Best Family Board games for hours of fun this Christmas!
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a proper family board game session! Everyone loves Christmas films and cosying up watching a favourite Christmas movie on Christmas day but if you want some time off screens -a Christmas board game keep everyone entertained! There is something special about board games that bring a family together and make Christmas a special time for everyone. Adding a new board game to your Christmas list will help make the most of precious family time without a screen in sight and enjoy a proper family Christmas! Check out the best family board games for 2020.
Table of Contents
Best family board games for 2020
The Very Merry Christmas Game
If you’re looking for a perfect Christmas game that involves the whole family from young to old, then the Very Merry Christmas Game is the best board game for the festive season! You can play with teams or two to four individual players. The aim is to fill all four stockings with presents. The winner is the individual or team that accumulates the ‘best’ presents (each present card has a rating) or who bags both sprout cards. The loser is the individual or team with one sprout card or the ‘least appealing’ presents in their stocking. My kids loved the ‘carol-singing’ square where you as an individual or team have to sing a Christmas song. No song can be sung twice during the course of one game and if your singing doesn’t please the other players, you could lose one of your presents. However if you land on the ‘party hat’ square you get to wear a silly Christmas party hat, which automatically spares you the humiliation of singing. This is a big hit with young kids! It’s a lovely bright game that will suit all ages due to the team aspect. It can be purchased at Amazon or at Debenhams.
Why we love the Very Merry Christmas Game……
- Suitable for 8+ or younger if played as a team
- Bright, colourful playing board.
- Silly family singing element!
Taskmaster
Based on the popular UK television show, Taskmaster is a hilarious game where 3-5 players take part in tasks set by the taskmaster. For example, a kitchen task is to make the Taskmaster with food or to perform the best dance to a mobile ring tone or do a genuine sneeze! If you like Taskmaster and always watch it thinking ‘I’d love to try that – then Taskmaster is the game for you. Buy the game here
Why we love the Taskmaster……
- You can adjust the tasks to fit different age groups
- The tasks are a little bit different and very interactive!
- You can play it in teams to add more people
Swipe Out
This is a highly addictive and highly frustrating game but it’s great for testing eye and hand coordination! The aim of the game is to collect five Swipe Out Cards to win the game! It does take a little getting used to for younger children and it is a bit noisy – but even my 3 year old had a go and found it fun. You can play with 4-5 players and I think to be most successful – it suits kids aged 6+. You can buy it on Amazon here.
Why we love the Swipeout Game……
- It doesn’t take very long to play or set-up
- The kids love the noises!
- It’s a good game to develop hand/ eye coordination
Screwball Scramble
This one made the list as it’s purely nostalgic for us grown ups! Screwball Scramble has had a revamp from the retro game of our childhoods. It’s a game you can play alone and try and beat the clock or you can play against each other and see who has the fatest time! The objective is to get the small ball through various loops and challenges.
Why we love Screwball Scramble……
- You can play it by yourself
- It’s very quick to play!
- You can by a level 2 and clip it to the original game to make one big maze.
- It’s a good game to develop hand/ eye coordination
Harry Potter Quizmaster
Think you know all there is to know about Harry Potter? Well the newest arrival to TOMY games is a magical quiz, perfect for the Harry Potter enthusiasts out there.
Pick up your wand and defend the colours of your house as your knowledge is tested on over 1,000 questions by the electronic virtual quiz master, but be careful, if you’re wrong, you can lose your house points. Find out who’s the true fan of Harry Potter! Buy it HERE.
Disney Guess the Film Game
This game is a perfect board game for little (and big) Disney fans and makes a great present for kids that love the Disney films! It’s easy to play and great for kids aged 4+ so it’s one of the games for younger children on our list. You roll the dice to select which window to open and reveal part of an image from an iconic Disney film. Be the first player to get the most correct answers and win the game! You can buy the Disney Guess the Film Game from Amazon.
Why we love the Guess the Disney Film Game….
- Great for young children
- Suitable for 2+ players
- 3 levels of difficulty: Green – Easy, Blue – Medium and Red – Advanced
Dixit
Dixit has to be one of the most imaginative games I have come across – although it is aimed at 8 plus years, my six year old plays this game and really loves it! On each turn, a player becomes the storyteller who chooses a card and describes it with a phase, word or sound. To score points, the card must be found only by some of the players. The message must therefore be both clear and encrypted. A certain mystery must be high. It’s up to you to be inventive and smart! The purpose is to mislead others but also ensure some are guessed! This is an aesthtically pleasing game – with beautiful illlustrations and one that develops children’s creativity and vocabulary. Really wonderful! And it’s a bonus that you can purchase several extension kits so you can continue creating unending wonderful stories!
Why we love the Dixit game…
- It promotes creativity and builds imagination!
- It could be used as a prompt for creative writing.
- The game makes you think and you need to create a strategy
- There are extension packs to expand play
Kingdomino
Kingdomino simply had to appear on our Best Board games for families list because it won the Best Family Board game in 2017 and it’s also a beautifully designed game that will become a classic collector game for families. Kingdomino is a charming, colourful tile-laying board game for two to four players. You’re competing Kings, trying to gain land that have two different terrains on them – including lakes, mines, pastures and more. Those with the highest score wins! The rules are quick to teach and elegant to present – you’ll be up and running within two to three minutes of taking it out of the box. Games are short and snappy –so you’ll hear a lot of ‘Let’s play that again!’. The tiles seem really durable, which is handy, because I think we’ll be playing Kingdomino again and again! You can buy it on Amazon here.
Why we love the Kingdomino game…
- It’s very simple and quick to set up
- It’s suitable for 8+ and it’s great for adults too!
- The game makes you think and there is lots of strategy involved
- There are other games you can expand to.
Five Second Rule Game
If you’re looking for a great family board game that everyone will enjoy this Christmas – Five Second Rule is it! Often the best games are the simple games and this game couldn’t be easier to play. All you have to do is name 3 things from a chosen card in 5 seconds. That’s it. The genius of this game is that there is no opportunity for anyone to be ‘better’ than the next person so everyone can have fun. Anyone of any age or level of intelligence will be equal to everyone else so it’s a good board game for families with different aged children. As such even young children will feel involved and not left out making it an ideal family game and it makes it about the taking part and not the winning! Buy it here on Amazon.
Why we love the Five Second Rule game……
- There’s no competition
- Any age can play
- Quick and easy to play and set up
Time Shock
I’m having a real flash back in time with this one! This is the remodelled version of the classic game where you have to race against the clock to see how many pieces you can place before the timer stops and the pieces pop! It’s a fast and frantic game – perfect for Christmas Day afternoon and is as much fun to play as it is to watch! Buy it here on Amazon.
Why we love the Time Shock game……
- Quick and easy to play
- Fun to watch and to play
- Frantic and exciting!
Tension
Can you name 10 Famous Artists in 30 seconds? You’ll find the answers on the tip of your tongue but can you shout them quickly enough? With 200 different naming challenges Tension Family offers hours of family fun. It’s suitable for 8 plus so it’s best for older kids but it’s it’s simple to play- correctly name as many of the examples on the card before the timer runs out, then use your score to progress around the board.
Tension Family features categories that will appeal to all members of the family and tap in to their specific interests and areas of expertise – so no one feels left out. You can play with two people or in two teams. Buy it from Amazon here.
Why we love the Tension game……
- It’s a fun team game for families
- It’s easy to play but also has an element of challenge
- The board is nicely designed with a handy slide scorer
The Paddington Spot the Difference Game
The Paddington Spot the Difference Game is a lovely Christmas present idea for fans of the books and films. It’s also a small game so could be an easy travel game or playing on long trips. It’s best for playing with 2-3 people or you can play on your own too! There are 5 different levels and younger children can enjoy it too. Buy it on Amazon here…
Why we love the Paddington Spot the Difference game…
- It’s bright and colourful
- Although, best suited for 5+ – younger children can enjoy some elements of the game
- Great Travel Game
Blokus
Blokus is a great family game that’s one of our favourites. It’s a great strategy game which is best for kids aged 8+. The aim of the game is to expand your territory and blockade your opponents, it’s won game of the year twice and you can play with 2-4 players. Buy it on Amazon here.
Why we love Blokus………
- It’s lots of fun and keeps you thinking
- It’s educational and great for developing spatial reasoning.
- It’s highly addictive
- The game is very sturdy and strong
Hope this has given you some ideas for fun board games you can play for loads of family focused fun this Christmas! Have I missed any? What are your best board games for kids? Let us know your picks in the comments below! More family friendly board games here.
Looking for other ideas for kids’s Christmas Gifts…..
If you’d like more advice for Christmas gifts, you can see our other gift lists here……
Children’s Book Present Ideas for Kids with Big Imaginations
Unique Present Ideas for Kids aged 7-10 years
STEM Present Gift Guide for Kids
Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids who Love Exploring.
*The items in this gift guide were gifted items but all thoughts words and love of board games are completely my own. I have only included toys that would make perfect gifts and that we genuinely love.*
Family Countdown Calendar for Christmas
If you’re looking to discover a way to connect with your family this Christmas, to bring back the joy of celebration without the trappings of materialism and sprinkle some seasonal sparkle over your Christmas – then you’ll like my 24 fun little ideas to celebrate the Countdown to Christmas together as a family. Make this holiday season memorable and fun with this great Christmas Activities Countdown Calendar for Families printable. Enjoy doing a Christmas activity each day, counting all the way down to Christmas.
*This post contains affiliate links which means that I gain a small percentage commission on each sale generated via my site. It won’t cost you any more though!*
