Tired of video games for family game night? Need some good icebreakers for family time? Sometimes a good face-to-face activity can bring parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and siblings closer together through bonding or memorable experiences. Best of all, these group games are free, with absolutely no expensive equipment or technology required!
Icebreakers for Families and Family Gatherings
The following icebreakers are especially good if your family size is between three to six people. If your family gathering happens to be bigger, no sweat! You can usually play the same game as a larger group by subdividing into smaller groups or teams.
The following are various icebreakers for families organized by category. Click on a guide below for step by step instructions on how to play.
Drawing Oriented Games – These games involve some drawing and basic artistic aspects – a lot of fun even if folks don’t have the best art skills!
- Art Effects (A drawing game)
- Botticelli (A fun guessing activity)
- Collaborative Drawing (A game that involves drawing as a team)
- Picture Whispers (Another good drawing activity)
Get to Know Each Other Better / Sharing Games – These games can help people open up about their deeper thoughts and opinions, getting family members to know each other better!
- Candy Introductions (Get-to-know-you game to answer deeper questions)
- Catch the Ball (A Get-to-know-you activity)
- Connecting Stories (A fun game of trying to connect stories together)
- Crazy Job Interview (A funny game involving a fictitious job interview)
- Fabulous Flags (A game that asks everyone to draw a flag that symbolizes each person)
- Fake Artist (A stationary game involving pretend artists!)
- Four Corners (Get-to-know-you game involving moving to one of four corners)
- Icebreaker Questions (An excellent collection of questions to break the ice and help families get closer)
- More Good Icebreaker Questions (Even more excellent questions to check out to help people get to know each other better)
- Never Have I Ever (Help each other get to know what you have and have not done already)
- Story Starters (A story oriented game to get folks talking)
- String Game (Get-to-know-you activity involving string or yarn)
- Two Truths and a Lie (The classic Get-to-know-you game)
- What I Would Have Done (Get-to-know-you, Talking)
Word/Guessing/Spelling Games – These games are about words, guessing or telling stories.
- Ghost Game (A fun talking game – try not to spell a word of four or more letters! Also works great for long car rides!)
- Interview Game (Get-to-know-you interview activity)
- Late Arrivals Game (A classic talking game)
- Lost on a Deserted Island (A get-to-know-you game to see who or what people would bring on a deserted island)
- Memorable Catchy Names (Get-to-know-you game involving catchy names!)
- Strange Disease Diagnosis Game (A talking game involving the diagnosis of a mysterious disease!)
- Tall Tales Story Game (Storytelling game involving tall tales)
- Word Chains (A game that involves memory)
Fast Paced Games – These active games tend to be fast paced and involve quick reflexes or some other actions!
- React and Act Game (Active game of reactions)
- Paper Snowball Fight (Paper snowball activity)
- Photo Scavenger Hunt (Active, Teambuilding)
- Sequence (Teambuilding)
- Spoons Game (A fast paced game of grabbing a spoon, similar to musical chairs that also works great for parties)
- Sticker Ninja (A stealthy sticker game that works great for parties)
- 1000 Blank White Cards (Active game that involves creativity)
Trust Oriented Games – Try these games for building trust and camaraderie within your family.
- Trust Walk Teambuilding Activity (An active teambuilding game involving guiding blindfolded partners — works best at a campsite or outdoors)
Please share this page with your friends and family so they can also enjoy these activities! Have more excellent games that work well for family time (game night)? Let us know!