have fond memories of? Let us know how you and your family enjoy some phone-free fun these days in the comments.
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