A Game for Thanksgiving

Since our kids were little, we’ve bought a game each year for Thanksgiving.  It was a tradition that came from my husband’s family.  His grandparents gave them a new game every year when they came for Thanksgiving dinner.

Since everyone is on a holiday from school and work, a new game is always a hit over the long weekend and perfect cold weather entertainment.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Blokus is pretty much our favorite game.  It appealed to our kids when they were as young as 5, and to my husband and I as well.  There aren’t a lot of games that can span that age gap (believe me!)

Blokus is strategic, competitive, and really fun.  My husband and son play to block their opponents, my girls and I play to keep our options open.  Does this say anything about Mars vs. Venus?

Either way you play, this is an addicting game.   The only drawback is you can only have up to 4 players, so someone always has to sit out…usually a parent.

Sleeping Queens is another family favorite.  Take one look at the box and you might think this game only appeals to the feminine members of my family.  Not so.  My husband and son enjoy it just as much as the girls.  Playing this game, you might be amazed that it was invented by a 6 year old girl!   I am.  It is clever and fun and one of our first choices for many a game night.  It can be played with 2 to 5 players which is perfect for our family.

And last but not least, is Qwirkle.  We got this game last year and loved playing it all through the Holiday season.  Game play is sort of like dominoes… or Scrabble, but Qwirkle can be played and enjoyed by young and old.

I am trying to decide what to get for this year’s Thanksgiving game.  I am thinking an oldie but goodie.   My childhood favorite was Clue.  My family also loved Rummikub and Uno.  My husband is sort of leaning toward Jenga.

I’ve also heard great things about Ticket to Ride and Quiddler.  If you have any games your family loves, let me know.  I’m running out of time to find something!

20 Comments

  1. Thank you for the suggestions. The Sleeping Queens game looks like one we would like to try. Games are the gift route that our family is talking about this year.

  4. Uno and Sorry were two favorites among my cousins and I when we were little. We also loved doing large puzzles during holiday gatherings at my grandparent’s farm. My husband frequently laments that we don’t have anyone to play games with us…guess we’ll have to wait till our own kids grow up a bit more (a 3-year-old and a 1-week-old).

  5. Try Apples to Apples. It has been a big hit in my family! We gave Junior versions of the game to my little cousins for Christmas a few years back and the kids had a blast. Hands down, my favorite.

    I think I need to try Blokus… looks like 4-way Tetris!

  6. My mom always got my sister and I a game to share at Christmas…she still does some years, although we no longer have to share. Some of our recent favorites are Sequence and Apples to Apples (although I’m not sure how Apples would be for smaller children). Liar’s Dice is a good one, and Uno’s always been a favorite. Sorry and Trouble are good, but you’re limited to 4 players for each.

  7. We’re big game players here too. We got Blockus last Christmas and we love it. You’re right it’s a good one for adults and kids. I highly recommend it too. We just bought one a few weeks ago called Pictureka! It’s another one that kids and adults will enjoy. It’s a really fun Ispy game and we play it for FHE or even when we have a half an hour to kill.

  9. My older boys love UNO, and the only problem they have is that their 4 and 6 year old hands have a hard time holding the cards. We also love a lot of the German board games (Ticket to Ride, St. Petersberg, Settlers of Catan). These games are probably only suitable for 10 years and older, especially Settlers. Thanks for your tip on Blokus. I’ll have to check that one out.

  10. My son and his friends LOVE Apples to Apples! He’s serving a mission in Mexico right now and found the game in Spanish!!
    My nine year old daughter loves UNO hands down!!

  11. we love yahtzee – we have an animal version that even our 3 yr old can play. and sorry sliders and uno attacks. we play sorry and uno too…but sorry sliders is quicker and uno attack is sheer mayhem. perfect for a 3 and 5 yr old (the 3 yr old sometimes partners up with one of us…sometimes not – depends if he’s in the mood to match colors and numbers or not)

  12. One of our favorite games is Labyrinth (you can get this at Funfinity in Orem). It is a really fun game that uses great strategy. We also like the Harry Potter Clue, it has some fun twists on a good, old favorite. We love games and I can’t wait to get some of these that you suggested! Enjoy!!!

  13. We got Clue, Jr. last year, and it’s a big hit with my 8 year-old. The mystery is who ate the cake, at what time, and with what drink. We often play it with grandparents, too. It seems to be a hit with all three generations!

  15. Like Lori, we are Labyrinth fans. We are avid Pictionary fans, too. We also like 16-dot Dominoes. There is a lot of strategy and fun in Dominoes, and anyone and any number can play.

    Tammy

  16. We really like Quiddler. It’s nice because little, simple words count as much as long, complicated ones, so people of all levels can play.

  17. I agree with some of the comments—our family loooves “Apples to Apples.” We have the Junior version too and play which ever one is appropriate. Spans the different age groups in our extended family. Have fun!

  19. We love “Five Crowns” (similar to Quidler but with number suites), Cranium and Namesake (we have Blokus and love that too.)

  20. One of our favorites young and old is a dice game called “Stack” I got mine at a game store but you could put together your own kit too. Check out the rules online. While there is strategy involved in the game it can be played by children who are old enough to match the numbers on dice. One of my all time favorites

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