Game Night With Young Teens: 5 Perfect Games

After having a few crazy years, Loren and I have been focusing on spending more family time together. There is evidence to suggest that family time has benefits not just for the family, but also for the individual. I want those benefits of family connection, building confidence, and encouraging positive behaviors… I mean, who wouldn’t? So we are intentional about having family time. One of the ways we force encourage our kids to have fun with us is by having game nights. These are our current top five favorite games for a family game night with young teens. Most of the time we go for silly instead of competitive.

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Here is a video that I asked Loren to make with me because everything is more fun with him. Also, we both want to support families in connecting and having healthy relationships. We don’t have things figured out, but we are definitely trying! Hopefully, this will help you too. These are all games that we own and love!

Video: Our 5 Favorite Games for a Family Night with Young Teens

We Didn’t Playtest This at All

I can’t remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did playing this game. This game was a hit all around. It is an excellent choice for our kid who is less into board game type things and has a short attention span. The whole game is just pure silliness. Some rounds last less than a minute, and it is easy to adjust the length of the game depending on how much time you have. There is no real skill involved, but be prepared for the hilarity to ensue because this game is ridiculous. That is what makes it perfect for a family night with young teens. Also, I want to become best friends with the creators of this game. Pro tip: Brush up on your rock, paper, scissors skills, encourage others to wear blue, and keep a banana on hand. (Yes… this game is that silly!)

Throw Throw Burrito

The main thing I want to say about this is game night is… if you are in a duel, it’s a terrible idea to run into a corner and fall to the ground. You will surely lose. I learned this the hard way. This is a fast-paced card game with a little bit of dodgeball thrown in. The goal is to find sets of 3 matching cards faster than your opponents. If someone throws down burrito cards, that means it’s time for a battle. There are several kinds of battles involving different people, but each battle involves someone getting hit with a squishy burrito. I used up some calories playing this one. Pro tip: Make sure you don’t play it near grandma’s china. It will get broken!

Just One

In this game, everyone is on the same team. I like games like this because sometimes I feel personally attacked when my husband is winning. I mean… he is supposed to love me, and I can’t understand why he would be doing that to me… so same team = happy marriage! The point of the game is to guess as many of the words as possible. Everyone takes turns as the “guesser.” All the other players write a word on their board to help the “guesser” figure out the word. The problem comes in when people guess the same word, which always happens with Loren and me because we are perfect for each other. That word can not be seen by the guesser, so options become limited.

Telestrations

This game is a cross between Pictionary and Telephone. Everyone starts with a book and a card with several words. One person rolls the dice, and each player will write the corresponding word from their card. Players then pass their book to the person next to them. Next, everyone looks at the book just handed to them and draws what it says. They give the book to the next person who guesses what the picture is. This process goes on until you have your original book. Each player then takes turns going through their book and showing everyone how it changed. The more people playing, the crazier it gets. The original player receives points if the word stays the same throughout, but they also assign points to others for the best pictures or guesses. My kid likes to give detailed answers, which leads to some incredible images. This game serves as a catalyst for a perfect game night, especially if you have lots of people playing.

Super Fight

This game is an imaginative card game where each player assembles a character with attributes and characteristics based on the cards they draw. Players then debate about who will win in a fight. One person acts as a judge. My favorite so far was watching my son argue how a pregnant boy scout with a lazy eye was going to defeat a chimpanzee, covered in spikes, on a segway. This is another game that gave my abs quite a workout from laughing so hard. I’m still laughing at the thought of a child beauty pageant queen, whose hands are covered in butter, carrying too many grocery bags. It is a hilarious game!

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