Fun Indoor Games For All Ages: Beat Boredom And Bond With Family At Home

Your storeroom will no longer house the dusty carrom board, because we are sure you will be needing it after reading this article! Family games are slowly losing their charm, so we took it upon ourselves to help you rewind and celebrate them.

Dumb charades and Antakshari are some of the games we still play as a family, but what about the rest we enjoyed in the comfort of our homes? Keep reading to know more about the games we cherished together.

Fun games to play with family at home

There is nothing better than games to bond with the entire family. Not only do games entertain, but they can also keep the whole family occupied for hours. The best part is that there's a plethora of games available that can make each day a fun day. Let's check out a few of them.

Board games for kids:

Carrom

Remember the Sunday afternoons after a sumptuous lunch at home? There was always a time for a game of carrom. A tabletop cue sport game, a game of carrom consists of a striker and black and white circular coins, and yes, the big bonanza, the red coin. Players need to strike the coins with the striker (by the flick of their finger) and make the coins drop into the corner pockets. The player with the greatest number of coins is declared the winner. There are quite a few variations of this board game for kids.

Scrabble

This popular word game needs no introduction. Players take turns forming words on a board based on the seven letters they pick up from the alphabet pile. Players aim for words with letters like Z, X, and Q (which have high values) and try to place letters on a double word or triple word square to score higher. The player with the highest score wins. It's a great family game and a beautiful way to build your child's vocabulary and help them learn new words.

How to play Scrabble

Playing cards

If you are feeling bored and lazy, pick up a game of cards. Well, that's what we did when we were young. With games like Rummy, Memory, and Donkey, a pack of cards is easy to carry and gives many game options to play on a rainy day as a family. Add a cup of hot chocolate and yummy pakoras for company. Sounds exciting?

Monopoly

The ultimate capital game involves buying properties, building hotels, collecting rent, and borrowing money from the bank. A great game to teach children how to handle money better. Though it's long-winded, it is an interesting bet for a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Snakes and Ladders

The quickest way to teach children a lesson about cause and effect, Snakes and Ladders, is as exciting as it can get.  You can rush your way to 95 in just five moves, only to fall back to under 10 in just one. A great game to teach your child that ups and downs are normal in life. Having said that, children universally love going up the ladder, but nobody wants to be bitten by the snake and go down. Just watch out for the expression on your child's face when the snake bite happens.

Chess

The ultimate board game for kids, this ancient strategy and war game has its origin in India. Chess is about making the right move, but keeping in mind what could happen several moves later. Chess and India are synonymous. Over the years, we have produced some world-class chess masters, including Viswanathan Anand, Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, Pragganandhaa, etc.

Travel-time games for kids

Jigsaw puzzles

This is a classic travel game for kids, which they can begin playing as soon as they settle down during a journey. Depending on your child's age, you can buy puzzles and join in solving them together with your child.

Rory's story cubes:

This is one of the best travel games for kids. It consists of a set of cubes with different images on their sides. To play the game, you or your child should roll the cubes. Once they settle down, look at the images and come up with a story that connects all the images. This travel game for kids also builds creativity skills and imagination.

Uno

This game is not just for kids but for individuals of every age. If your children are in middle school or teens, then try Uno the next time you are traveling together. We bet none of you would want to stop once the game begins.

Family quiz game

This is a game that doesn't require you to carry anything and can be played at any time, anywhere. From current affairs to subjects of your choice, you can ask questions from various disciplines. Not only does this game help pass the time and kill boredom, but it also increases knowledge.

Indoor games for kids

Dumb charades

A perennial classic, dumb charades is one of the most loved family games. It needs no equipment and can be played impromptu at family parties and picnics. Here, two teams are formed, and a word, a phrase, or a scene is picked and whispered in one of the opponent's ears. The opponent then acts out the word or phrase using only gestures and without speaking. The others in the team need to guess the word/phrase correctly. Teams take turns to mime and guess.

Antakshari

A favorite among generations and depicted in many a Bollywood movie, too, this game involves singing songs in a sort of chain reaction. The last syllable of a song should be the first syllable of the next song; variations exist, but the pulse and excitement remain the same. If you are hosting a party at home, Antakshari could be your best crowd-puller.

Marbles

A popular game played not just in India but across the world, it is also called Goli Atta, Goti, Lakhoti, or Kancha. The game improves motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and concentration. It generally involves striking one marble with another, which is placed on the forefinger. Kids have to crouch to play this. A boundary is drawn, and sometimes there is a pit where the marbles have to fall. The winner is the one with the most marbles accumulated.

Family party games at home

Dress up

Parties are occasions to have fun. The dress-up game allows your creativity to go crazy. Except for one person who is to be the model, every member finds old clothes, make-up materials, shoes/slippers, and so on. Now, every member dresses the model in what they have. The model can be the judge and declare the winner.

How would you react

This is a fun family party game. It involves imagining a situation, and then every member acts and shows how they would react to it. For example, you can ask your child, How would you react if you saw a dinosaur? Or, How would you react if there were an earthquake?

Stay serious

Although this is a simple game, it could turn out to be quite difficult. While one of you cracks a joke, the others have to ensure they do not laugh. The one who loses control and laughs out loud loses.

Family-night games at home

Bounce balloons

If your kids are young, then this is a very simple game to play. Blow a few balloons. The objective of the game is to keep bouncing one, two, three, or more balloons with your hands and not letting them fall to the floor. The one who bounces the balloons for the longest time wins.

Crack a joke

It isn't easy to keep your lips sealed when you listen to a funny joke. But that's what you will need to do in this game. Get a few spoons and lemons. Everyone holds the spoon with a lemon in it in their mouth, and one of you cracks a joke. The challenge is to laugh without letting the lemon fall off the spoon.

Transfer the paper

Tear a sheet of paper into 11-inch bits and arrange them one on top of the other, and get a straw. The objective of the game is to use the straw to suck each piece of paper and transfer them from one place to another. The players should ensure that they only suck one piece at a time and do not drop the bits while transferring them.

Pick any of these games to turn an evening of boredom into crazy family time. Well, what are you waiting for? Time to put on your game faces and prepare to endure hours of enthusiastic screams!

Create meaningful moments with your loved ones - Explore tips on how to connect with family now!