Fun Family Game Night Ideas (Plus Ideas for Designing a Family-Themed Cornhole Set!)

Many studies show that children from families who make time for bonding activities see all kinds of benefits, including larger vocabularies, improved communication skills, better health, and improved memories.

If that’s not enough reason to start scheduling family game night, consider this: it’s a ton of fun! Here is a collection of fun games and activities that we love to play on our family game nights!

Bring Food into the Mix

Who doesn’t love food? No one. These activities incorporate food themes to create a deliciously fun experience.

Play the Hanging Donut Game

The hanging donut game is one of our favorite family games. It requires a donut for each family member, some string, and something to hang the string from (a tree, a swing set, a patio umbrella, etc.). Hang the donuts at mouth level and race to see who can finish their donut first!

Here’s a tip! If you don’t have space to hang all the donuts together and race simultaneously, get out a stopwatch and time each person. The family member with the fastest time wins.

Host a Mini Pie-Eating Contest

It’s the same concept as a full-sized pie-eating contest but scaled down to slices of pie to help avoid tummy aches and keep from spoiling dinner appetites (see below for a fun dinner idea!). For extra fun, have the kids each choose their favorite pie flavors!

Have a Pizza-Making Contest

Line up sauces, cheeses, and toppings on your dinner table or counter, roll out the dough, and have everyone make their own personal pizza. After the pizzas are finished baking, have a taste test and vote on the winners based on two categories: the best looking and the best tasting!

Take it Outside

These games are fun outdoor classics.

Games for Small Yards

A small yard is great for outdoor games like cornhole, horseshoes, or giant versions of tabletop games like tic-tac-toe, checkers, or Jenga.

Games for Larger Yards

If you have a larger yard, you can play games that require more space, like flag football, lawn bowling, or anything involving a Frisbee. If you need even more ideas, check out these other classic games to play outside when the weather is nice!

Give it a Theme

The fun games and family-centric activities center around specific themes!

Nostalgia for the 80s and 90s

Break out the board games and explain to the kids what it was like back in the dark ages before cell phones could be filled with games. Classics like Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit were hugely popular in the 80s and 90s. If you really want to go all out, you can pick up a vintage version of your favorite board game!

Music

Choosing a music theme gives you a bunch of different options. Everything from trivia contests to Guitar Hero to karaoke will fit this theme!

Mystery Party

Everyone is assigned a character, and you must work together to solve a mystery. You can go for a classic murder mystery party, but if that seems too morbid for kids, you can stage a “robbery” or another crime that would be more appropriate for kids to solve.

If you need to shake up your family game night routine, mix and match these ideas to make it more fun. If you’re new to family game night, just give it a try. You won’t regret it!

Creating a Custom Family-Themed Cornhole Board

Our eagle-eyed readers may have noticed dismaying lack of cornhole talk when discussing our favorite family games and activities. Well, we had a reason for that! This guide will help you cornhole-loving families out there come up with a fantastic design for a custom cornhole board you can break open at family gatherings and on family game night!

Display Your Family Name

Your last name is the benchmark for your family’s identity, so put it on full display with your custom cornhole set! You could opt for a straightforward approach or incorporate a date that’s important to your family’s history (like when your parents or grandparents got married). Here are a few examples.

1. The Johnsons, est. 1985

2. Property of the Smith Family

3. A monogram

Include a fun pattern (like abstract, chevron, or polka dots), a solid color, or stain for added visual interest.

Show Off Your Family Crest

Some families might have a family crest that has been passed down for generations. Give it a place of honor as the design on your family-themed cornhole set.

Don’t have a family crest? Design one! Anything that represents your family will do. It could be an anchor, a shamrock, a compass, a stag, a pineapple, or any other symbol that means something special to your family.

Family Tree

If you’ve done a bit of genealogical digging, your family tree could make for a lovely design for your family’s custom board. That way, you’ll be reminded of your roots and heritage every time you play! Speaking of heritage…

Heritage

If you have a deep love for your heritage, we have cornhole boards for that! Celebrate your roots, whether they be Irish, Italian, German, Mexican, or wherever else your family hails from, with cornhole boards that show off your beloved country’s flag.

Maybe you come from a long line of proud Republicans, or you’re a card-carrying Democrat. Perhaps your family is politically divided, but you still manage to get along. Maybe, you’re carrying on that proud Marine tradition, like your dad and granddad before you, or perhaps you’re just proud Americans.

Either way, you can encapsulate whatever your heritage may be with a cornhole board designed just for your family.

The beauty of cornhole is that anyone can play it. Young, old, and every age in between, if you can toss a bag in the general direction of a cornhole board, you can play. That’s why this game is perfect for family gatherings and family game night. It’s an excellent way for everyone to have a fun time with one another.

Ready to put together your custom family-themed cornhole set? Submit your design today!