Fun for the whole family: Discover the colorful world of children's games for at home

Whether it's rainy days, vacation time or just cozy family evenings - as a parent in an active family, you certainly know the adventure of spending meaningful, enjoyable time with your children at home. The right selection of indoor children's games can work wonders. In this blog, we delve into the fascinating world of games and show you how to cleverly combine family fun , learning and exercise - age-appropriate, adventurous, active and without much effort!

Board games on trend: fun for the whole family

If you want to play at home with your children, our tip is: get on the board! Board games for the whole family have never gone away, but are currently experiencing a wonderful boom that they more than deserve: They not only promote teamwork , but also important skills such as concentration and strategic thinking . For children aged 4 and over, simple dice games or memory games are suitable. These games for small children are ideal for indoors, easy to understand and great fun - even for adults, who often have to accept defeat. Perfect for the self-confidence of the little ones!

For slightly older children and the whole family, there are a variety of board and table games that appeal to all age groups. A game for the whole family from 5 years old could be " The Crazy Labyrinth Junior ", which requires skill and planning. For families with children from 7 years old, more complex strategy games such as "The Settlers of Catan" (in the junior version " Catan ") are suitable. A wonderful role-playing game in the style of Dungeons & Dragons is " Monster Hunt ", in which the dwarves go hunting monsters as brave hunters from a special agency - of course everything is very child-friendly, sweet and at the same time a nice test of courage.

Our tip for your game nights: Vary the selection of board games to involve all family members and create new challenges.

games for different age groups

Depending on the age of your children, different games may be suitable. Here is an overview for different age groups:

Games for the whole family from 4-5 years:

• “The Crazy Labyrinth (Junior)”
• “Hurry up, little snail”
• Simple card games like “Uno”
• “Don't get angry”
• Memory in different difficulty levels
• First role-playing games like “Monster Hunt”

Games for the whole family from 7-8 years:

• The Settlers of Catan Junior (“Catan”)
• "Carcassonne"
• More complex card games like "Phase 10"

Remember that these ages are sometimes just guidelines . You know your children best and know which games will be challenging and fun for them at the same time.

Tips for Successful Family Game Nights

To make your family game nights a complete success and a highlight in everyday family life , here are some helpful tips:

Plan ahead: Choose games that are appropriate for all ages. Always have a backup game or two up your sleeve.

• Create a cozy atmosphere: provide comfortable seating and good lighting.
• Prepare small snacks: Healthy snacks are a good tip. For parents who want to be fully present even after a long day, Dextro Energy* products such as our Cubes , Minis or our
• Be flexible: If one game doesn't work, switch to another.
• Keep the rules simple: The rules should be easy to understand, especially for younger children.
• Pay attention to the length: Short, snappy games are often better for children – especially if they allow for a rematch.

Action-packed indoor movement games

Indoor games for the home are an excellent way to live out children's natural need for movement at home. Classic games such as "catch" and "hide and seek" can be wonderfully implemented in your own four walls with a little creativity .

Ideas for simple and spontaneous indoor children's games:

• Indoor obstacle course: Use furniture, pillows and blankets to create an exciting obstacle course.
• Balloon volleyball: An inflated balloon serves as a ball and the game can begin. Also always funny: The floor is lava. If the balloon touches the floor, the game is over.
• Dance competition: Turn up the music and hold a fun dance competition. A nice variation: “Stop dance”. One person stops the music regularly. Anyone who is still moving is eliminated.
• Hide and seek: One person hides in the house and has a kitchen timer or alarm clock with them. After the search time has elapsed, the alarm goes off - either the game is over or the person being sought can try to silence the alarm with all the tools at hand. Almost like a spy thriller...
• Catch: The classic game doesn't need to be explained. But maybe this variation: All family members put a scarf in their waistband or pocket. Then the aim is to steal the scarfs from the other family members secretly and quietly. If you are caught stealing, however, you are not allowed to try again for a certain period of time. The game can be played all day long...

These indoor children's games not only provide exercise, but also promote coordination and creative problem-solving.

Modern computer games as part of family fun

In today's digital world, computer games are often part of everyday life. However, their bad reputation is often unjustified . Because you can use the many positive aspects that they offer effectively for your child's development. It is important to choose games that are age-appropriate and to set a time limit.

Many computer games promote important skills such as:

• problem solving
• hand-eye coordination
• reaction speed
• creativity (e.g. in construction games)

Our tip: Choose games that you can play together as a family. This way you can keep track of things and share the gaming experience with your children. Depending on the age of the children, these can be jump'n'runs , strategy and learning games or first action games . Always follow the age recommendation on the games and form your own opinion. Every child is different.

Are you wondering which games are actually useful? The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth ( BMFSFJ ) publishes the "Digital Games" brochure as a PDF every year. There you will find wonderful information on the topic and many child-friendly, tested game tips. You can also find a lot more information on the topic of screen time for children in our blog .

The perfect balance: combining learning, exercise and fun

The ideal mix of different types of games makes all the difference. Combine games that promote cognitive skills with those that provide physical activity . Here are some ideas for children's games to play at home that combine learning and exercise:

• Letter scavenger hunt : Hide letters around the house and let the children form words from them.
• Math Twister: Glue numbers onto a Twister mat and call out math problems.
• Geography pantomime: Represent countries or sights through pantomime.

These creative game ideas for the home not only promote the learning process, but are also fun for the whole family.

Mini-games for home: just have fun

You don't always have time for long games. Mini games at home are perfect for these moments. Here are some fun games for at home that are quick to explain and play :

• “I see something you don’t see”: A classic that can be played anywhere.
• “Chinese Whispers”: Ideal for larger groups and always good for a laugh.
• "Who am I?": Stick pieces of paper with the names of sports stars or other celebrities, book and film characters on each other's foreheads and guess who you are using yes/no questions. For children who cannot read yet, drawings are also a good idea, for example of animals.

These simple children's game ideas for at home require little preparation and are ideal for short breaks.

Indoor games for every season

Whether in summer or winter: indoor games for the home are always a good idea. In summer they can be a welcome change on hot days , in winter they offer a cozy alternative to outdoor activities.

Water features that you can move indoors are particularly suitable for spring or summer :

• Target throwing in the bathtub: Let two or three rubber rings float on the water. Then take turns throwing table tennis balls or other small throwing objects. Whoever hits the ring gets a point.
• Ice cube melting race: Take ice cubes in both hands and off you go: Mark out a route in the house that must be run with the ice cube. Whoever manages to run the longest distance or more laps before the cube melts wins. If that's too wet for you, you can also roll the ice cube up in a kitchen towel or something similar.
• Underwater treasure hunt in the sink: Fill the sink with water. Then add bath additives that make the water opaque. Then treasures are thrown into the basin. Pirate coins, gems, etc. only have to be felt and lifted with your hands - of course within a time limit. If you don't want to have murky mush in the sink, you can also blindfold yourself. Whoever has recovered the most treasures at the end wins.

In autumn or winter, cozy games are in demand:

• Storytelling evenings by candlelight: Of course, you can read each other something nice from a book. Or you can give each other a few keywords as topics and invent your own stories.
• Indoor camping with a tent and flashlight games: set up a tent in the children's room or living room and the tent adventure for your home is ready. Tip: play natural sounds. If you like, you can also play scary dinosaur noises or the howling of ghosts. YouTube offers countless so-called ambience videos for the perfect background noise.
• Shadow theater on the wall: Whether you form shadow figures with your hands or diligently craft something out of cardboard and wooden sticks - there is space for your stories here. Almost like the cinema, only different.
• Flashlight cinema: If shadows aren't your thing, you can take a look at projector flashlights. Depending on the model, these project animals, fairy tales or cartoon characters onto the walls.

These children's games for at home are perfect for each season and provide variety .

More games for everyone!

The variety of children's games for home is almost limitless . From classic board games to action-packed movement games to modern computer games - there is something for every taste and every age. By combining different types of games, you not only promote family cohesion , but also important skills in your children.

Whether it 's table games for the whole family, simple indoor children's games or more complex strategy games - the most important thing is that you have fun together. As a family manager, you can use the many opportunities to spend quality time with your family and create valuable memories .

So, what are you waiting for? Immerse yourself in the colorful world of children's games for the home and discover new game ideas together with your family. Because one thing is certain: playing connects, encourages and is simply fun!

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*contains carbohydrates

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.