Board games are a great way to bring the family together. These seven wooden family board games are perfect for any group, and they’re all sure to provide hours of entertainment on your family game night!
Wooden board games have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. Not only are they a great way to pass the time and have fun with friends and family, but they also offer a number of benefits for both children and adults.
One of the main benefits of wooden board games is that they promote social interaction. In today’s digital age, it’s easy to get caught up in screens and lose touch with the people around us. Wooden board games provide a fun, low-stress way to connect with others and engage in meaningful conversation and laughter.
In addition to promoting social interaction, wooden board games can also help improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Many board games require players to strategize and make decisions, which helps to exercise the brain and keep it sharp. This can be especially beneficial for children, as it can help them develop important cognitive skills at an early age.
Another benefit of wooden board games is that they are a great alternative to screens. Instead of staring at a screen for entertainment, playing a board game allows you to unplug and engage in a more tactile, immersive activity. This can be especially important for kids, who may be spending more and more time in front of screens as they grow older.
No matter what your interests are, you’re sure to find a wooden board game on your next family game night!
Here is out top picks for the best board games for the whole family:
Chess
Chess is a classic strategy board game that is played on a square board divided into 64 squares of alternating colors. This game is played by two players, each of whom has a set of 16 chess pieces including a king, a queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns.
The objective of the game is to capture the opponent’s king, while simultaneously trying to protect your own king. Each chess piece has its own unique movement patterns, and players must use careful planning and strategy to outmaneuver their opponent and capture their pieces.
To start a game of chess, set up the board with the white pieces on the first and second rows and the black pieces on the seventh and eighth rows. Players should then take turns moving their pieces, with the white player moving first.
The game continues until one player captures the other player’s king, or until the game is a draw due to insufficient material or a repetitive position. Chess is a classic game that is suitable for younger kids and adults in all skill levels. This fantastic game requires careful planning and decision-making, and it is enjoyed by players of all ages around the world.
Klask
Klask is a fun game that combines elements of air hockey and soccer. It is played on a game board with two goals, a small white ball, and two paddles controlled by each player. The objective of this board game is to use your paddle to hit the ball into your opponent’s goal, while simultaneously trying to defend your own goal.
To play Klask, set up the board and place the ball in the center. Each player should take control of one of the paddles and try to hit the ball into the opponent’s goal. Players can use any part of their paddle to hit the ball, and can also try to deflect the ball with their body or the board itself.
The game continues until one player scores a goal, at which point the other player gets a chance to hit the ball back into play. The first player to score a certain number of goals (usually three or five) is the winner. Klask is a fun family board game that is suitable for players of all ages and can be played with any number of players.
Jenga
Jenga is a classic strategy game that involves players taking turns to remove blocks from a tower and stacking them on top, trying to keep the tower from collapsing. The game is played with 54 wooden blocks that are stacked to form a tower, with each block placed perpendicular to the one below it.
To play Jenga, players start by building a tower out of the wooden blocks. The blocks are placed on top of each other in a three-level pattern, with each level having three blocks. Once the tower is built, players take turns removing a block from any level of the tower except the very top level and placing it on the top of the tower. Players must use careful strategy and dexterity to remove the blocks without causing the tower to collapse.
The game continues until the tower collapses, at which point the player who caused the collapse loses the game. Alternatively, the game can be played to a predetermined number of turns, with the player who has removed the most blocks at the end being declared the winner.
Jenga is a fun and family board game that is suitable for younger children. It can be played with two or more players and is one of the best family board games, parties, and other social gatherings.
Mancala
Mancala is a strategic family board game that originated in Africa and is played in various forms around the world. It is played on a board with a series of pits or cups arranged in rows, with each player having a set of stones or seeds that they use to try and capture their opponent’s stones.
The basic game play includes players should sit opposite each other and place a certain number of stones or seeds (usually around 48) in each of the pits on the board. Players then take turns picking up all of the stones or seeds from one of their pits and placing them, one at a time, in the pits on the board.
The objective of this classic family game is to capture as many of the opponent’s stones or seeds as possible, either by landing on a pit that already contains stones or seeds belonging to the opponent, or by creating a pit that captures all of the opponent’s stones or seeds. The game continues until all of the pits are empty, at which point the player with the most stones or seeds is the winner.
Mancala is a one of the most popular classic board games that is suitable for players of all ages and can be played with any number of players.
Tic Tac Toe
Tic Tac Toe is a simple paper-and-pencil game that is played on a 3×3 grid. It is played by two players, who take turns placing their symbol (either an “X” or an “O”) on an empty square on the grid. The objective of the game is to get three of your symbols in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) before your opponent does.
To start a game of Tic Tac Toe, draw a 3×3 grid on a piece of paper and decide who will go first (either “X” or “O”). Players should then take turns placing their symbol on an empty square on the grid, with the first player trying to get three in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and the second player trying to block them or get three in a row themselves.
The game continues until one player gets three of their symbols in a row or all of the squares on the grid are filled, at which point the game is a draw. Tic Tac Toe is a fun and simple game that is suitable for players of all ages and can be played with any number of players.
Sling Puck Game
The Sling Puck Game, also known as “Hockey Table,” is a tabletop game that involves players using a slingshot-like mechanism to launch small pucks into a goal. The game is played on a table with a grid of holes and two goals at opposite ends, with each player using a slingshot-like device to launch the pucks into the goals.
To play the Sling Puck Game, players should sit opposite each other and take turns launching the pucks into the goals using the slingshot devices. The objective of the game is to be the first player to get all of your pucks into the opponent’s goal, while simultaneously trying to defend your own goal.
The game continues until one player successfully gets all of their pucks into the opponent’s goal, at which point they are declared the winner. The Sling Puck Game is a fast-paced and exciting tabletop game that is suitable for players of all ages and can be played with any number of players.
Shut the Box
Shut the Box is a classic dice game that is played with a wooden board and a set of dice. The board consists of a series of numbered tiles, usually numbered 1 through 9, and a set of dice. The goal of the game is to “shut the box” by rolling the dice and covering as many of the numbered tiles as possible with them.
To play Shut the Box, players take turns rolling the dice and attempting to cover the numbered tiles on the game board. If a player is able to cover a tile with a number that is equal to one of the dice, they can place a marker on that tile to show that it has been covered. If a player rolls a number that is not on the board, they must continue rolling until they get a number that can be covered. If a player is unable to cover any of the remaining tiles, their turn ends and the next player goes.
The game continues until all of the tiles have been covered, at which point the player who covered the last tile wins the game. Alternatively, the game can be played to a predetermined score, with the first player to reach that score being declared the winner.
Shut the Box is a great board game that promotes strategic thinking, math skills and fine motor skills for both younger players and older kids. It is one of the favorite board games for families to play together.
What Makes Wooden Board Games So Much Fun
There are several reasons why wooden board games are the best games to play on your family game night:
- They provide a sense of nostalgia: Wooden board games often have a classic, timeless look and feel to them, which can evoke feelings of nostalgia and bring back memories of playing similar games with friends and family in the past.
- They offer a break from screens: With so much of our daily lives spent staring at screens, playing a wooden board game can be a welcome change of pace. Wooden board games require players to interact with each other and the game in a more tactile way, which can be a refreshing break from screens.
- They promote social interaction: Many wooden board game requires players to interact with each other, whether it be through strategizing, taking turns, or simply chatting and laughing while playing the game. This social interaction can be a lot of fun and can help to build relationships with friends and family.
- Playing a board game can be educational: Some wooden board games are designed to teach players new skills or concepts, such as strategy, critical thinking, or problem-solving. These games can be a fun and engaging way for the whole family to learn new things.
- They can be customized: Some wooden board game can be customized with different rules or variations, which allows players to tailor the game to their preferences and make these game board more interesting.
Overall, playing board games offer a unique and enjoyable form of entertainment that can be enjoyed by the whole family!