Family Game Night Ideas

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We are big gamers in this house! Board gamers! We play games while we eat dinner, we play games with friends, and we bring games with us when we go on vacation. My husband and I recently realized that we were missing some of the classic games that we played as kids, and that it was time to introduce them to our children! When your child tells you they haven’t ever played the Twister game before, you now that you have slightly failed as a parent. I’m kidding, but now that they are all old enough to know their right from their left, it was time to bust out the Twister game mat.

If you are thinking that it might be time to share your favorite classic games with your kids, this fun game night party spread is just the way to do it. Invite a group of friends over, have them bring a few of their favorite games, and have fun!

I created this game themed tablescape with board Games + snacks. Nothing fancy, and completely doable! Even that giant Jenga game snack tower! Let me show you how I pulled it all together.

 

I used a Twister game mat for the table cloth for my starting point. Board game boxes are always colorful and exciting and add pops of color so I stacked them all around my table. They also added a bit of height to balance out my Jenga game snack tower. Not only did the games add to the decor, but they were easily accessible for anyone who wanted to play one.

 

This 6 pack of soda reminded me of the cars in The Game of Life game. Am I right? I love those little cars and placing the family members inside. I created a printable that you can attach to the front of any 6 pack of beverages.

 

Twister game board cookies using M&M’s®! You can prep them ahead of time or set out undecorated cookies for guests to make on their own. Use your favorite sugar cookie dough or scroll down to get the recipe for mine. Trust me, they are perfect. So soft and light!

 

Now for that Jenga game snack tower. It was so fun to set up and EASY! I filled each block with M&M’s® Peanut, pretzels and honey roasted peanuts! The perfect sweet and salty combination for your game night. Keep reading to see how I put this together!

 

I’ve shared our marshmallow caramel corn recipe with you before, but I’m bringing it back today with a delicious twist by adding M&M’s® Peanut Butter. As if this popcorn wasn’t already absolutely the best! The best part? It takes about 5 minutes to make in the microwave.

 

Games and snacks just go hand in hand. These jars of assorted M&M’s® are great for grabbing a handful to munch on while waiting for your next turn during the Jenga game, or the next spin in The Game of Life game.

As a final touch, I sprinkled dice all around. Inexpensive and perfect for our game night theme.

I have to admit, I hadn’t played the Twister game in about 15 years! The spinner has changed and has a lot more options. My kids especially like the cloud option where you have to put your hand or leg up in the air and keep your balance! Dallin was my favorite to watch during that game. His tall, almost 13 year old, body wasn’t as limber as his younger siblings!

I picked up the latest edition of The Game of Life Game and love the updates!  I especially like that if you go to college you will definitely get a higher salary. In the other version, you still had the possibility of getting 3 low salary cards to choose from. The Action cards that replaced the Life tiles are hilarious! Poor Ruby got fired from her job for bringing her cat to work, Aaron sued Dallin for stealing his stapler, Dallin had a snail farm, and Kaylee challenged Ruby to a Bongo drum contest. There were also fun challenges to do as a family to really add entertainment to the game.

And last, but not least…the Jenga game. What can I say? It still gives me a heart attack every time it comes crashing down. It was Ruby’s first time playing and she was also the one to bring it toppling down, but it was still a good time!

Nothing can bring a family closer than spending time together and having fun, and the best way to do that it through playing games together. You are able to catch a glimpse into the fun and goofy sides of your kids, and they can see Mom and Dad acting silly too. I think the highlight of the night was watching Dad and Dallin have a Karate chop competition while playing The Game of Life game! After long and busy week, it was just what we needed to reconnect as a family.

So pull out your favorite games, a few giant bags of M&M’s®, your favorite beverages, and your favorite people to have your own game night!

As promised, here are the recipes and details to create your own Twister game cookies and Jenga game snack tower!

 

Twister Game Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. almond extract

4 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. corn starch**

2 tsp. baking powder

2 c. M&M’s® Milk Chocolate

1 tub vanilla frosting

 

In a large mixing bowl combine butter, shortening and sugar. Beat until fluffy. Turn mixer down {see notes at bottom of post} to the 2nd to lowest setting and add egg, vanilla and almond extract. Add baking powder. Sift in and flour and cornstarch until mixed thoroughly.

Lightly flour your working surface and shape dough into a large ball.

No refrigeration necessary.

**You may also use 5 c. of cake flour instead of all purpose flour and corn starch. 

Roll cookie dough out to 1/2″ thick and cut into rectangles.  If you are like me and don’t own a rectangle cookie cutter, use an index card and cut around it with a pizza cutter. Works like a charm!

Add flour to dough if it feels too sticky but a nice soft dough is what you want. Carefully transfer cut out cookie shapes with a spatula to a baking sheet.  Bake baking sheets at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cookies will be soft. Let sit on baking sheet for 5  minutes before carefully moving to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Use homemade or store bought vanilla frosting to decorate your cookies. Apply a thin layer then add red, blue, yellow, and green M&M’s® Milk Chocolate to resemble a Twister game mat.

Makes 15 (3.5×5″) cookies.

 

Jenga Game Snack Tower

 

Supplies:

clear rectangle candy boxes, available at craft stores or online

M&M’s® Peanut

pretzels

peanuts

clear tape, optional

Fold your boxes into shape and secure ends with tape, if desired.  Fill with snacks and close top flap. Arrange your blocks into a tower shape. Allow guests to snack during the game night or take home as party favors.

The clear boxes I used weren’t portioned to have rows of 3 like in classic Jenga game, so I made rows of 2. Play around with box sizes and if you’ve secured your boxes with tape  you can even let the guests play the Jenga game with your snack tower!