Want to know a great way to connect as a family that is extremely cheap and extremely fun? Game Night! Whether it is indoor or outdoor, families can reconnect when they put down the phones, turn off the electronics, and come together over a great game.

Big Ideas

1. How can playing games bring your family closer together? 

2. What are some great indoor and outdoor games that work for all ages?

Family Nights are meant to bring you together. It is the intentional pursuit to love and know each other on a deeper and more meaningful level. To laugh and to cry together. To scream sorry at the top of your lungs. To discover what a rope, ballroom, and colonel all have in common. To hold in your hand one card that if played right will lead to victory. Or to take 5 dice in your hand, roll them, and to your great delight see that each die has landed on the same number...YAHTZEE!!!

For families who are looking for a way to escape from the digital world and connect around a table, you need a Game Night! In the culture of social media, Netflix, and YouTube, it is easy to find you and your family glued to your television or devices. Be free from all the distractors and allow you and your family to get swept away in the world of gaming. 

How to Plan the Perfect Game Night

1. Plan, Plan, Plan!! 

Using the Family Meetings article as a guide, be sure to plan out what day you will have your Game Night. This allows you to invite friends and family if interested, to figure out a simple meal that won’t take away from being together, and to most importantly make the time together a priority. 

1. Pick the Game.

There is an unlimited amount of games that can be played around the table. A deck of cards can be your best friend for you and your family. Also, there are countless board games that are perfect for all ages. Here is a list of my family's favorite games: 

• Rummy

• Shanghai (Phase 10 with a deck of cards)

• Settlers of Catan

• Go Fish (Perfect for the toddlers)

• Dominos

• Ticket to Ride

• Skip-bo

• Qwirkle

Your game time does not have to be limited to inside but can also be spent outside with a game of Corn Hole, Golf Toss, KanJam, or Bocce just to name a few. 

Even though your time spent playing games should bring you a lot of fun it also will provide an incredible opportunity to connect with your entire family (and friends). There is something special that happens when people play games together. Introverts talk, the stressed chill out, the normal gets crazy and everything in between! Make a plan today and start making game nights a regular event.

Make sure to post a pic and tag #NoOrdinaryFamily. I’d love to see how much fun you have and even what games you decide to play!