I'm trying to get my niece and nephew (they are 11 and 8) away from as much use of their tablets (fighting a losing battle, I suspect!), and want to encourage social interaction. I'm also keen to do the same with my two (4 and 2 at the minute) when they are that bit older, as at the moment they are happy to play with most toys/games!
Been playing stuff like Uno, Jenga, Draughts with them but does anyone play any other or better games they'd recommend I might not have heard of?
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Especially when drinking!
Cribbage is fantastic as a card game, but takes a little learning. I expect youngsters would prefer a game like Cheat which can be really raucous - it's also good for developing social skills because you have to anticipate what others might do.
Proper game and good for mental arithmetic
take trip to ToysRus .. you'll be surprised at the variety of games of all sorts that are available .. good luck in weaning the youngsters away from the ElectroGods ((:>)
Simple game you can play for money or not. Builds concentration which reminds me.
Concentration. Good for younger children.
Lay a pack of cards out ( or just some if small children) face down in neat regular pattern, usually a rectangle. Aim is to make pairs. They turn over two cards. If it's a pair they go again. In not, next person's turn. If they are concentrating then they will remember the location of cards for their next turn.
Snap.
Go Fish.
What we called Strip John Naked as kids but has many names: https://www.pagat.com/war/beggar_my_neighbour.html
Fan Tan.
Cheat.
Rummy - seven card rather than Gin, making a set of three and a set of four.
Knock-out Whist going from seven cards down to two, you're out when you don't win a trick on a hand, trumps decided on the first hand by a cut before dealing, then called by the winner of the most tricks on the previous hand (cut to decide a draw).
Crib/cribbage. For two or four players, either five or six card, for three players five card with the sixteenth card put in the box.
If you get this far and need something more stretching, Nomination Whist (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/nov/22/rules-card-games-oh-hell), Solo Whist or Bridge.
There's loads more but these are what we played when I was a youngster so I'm happy to recommend them.
As someone mentioned above, Cards Against Humanity is good for when the little ones aren't playing.
Board games
Cluedo, tiddlywinks, Risk, Monopoly, draughts, chess, Ludo have all stood the test of time, Cluedo, Ludo, tiddlywinks and draughts have the benefit of being quite quick and easy to learn. Risk is simple but takes a long time. Chess is the most complex but can be quick if you play 10s or 30s a move (needs a timer of some sort) or five minutes each (needs a chess clock).
If you want a grown-up version of Ludo, go for backgammon, but it's only for two whereas Ludo can be for up to four.
My own grandfather taught me and all the kids cribbage. His helpful little sayings remain with me some 50 odd years later.
E.g. when looking to make 31
22 9'll do
23 8's aspree
24 7's the law
25 6's alive
26 5's afix
27 4's in heaven
28 3's await
29 2's in time
... and don't forget one for his knob!
I have always preferred it as a two person game, but as a four person game it could almost become an Opera!
As for boardgames, Settlers of Catan is good but might be above their age. Abalone is also very good.
Two of clubs
Theee of clubs
Four five and six of clubs
No seven.
And please never inflict Monopoly (or one of the infinite pointless rebranded versions) on anyone, a terrible game that will make them beg for their tablets back.
Just taught her beggar my neighbour and 7 card rummy. She also likes junior monopoly.
I got her a multigame set... It has draughts chess, ludo, goose game (a board game) nine men's Morris (aka mills) and snakes and ladders. All are fun to play with her. Also has instructions for dice and card games.
I used to play a betting game with my family (using pennies) called Newmarket. Anyone familiar with it?
Tried playing poker today as well!
It's like scrabble but each tile is worth 1 point but you can change words by building upwards to a max of 5 tiles. It goes on holiday with us everywhere and people are always intrigued watching us play
And don't forget "Two for nothing".
Careem is fabulous fun, but I don't know where you'd get a board nowadays as I don't think the games shop is in Greenwich market anymore (probably online, I guess).