10 best games for families
1 Deck of cards
All ages
Our family have whiled away many hours on a rainy holiday playing cards.
From snap to fish, from pontoon to trumps and crib to rummy, there is a game suitable for everyone, writes
Sue Wilkinson. On your own ... patience is your friend. One of the best things is youngsters are improving their maths and strategic thinking without knowing it. Because of crib my multiplication skills improved ... 100 fold!
We still play Newmarket, making it more interesting with a little side bet of 5p a hand!
The really serious buy a cribbage board with pegs. Available from WH Smith etc
2 Dominoes
All ages
Most domino games are blocking games. The objective is to empty your hand while blocking the opponent’s. In the end, score is determined by counting the pips/dots in the losing players’ hands.
There are 28 tiles in a set. These are turned upside down and each player - up to four - share out the tiles. There are various forms from the most simple to games like fives and threes.
Like cards, playing dominoes improves maths and logic. Available WH Smith etc
3 Charades
All ages
Parlour or party word guessing game. Originally, the game was a dramatic form of literary charades. Now there are all forms – movies, theatre, books and television.
It received a boost in the 1970s and ’80s with TV show Give Us A Clue.
Many board games are available or you could just make up your own.
Available WH Smith etc
4 Blind Man’s Bluff
Popular children’s game Select one player as the ‘blind man’ and have them put on the blindfold while standing in the centre of the room or area of play.
Spin the ‘blind man’ around a couple of times so they become disoriented.
You can also ask they count to give the other players time to move away and hide.
Make sure the other players stop where they are when the ‘blind man’ stops counting. They must stay in this position until the end of the game.
Yell out “Blind man’s ...” if you are the blind man. The other players will respond “Bluff ” to your call. Use these verbal clues to find the other players in the game. As you tag each, they are eliminated from the game. Continue finding other players until everyone has been found.
The waiting players must stay in the same spot, but may move their upper bodies to avoid being tagged by the ‘blind man’.
Play smart and disguise your voice when you say “Bluff ” so the ‘blind man’ can’t find you.
Cost - a blindfold
5 Apple bobbing
All ages
Apple bobbing, also known as bobbing for apples, is a game often played on Halloween - but it does not have to be.
The game is played by filling a tub or a large basin with water and putting apples in the water. Because apples are less dense than water, they will float at the surface. Players (usually children) then try to catch one with their teeth. Use of arms is not allowed, often tied behind backs to prevent cheating!
There is nothing children like more than watching you have a go.
Cost - apples and a bowl of water