We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza card game that's an absolute BALL to play. It gets super silly and super intense! Reviewers are loving this game just as much as their kids are, mayyyybe more. A darn near perfect family game night pick.
To play, pass out all of the cards to players and have everyone keep their pile face down. Everyone takes turns putting a card in the middle while saying "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza" in that order. If the picture on the card that's placed down matches the word that's been said, everyone races to slap the center pile of cards, and whoever slaps the pile last has to add the center pile to their personal pile. Oh! And there's also "narwhal," where everyone makes a unicorn horn with their hands clapped together above their heads; "gorilla," where everyone bangs on their chest like a gorilla; and "groundhog," where everyone has to knock on the table. Whoever does the motion last picks up the center pile. Whoever runs out of cards first wins! You can play with three to eight players, and the *recommended* age is 8+.
Promising review: "My kids (ages 7–13) LOVE this game, and it’s incredibly fast and easy to learn (as opposed to so many games these days). We love how loud and silly it gets. We’ve played with groups of adults, and they seem to enjoy it as much as the kids do! We will keep this game in rotation for a long time." —Dear_Jane
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
2. A "Sorry!" board game — sorry to your kids, that is, because you're def gonna kick their little booties in this. Your kiddos are gonna be the ones pulling *you* away from the board 'cause you won't be able to get enough of this super fun "classic game of sweet revenge."
3. A mafia-style (and my personal FAVE) Werewolf card game that is easy enough for kindergarteners to play but also fun enough to keep adults interested. You'll have a great time trying to figure out who around you is a werewolf.
Recommended for adults, but it's honestly suitable for all. Your group (7–35 people are recommended; the more, the better!!) will decide on who will be the narrator. The narrator then gets the included script card that explains the flow of the game in steps and passes out cards with your character. You're either a villager, a werewolf, a doctor, or a seer (there's a town drunk, but we usually throw that card out). Depending on how many people you have, the narrator can decide how many of each character there is. The villagers' role is to survive and figure out who's a werewolf. The werewolf's role is to eat people without getting caught and convince everyone that other people are the werewolf. The doctor gets to save someone in the group, making that player safe that round, and the seer can ask the narrator which person is the werewolf and use that info to their advantage. If, by the end, the villagers get out all of the wolves, the villagers win, but if the wolves are persuasive enough and trick all the villagers, the werewolves win.
This was my personal favorite game to play with the kids at my old part-time. We all LOVE this game, from the kindergarteners to the fifth graders to us counselors! It's such a fun mystery game, and once you get the hang of it, you can add your own lil' spice to it and make it silly. I literally ALWAYS asked the kids if they wanted to play Werewolf, and I could spend hours playing. It was our school fave, in fact, my kiddos were over my shoulder totally agreeing with me when I wrote this, lol.
Promising review: "This is a great game for kids of all ages. We use it on scout campouts, and it allows 10-year-olds to play with 17-year-olds. Adults can play, too. Lots of laughing and fun had by all." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $13.95.
4. A Left Center Right dice game that's easy peasy and can be made a *bit* more interesting by replacing the chips you use to play with cash. $$ 🤑 This is the perfect game for the upcoming holidays and will have everyone wanting to play.
5. A What Do You Meme? SpongeBob edition that puts a wonderful Bikini Bottom twist on the regular game. If you and your minis love to spend the day reciting SpongeBob quotes, this game is *perfect* for your fam.
6. A classic Connect 4 so you can school your kiddos in your favorite childhood game. Poor kids, they don't stand a chance.
7. A Lego Super Mario piranha set that'll serve as both a fun activity and a sick piece of decor.
8. The Game of Life because when the real thing gives you lemons, you should *totally* play the board game and create the fake life of your dreams.
9. A classic game of Guess Who? that's perfect for younger children. It's super easy for your kids without sacrificing any fun for you.
10. Match-O-Rama which is easy peasy to learn and an absolute blast to play. You'll be asked a question, like "best fast food restaurant," write down your answer on your lil' board, see if your answer matches with anyone, and earn points! First person with 34 points wins!
11. A PlayStation 5 digital console that'll have you fighting your kids for a turn. It has no disc drive, meaning you won't have to ever buy a physical PS5 game. Simply download and get to playing!
12. In a Pickle, which will turn you and your kiddos into lawyers — no joke. It's the perfect game to teach kids to be able to explain their thoughts and persuade others. If your mini is convincing enough, they may be able to get you to believe that a sofa can fit into a shopping cart.
13. A Nerf blaster because I dare you to try and not have fun in an epic Nerf battle. (Spoiler: it's impossible no matter how old or young you are). Roles will soon reverse, and you'll be the one begging your kiddo to play.
14. A game of Spoons — the super simple yet SUPER intense classic card game. This will make you wanna keep your kids up past their bedtime just to play.
15. A splurge-y rechargeable laser tag set your kid will NEVER stop talking about. Laser tag right at home? Sign me up! Your house will now be the house all the kids wanna sleep over and hang out at. And, admit it, you'll wanna play a round or two with them as well.
This set includes four rechargeable guns, four rechargeable vests, and one charging station. You can play approximately eight games per charge. The little LCD screens on the vest keep count of how many lives you have, and the vest vibrates when you get shot/tagged. You can play with up to four teams and have to eliminate your enemies to win the game. Recommended for ages 8+.
Promising review: "We love the simplicity of this product. The chest piece fits all sizes, and the laser tag guns are not so real that you are afraid to let kids play with them. There's even a laser beam sound effect if you don’t like the cracking sound of gunfire. It is exactly as it was listed. We get over 150 feet of range on cloudy days at dusk. We use it in our yard and in the woods. This is not just fun for kids — the adults in our family are having just as much fun. The seller was very easy to work with and very responsive to customer care and satisfaction, which I find very gratifying. Well packaged, we would definitely buy from them again. Thanks." —Risky business
Get it from Amazon for $199.99.
16. An archery set that'll have you and your little ones ready to get your Katniss Everdeen on. If you've ever thought you could replace Hawkeye in The Avengers, this should be in your cart. This'll be one of those things that makes you wanna put your kids to bed early so you can have this all to yourself to play with.
17. A super popular Spider-Man 2 video game for PlayStation for anyone who has an obsession with everyone's favorite web-slinger. You can play as Peter Parker or Miles Morales, swinging your way through New York and trying to defeat the *iconic* villain, Venom. My ~Spidey senses~ are tingling, and they're telling me this'll be the new fave video game.
Promising review: "I don't think I've had this much fun playing a Spider-Man game in a long time. The swinging and gliding mechanics are an immense upgrade from the first one. Love how you can switch between Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Insomniac did a fantastic job, again." —jwdcfan88
Get it from Amazon for $69.99.
18. A Disney villain version of Clue that puts a fun twist on the beloved classic. Those poor unfortunate souls — I mean your kiddos because they won't know what hit 'em when you solve the mystery and figure out which villain stole all the magic. My money's on Jafar.
19. A pack of 16 slingshot chickens to have EPIC slingshot battles. Fling them onto the ceiling and just let them eventually fall off and startle you, in a silly way!
Promising reviews: "I bought these as stocking stuffers for my boys — 4 and 11. Even the 4-year-old can shoot them easily and accurately! They play with them ALL the time. They don’t stick super well to the walls, but I found that to be a plus. They do eventually break down, but we still have at least half of them left six months later. I’m planning on getting more this Christmas, it may become a tradition!" —Katie
"Love it as much as my kids. Love that if they get dirty, I can just run them through water, and they are clean again." —Maria
Get it from Amazon for $7.49+ (available in two colors).
20. A Mall Madness game so you can merge your love of board games with your love of shopping. Do you feel that? That's the nostalgia flooding in.
21. A Bop It Extreme to challenge the entire family. Bop it, pull it, flick it, spin it, and twist it solo, or make it a family face-off with the different modes this toy has!
The recommended age is 8 and up, BUT the company also says their recommended age is kids in general! Bop It is an easy peasy game with audible directions that you have to follow — bop it, twist it, flick it, spin it, and pull it. Just follow the instructions correctly! It's also got different game modes and challenges!
Promising review: "I had one years ago, and the whole family absolutely loved it! We have no idea what happened to it. We all missed it. Found this on Amazon and ordered it immediately! Arrived quickly and just in time for our vacation to the coast. The eight-hour drive will be a little more bearable with this super fun game. So much fun and brings the family together WITHOUT screens! So happy to have this game again." —KClagg09
Get it from Amazon for $27.99.
22. A Silly Poopy's Hide & Seek game that you and your kiddies will get a kick out of. I mean, what could possibly be better than a classic game of hide and seek with a rainbow poo?! The little guy even gives farting clues and says "yoohooooo!" Find poopy, win the game and have a lil' dance party at the end.
Two AA batteries are included, but funky smells are not. The recommended age is 3 and older.
Promising review: "The Easter bunny brought this for the kids, and it has been such a hit! Months later, they play with it almost daily! We adults even got into the fun and had a three-hour game of hide and seek. One of my favorite Amazon purchases EVER! Hours of fun!" —Rochelle P.
Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (available in an egg version).
23. A Crash Bandicoot racing game for Xbox that'll take you back to the '90s. Yep, millennials, this one's for you guys, too. Challenge the kiddies to some good old video game racing with this outrageously fun and nostalgic racing game!
This game is rated E for everyone!
Promising review: "When I heard this game was being remastered I was so excited! I finally got my copy of the game yesterday and it did not disappoint. Felt like I was back in 1999 with a touch of 2019. Activision did a great job in bringing back a childhood favorite. They took a Naughty Dog original and made it so a new generation of kids and adults could enjoy Crash Bandicoot and all his friends. I was up until 3 a.m. playing it and trying out the new online feature that pits you against other players." —Cindy Avila
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (also available for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4).
24. An air fort so your kid doesn't need to rearrange all the furniture and take every blanket in the house to make a fort anymore. And as if that isn't great enough, some of them glow in the dark showing star constellations! Save the mess and chill out in this inflatable fort!
AirFort is a California-based small business that specializes in handmade mess-free inflatable forts that blow up in less than 30 seconds. Attach this to a floor fan and let the family fun begin! Easy to store, too! Your fort comes with a carrying bag (only the size of a folded pair of jeans!) that it folds up and fits into.
Promising review: "I got this for my nieces and nephews, and we had a blast with it! I want to get one for my own house or over my bed! Super easy to use and incredibly roomy on the inside. Huge upgrade to the couch pillow forts we had to make as kids! Kids from ages 4–14 enjoyed playing with it, so I call that a win! And several adults hung out inside for a while; my sister’s husband even took a nap inside! Great value for fun, folds down, and takes up no space when not in use. Perfect!" —Jason
Get it from Amazon for $54.99+ (available in 16 styles/colors).
25. A vintage bookshelf edition of Mystery Date that'll be way more aesthetically pleasing on your shelves than other board games. Very cutesy, very mindful, veryyyy demure. And of course, verrrryyyy fun.
26. A Play Nine card game, which is literally golf in card game form. This is such a good time AND gives your kid an opportunity to do a little math — but in a fun way!
Players get eight cards with a discard and draw pile in the center and then take turns drawing, discarding, or trading their cards for the lowest-value cards. The player with the lowest score wins! Recommended for ages 8+.
Promising review: "We have played this game with adults for a few years, and as our grandkids reached ages 8+, we decided to introduce them to the game. They caught on to the rules quickly, and now all four grandkids (now ages 10–13) love the game and the competition with adults. It is a great family game to enjoy." —Kelly
Get it from Amazon for $18.99.
27. A pack of Crayola Globbles that seem like they'd be a nightmare, but I swear they aren't. They'll keep your kid entertained and you may find yourself playing with these babies, too. They can be squished, stacked and slung onto the walls. Sticky residue? We don't know her, cuz these bad boys leave NONE behind.
Their sticky powers are restored by washing them with soap and water.
Watch this mom explain why Globbles are her "new favorite thing ever" on TikTok.
Promising review: "I bought these for my 12-year-old niece. She LOVED them, and so did the adults. We all were throwing them to the wall and watching to see which one won the race. Very easy to clean." —Kelz
Get a set of six from Amazon for $9.99 (also available in a set of 16).
28. An instantly downloadable app with several games, Jackbox! With this, your phone is your controller! This game can be streamed right onto your TV and has a family mode to avoid any ~inappropriate~ content. Ya know how you watched Hocus Pocus with the kiddos and they asked "what's a virgin?" Yeahhhh...let's avoid that and put this baby into family mode.
I found this game because some kids I nannied had it. I used to pick them up from school and rush them to do their homework so we could play this all evening. It's so much fun and super funny! It comes with five different games. Quiplash is a say-anything question game, Trivia Murder Party involves matching wits with a trivia-obsessed murderer, Guesspionage is a silly survey game, Tee K.O. is a T-shirt battle to the death, and in Fakin' it, you're figuring out which player has something to hide. Once the kids are away, you can totally play with your adult friends and take it out of family mode. In fact, I play with my adult friends every Friendsgiving, and it is *always* a hit. Recommended for one to eight players.
Promising review: "We’ve played with friends, family, kids, adults...everyone loves it and has a blast. Lots of laughs and all you need is your phone!!" —dawn
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
29. A marble run set that'll provide endless hours of fun and stimulate your little one's mind. Your kid will be able to build some pretty awesome mazes and once they're done, they'll be able to take it apart and build a totally new one! You'll have to practically pull them away from this after they've made their 97th marble maze of the day.
In this set, you'll get 85 translucent building pieces and 65 marbles, so the fun can go on and on.
Promising review: "Super hit! So glad I purchased this. We had rain for three days straight, and the grandkids (2, 4, and 7) couldn't go outside. This was the perfect solution. We — yes we — played for hours and hours each day! So much fun and creativity!" —Evie
Get it from Amazon for $49.99 (available in four styles).
30. Throw Throw Burrito for a wild dodgeball-like card game night. Burritos will fly and bellies will hurt from all the laughing. If you've never wanted to throw a burrito, I bet ya do now, huh? Oh, and might I suggest putting your nice vase somewhere safe juuuust in case a burrito is chucked at it.
Collect matching sets of three cards, then challenge other players to duels, battles, and wars! Duck, dodge, and have a great time playing this dodgeball card game. Recommended for ages 7+.
Promising review: "I saw the reviews on this game, and it seemed silly enough that my 7-year-old nephew might enjoy it. I was nervous because it wasn’t on his Christmas list, and he is VERY particular. He was unsure at first, but after playing some rounds with his mom, dad, and brothers, it was clear that it was definitely NOT a bust!! As my 38-year-old sister would say, 'it’s so much chaotic fun, the more people the better!' This game reminds me of dodgeball mixed with a card game, Spoons, that I played in middle school. I personally would recommend that people of the same age play together, but kids and adults can have a great time together, too!" —Wife and Mom Getting By
Get it from Amazon for $19.82 (available in three styles).
31. A Marvel Splendor board game that'll have you assembling the Avengers to collect the Infinity Stones and take on Thanos before he can snap his fingers and make half of the world blip. If you're patiently waiting for Doomsday and Secret Wars, this is exactly what you need.
32. A NeeDoh Nice Cube, which is like the Beyoncé of sensory fidget toys. This bb will have you feeling like Dory in Finding Nemo when she saw the lil' jellyfish and deemed it her squishy. It'll help bring a little ~calm~ to your life without the annoying stickiness that picks up debris and makes it a nightmare to clean. This thing is *elite*.
Schylling is a small biz that specializes in modern and retro toys, games, and sets.
Promising reviews: "High quality and very durable! This cube is fantastic for any age and any need. The cube provides slight resistance when compressed, which is both stress-relieving and satisfying!!! Once squeezed, it quickly returns to its natural shape. A great choice!" —Joe Stevenson
"These are so fun and durable. The kids love them. I love them. No matter how you squish and squeeze it, it always returns to its shape." —Danielle
Get it from Amazon for $8.70 (the color is either blue, pink, or purple and is selected for you at random; available in two styles).
33. A good ol' game of Uno for anyone who enjoys a lil' ~friendly competition~. Well, friendly until someone hits you with a draw four, then it's time to flip the table, am I right?
In Uno, you race to get rid of the seven cards in your hand. You match one of the cards in your hand with the current card on top of the deck by color or number. There are special action cards that you can use to sabotage your competition, like draw two, draw four, color-changing wild cards, skips, and reverses. Once you're down to one card, be sure to yell, "UNO!" Whoever gets rid of their cards first is the winner! Recommended for ages 7+!
Promising reviews: "I’m so glad I bought these Uno cards for my students. They absolutely love the game and the tin is an added bonus, we know where the cards are at all times. I have a couple of students who love to play Uno, and they like the fact that it comes with its own case instead of a box." —Melissa Renee Carlson
"I bought this particular one because it makes it easy to store the cards in the tin. I enjoy UNO very much, and I play this one with my kids whenever I get a chance." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (available in six styles).
34. A spy-themed Codenames card game that's a lot easier to follow than it looks. Plus, it's so much fun, you'll be sitting at the foot of your kid's bed when they wake up holding this, ready to play.
You trying to convince your kid to play Life for the third time today:
