There's nothing quite like social distancing--or working from home--to make you appreciate family, and detox time. We know that it's not always easy to be home 24/7 with each other. There are lots of demands on our minds right now, whether it's work or worrying about friends and family. Sometimes the best thing you can do for everyone is take some time to relax, whether it's alone, or together as a family.
Many families had very hectic schedules in the past, filled with lots of extra-curricular activities. If you're not really sure about what to do for some indoor family fun, we've compiled a list of some games that may help you all unwind and create fond memories even in the midst of this chaos.
Board Games
No matter how much kids might complain, there are still some board game classics that are great for passing the time. Choose games based on your child(ren)'s capabilities. If complex rules will test patience and cause friction, go with a simple game.
Monopoly -- takes a lot of time, but the bonus is that it's great for practicing counting. I used this game to help teach my kids about 'counting back' money when they are making change.
Boggle -- go easy on younger kids and bend rules a little bit. Count two letter words like "it" and "at". Those are important basics for kids to learn, and it's a great way to encourage them to try mixing with nearby consonants to form larger words. Also, let the kids do the shaking...just maybe bring earplugs.
Candy Land -- easy for smaller kids, and still fun for the older ones. Instead of counting the number of spaces, kids can use colors to recognize the space on the board that matches the color on the card they drew from the deck.
Scrabble -- more great spelling practice, and for those who want to work on strategy (you know, using the double and triple words spaces, or cutting opponents off from being able to easily use them).
Jenga -- you are never too old for some hands-on physics practice. Build a block tower, then take turns removing blocks until someone makes the tower topple. Helps with balance awareness, and dexterity.
Risk -- take over the world right from home! This game incorporates a lot of strategy and many different rules to keep track of, such as counting number of troops and how far they can be moved. It's great for older children/teens and usually takes a fair amount of time to play. The directions can be daunting, but once you get the hang of it, it's a lot of fun.
Takenoko -- use strategy skills to complete the most challenge cards containing goals such as growing a certain amount of bamboo. The game has small pieces, and the rules are little more challenging, so this is better for older children. It might be a relief from the typical square board since you'll use hexagonal tiles and little blue plastic bars to represent irrigation channels. You'll also have pieces of bamboo that stack vertically, so the game just looks cool.
Well, pretty much there's a board game for everyone. The list could go on and on. Hopefully these will get you started. We don't want to spend the entire post just talking about board games, even though we could.
Video Games
Animal Crossing -- this game is about collecting and caring for a town or island. There's a version of this game for systems all the way back to the GameCube. If you have a Nintendo DS look for Animal Crossing New Leaf. If you have the Nintendo Switch, Animal Crossing New Horizons would be the version for you. Each game allows you to collect and learn about insects, fish, and fossils while getting to know villagers. You may also be able to play together if you have multiple game devices or a Switch. It's fun alone, and with family.
Splatoon & Splatoon 2 -- these colorful and delightful games are on the WiiU and Switch, respectively. Great as solo play, but also fun together. To play together on the Switch you may need multiple consoles. You can also turn comments off, so all a child will see is the adorable "Inklings" and "Octolings" that populate the plaza. Be prepared for some puns and a lot of ink.
Yoshi's Crafted World -- this side-scrolling platformer game is a delight. Don't be too charmed though, it can be deceptively challenging, but the good news is that two people can play together for some added shenanigans. Even better? You only need one copy of the game and one Nintendo Switch.
World of Warcraft (WoW)-- for teens this game might be more their speed. Despite the age of this game (it came out in 2004) it has managed to age fairly well. The real charm is the lore and story of the world, but there is plenty to keep anyone busy for years. Collect pets and battle them, participate in player-versus-player battles, or just explore areas and do basic quests. This is truly a "game-your-way" type of game. This is a multiplayer world so there will be tons of people you can choose to interact with, or to ignore as you prefer. Don't worry about people who scoff at "casual" players. It's not a competition, it's about the experience and there can be many great adventures together, or alone. A bonus is that the whole family can sign up for starter accounts which allow you to play characters up to level 20 to see if you like it before you commit to buying the entire game (as of 4-22-2020 Battle for Azeroth is the latest expansion, but you could also wait until the new one called Shadowlands is released, probably around August).
Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) -- this game is newer than World of Warcraft, and so has the benefit of using more modern technology to achieve beautiful graphics. As is the case with Final Fantasy games, there is a very involved storyline. There are some themes that are more adult, and attitudes portrayed by non-playable characters may be offensive to some. I'd recommend it only for older, mature teens and perhaps use it as a way to address some of the stereotypes and sexist representations they may encounter. Again, this is a multiplayer game so the character you create can interact with many other real-people who also have characters in the game. As of my last check, you can sign up to play the first part of the game called A Realm Reborn for free until level 50. If you decide to subscribe even for a month and then stop the subscription, you can never go back to that starter offer. You won't be able to play any characters at all until you resubscribe, even if your character is not level 50 yet. There are a lot of dungeons, and you won't be able to progress in the story without doing the dungeons, so be prepared to queue for dungeons, or maybe take them on as a family.
Pokémon -- no matter what you may have been told, this game is fun for all ages. Care for Pokémon, battle, and help them become stronger and maybe even evolve into a new form. It sounds simple, but it's great simple fun. You can even learn the card game, or try the free online version of the card game called Pokémon Trading Card Game Online (PTCGO), yes it's a long name. If you're completely new to the series, or the card game I recommend the online version. It will help you learn the rules and you can earn free digital cards for your card decks instead of having to sink a lot of money into physical card decks. Plus, you don't even have to leave your house for the digital one.
Luigi's Mansion 3 -- you've probably heard of Nintendo's character Mario, but if you're not familiar with video games you might not know he has a cool brother...Luigi. This game is so charming, and tons of fun. It is both challenging but not so much as to be infuriating. There are also options for multiplayer play which is sure to be entertaining. Just remember you have to share it with your kids at some point, but you're in charge so you get to decide when that is. :)
Mario Party -- I can't believe I almost forgot this game! It's a board game, but also a video game and multiplayer as well. Any version of Mario Party is a fun experience, and is great for helping kids learn about taking turns. Lots of fun antics are sure to ensue.
Some of us are stuck inside without traditional board games, or video games to help us pass the time. Here are some quirky games I sometimes played with other kids since I wasn't allowed to play video games. I don't know if these games have official names, so I'm just making up names here, sorry if they aren't that cool.
Vertical bullseye -- what you need: clothespins or something similar, a coffee tin or other bucket-shaped object and a chair or stool. Stand on the chair or stool (not too high up), hold your arm out and attempt to drop the item into the bucket. You can't stoop, and you have to hold your arm between shoulder, and waist height. I remember this being tricky, but I was also realllly uncoordinated. Who knows...it might be a lot more boring than I remember.
Cotton ball table hockey -- what you need: cotton ball or lightly crumpled paper into a roughly round shape (make sure it still feels light) and a table or solid surface at arm-height. Before beginning decide what constitutes a "goal". Do you have to hit an inner elbow, or anywhere on a shirt? Next you would usually blow the cotton ball to try and make a goal. Since COVID-19 is going on though, to play it safer, you can tape some paper folded into a goal shape and use another fan-shaped paper to try and blow the cotton ball so you aren't spreading germs. It could be even more wacky than the traditional game.
Bean bag games -- if you have old bean bags lying around, or the ability to make some you can think of games like hopscotch or hot potato to pass the time. Maybe try juggling, or seeing if you can use them as a hackey-sack (anyone besides me remember those?) to bounce off knees or feet.
The floor is lava -- remember this game? Try to move around the house avoiding certain floor tiles or carpets that have been declared as "lava". This may end up begin a little like indoor parkour, so make sure to play safe. Might be best for older kids, and should still probably be supervised. Remove breakables out of the way before playing, no one wants a broken vase.
Hopefully this helps give you some ideas for some indoors fun so you can all keep your sanity, or at least have fun while losing it. Feel free to share your favorite game in the comments!