5 Inevitable Incidents That Happen At Every Family Game Night

Family Game Night has always been a wholesome way to bond and make memories, but over the past few years they have become a literal life-saver as we all had to hunker down and stay inside, inventing new and ever more creative ways not to drive each other up the wall. And if you’re anything like us, you want to keep the tradition going regardless of what’s going on in the world at large. That’s the magic of Family Game Night: it’s your own little bubble, full of the people you love most in the world, and you always know what to expect, because without fail, every single time…

No One Can Agree on The Game

We’ve all been there: the table has been cleared, the snacks are out, and every family member has — amazingly! — put down their handheld device and come together willingly to sit as a group and make memories doing a fun, wholesome activity. But then it happens — no one can agree on which game to play! One parent’s pushing for an exciting strategy game like Battleship, but the other one wants to play something light-hearted like Guess Who? The younger sibling wants to play Connect 4 for the hundredth time, and the older one wants to flex their Jenga skills. Luckily, Hasbro offers a huge variety of both classic and new games that will create connections and start conversations, no matter who wins the game selection debate.

Someone Gets Competitive

There’s at least one in every family — that person who is well-behaved and respectful until a board game comes out and they suddenly morph into a greedy, cutthroat maniac who will stop at nothing to win, even if they make their sister cry or accuse their own child of being “a turncoat.” On the bright side, playing family games offer the opportunity to create teachable moments (for example: “Juggling Battleship game pieces while shouting ‘Iceberg, dead ahead!’ in an attempt to distract your opponent isn’t a fair way to play and also it’s obnoxious.”) And hey, having a competitive spirit can take you far in life, provided you can restrain yourself from toggling the switch on the Connect 4 game to let all the pieces fall out because you just realized you’re about to lose.

Someone Gets Nostalgic

We may be Millennial parents (we’re not regular moms, we’re cool moms!), but there’s something about Family Game Night that turns us into grandparents shaking our canes and saying things like, “Back in my day, we didn’t have cell phones!” But it’s true: there’s something so special about spending quality, screen-free time as a family that kids today don’t always appreciate. That’s why making a weekly game night a family tradition is such a simple, classic way to maximize bonding time.

Someone Gets Mad

The bonds of family are unbreakable until someone rolls a Yahtzee or pulls the ice cream card on their first turn in Candy Land, amirite? If you have kids, especially young ones, it’s nearly impossible to get through a board game without having one of them storm off in a huff or try to use a game piece as a projectile. But sometimes the most hilarious, lasting memories come from moments of conflict. Witnessing a 6-year-old’s bafflement as they learn that a single Jenga block on the right-hand side in fact cannot support the rickety, towering edifice above it is truly a sight to behold.

Everyone Gets Closer

Not to get all dark and serious, but the world can feel scary right now. Making time for family is more important than ever, and prioritizing face-to-face time around the table over a classic Hasbro game is a great way to forge a feeling of connection and closeness that’s invaluable. So whether you’re encouraging your kid’s penchant for asking endless questions with Guess Who? or strategizing for how to sink each other’s ships, you can rest assured that you’re fostering family bonding and making memories that will last long after the thrill of winning, or the sting of losing, has faded.