Why Everyone Should Have Regular Family Game Nights

I still remember family game nights at my grandparents. We had a homemade wooden board/marble game that my Grandpa’s friend had made him, called Wahoo. It was and probably still is, my favourite game ever. We used to gather the fam together, get into teams if we had more than four players, and spend the night playing the game, laughing and eating snacks.

Family game nights are such a great opportunity for simple family fun and, unlike a night out at the movies or bowling, it doesn’t cost anything! Well, except for the game of course, but you can play the same games over and over again.

The Importance of Family Game Nights

So, what’s the reasoning for why everyone should have regular family game nights? Along with just plain old-fashioned family fun and spending quality time together, there are a few other benefits.

Games can really help kids learn. Playing games can help with fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination – think about rolling dice, shuffling cards, or building a tower. They can also help with counting as well as problem solving skills.

Most importantly though, we need to bring back time spent together as a family. With the overabundance of electronics, it’s too easy for everyone to escape to their own room to play on a computer, tablet or their phone. Having a designated family game night can ensure that families are getting bonding time.

We started getting into family game night a while ago and discovered that Mr. K is obsessed with games. When Hasbro’s Pie Face Showdown arrived in the mail a couple of weeks ago, he could barely contain his excitement. He couldn’t wait to set it up and talked all week long about our “Pie in the Face” game night, as he called it.

We brought the game to my in-laws when we were visiting this past weekend and Mr. K went to work setting up teams and handing out “game tickets.” When the time came to actually play the game, he was jumping for joy. Pie Face Showdown is hilarious and we all had so much fun! We used our favourite store-bought whipped cream, Gay Lea’s Real Coconut Whipped Cream. I like that it’s made with real coconut cream, is dairy-free, lactose-free and gluten-free but is still insanely delicious. It’s also really convenient and is our go-to when I don’t have time to make my own coconut whipped cream. I’m pretty sure everyone had a turn to lick whipped cream off their faces. The game was a huge hit and we plan to bring it out at every family occasion from now on.

It’s never too late to start a new family tradition. Start with a bi-weekly or even monthly night set aside for family games. You’ll likely love it so much that it soon becomes a weekly thing. For younger children, especially preschoolers and kindergarteners, you should definitely check out Pie Face Showdown. There’s no way you can’t have fun with this game.

Family games nights are such an easy and awesome way to have fun together and your children will cherish those memories forever.

P.S. Happy Halloween everyone!

Disclosure: I am part of the Gay Lea Ambassador Campaign and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.