24 Best Family Board Games to Play While You're Staying at Home (2020)

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Dec. 7

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Board games are one of the ways that we're keeping busy during those long weekends at-home, during the pandemic. From preschool board games where you're introducing your children to game play, taking turns and simple game strategies, to games designed for older kids, and classics for the whole family - like two of our favourites, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne and Sequence - here are our top choices for board games for the whole family this season.For Preschoolers

Avalanche Fruit StandThese preschool games are an incredible choice for younger children, as it's a great introduction to taking turns, and comes with tongs for those fine motor skills. This game is one of our favourites, as you've got to be careful not to create a fruit avalanche!
Sneaky Snacky Squirrel GameLearning about taking turns, and playing the game, you'll be able to practice colors, and taking turns, with this game. Plus, the sneaky squirrel is so cute.
Piggy Pile UpPractice piling up over and over with the newest game from Roo Games, where you compete to stack pigs as part of your turn.
Feed FuzzyColors, dice rolling and taking turns, this is one of our favourite new games for beginners. To play, kids and parents roll the dice to see how much they're going to feed fuzzy!
Shelby's Snack ShackAnother great game from Educational Insights, this game focuses on the skills of taking turns, counting and of course - those fine motor skills, with the included tongs. You're going to love the little dog bones as part of the game!
Crazy CerealA fun game (don't forget the battery), it's a great option for an in-between tactile game for kids and parents because you've got to grab cereal with the ever-changing coloured spoon.

For Kids

Settlers of Catan JuniorA classic, Settlers of Catan Junior is another great family game, and a must-have for every family game night. It's the first usually 'serious game', parents can play with kids, that's fun for parents, and for kids.
CarcassonneStart with the kids version of Carcassonne, and work your way up to the adult version. The kids version will introduce younger children to the game play, and basic strategy games.
Oh SnapBe careful with this game, you could snap your fingers into it if you're not quick enough! This game is a great tactile option for older kids, or even adults!
SlamwichEvery game collection needs a couple of quick card games that can be played in just a few minutes. Between Avocado Smash and Slamwich, you'll have a couple of solid options.
Spot it (Waterproof)Why the waterproof version of the game? I love how easy the cards can slide across the table while you play, second - if you have kids, you know just how important it is to have waterproof (and kid proof) games. On this game, you try and find a match between your card and the card on the table, and the first person to find that match claims the card.

For Older Kids

SequenceCards and markers, you're going to play this classic card game with a couple of decks of cards, and turns where you and a partner try to create two lines of five, by playing cards that correlate with spots on the board.
CarcassonneTiles, tiles and more tiles. This is a great introduction for strategy games for older kids. We play it with kids 8+ and they're very much into building cities and roads, trying to score the highest amount of points through the course of the game.
Tokyo HighwayA great tactile option, the goal of this game is to actually build delicate highway structures while you play through the course of your turn. This one is a little harder to find than your average board game, and you can usually pick it up at one of the local Board Game Cafes.
SantoriniSantorini is a game with the goal of trying to build a three-story tower. It's great for a family game because you can actually choose the level of difficulty that you're going to include in the game.

For the Whole Family

CodenamesCodenames is a great group game, for four players or more (There's a DUO version for two players). It's a game where you use one word clues to create associations with words on the boards, trying to encourage your partner to uncover the clues for your pattern on a card.
Settlers of CatanTrading commodities, and you can even play online, Settlers of Catan is one of the most popular games for families with older children.
Spot ItGreat for all ages, Spot it is one of those games families can play over and over, trying to get quicker with every round. Great for all ages, with many different versions like camping, hockey and even Harry Potter, it's a staple family games night game.
Avocado SmashAvocado Smash is a card game that will have you laughing, slapping, and smashing cards on the table to see who can act the fastest during the game. A quick game, it'a a must-play.
Jamanji