Family Games For A Big Age Gap: 18 That Work From 3 To 93

A game that a three year old and a ninety year old can both play is rarer than it sounds. Most games reward either speed, knowledge or reading - and each of those wipes out one end of the room.

These don't. There's also a section on handicapping, which is what makes everything else playable.

Games where age genuinely doesn't matter

• Pictionary - drawing badly is an equal-opportunity skill.
• Guess the hummed song.
• The memory tray: twenty objects, one removed, what's gone?
• Bingo, with someone calling.
• Beetle drive - roll a dice, draw a beetle. Pure luck, the whole family plays, and church halls have known this for a century.
• Higher or lower with a pack of cards.

Team formats that level the field

• Always pair a child with an adult. It's the single most effective rule.
• The youngest team member answers first, and the answer stands. Stops adults dominating.
• Two-tier questions: an easy and a hard version of each, the team picks.
• Everyone contributes once before anyone contributes twice.

Handicaps that don't feel patronising

• Head starts in any race rather than easier rules.
• Points for effort categories: funniest answer, best try, most confident wrong answer.
• Extra time rather than fewer questions.
• Let the youngest and oldest be the judges of one round each. It's a job, not a sympathy vote.
• Never announce that someone's being handicapped. Build it into the rules from the start.

When the room splits anyway

• Have a second, quieter game running on a side table - dominoes, cards, a jigsaw.
• Accept the teenagers drifting off after two games. Two is a win.
• The under-fives will last one game. Put theirs first.
• Finish while it's still good rather than pushing for one more.

Shop cards

How to write it so it lands

• Child and adult pairs, always.
• Put the youngest children's game first.
• Stop while everyone still wants one more.

Where to shop next

• Family reunion games
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• Long car journey games abroad
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• Board games hub
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• Photo booth prop ideas
• Sympathy and bereavement cards
• Sympathy cards guide
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What games work for all ages in a family?

Pictionary, guess the hummed song, the memory tray, bingo and beetle drive. None of them reward speed, reading or general knowledge, so a five year old and a ninety year old are genuinely equal.

How do you make a family game fair for different ages?

Pair each child with an adult rather than splitting by age, make the youngest person answer first, and use head starts rather than easier rules. Never announce that someone's being given an advantage.

What is a beetle drive?

A dice game where you roll to draw parts of a beetle - a six for the body, a five for the head and so on. First to complete one wins the round. It's pure luck, which is exactly why it works across every age.

How do you handle teenagers who don't want to play?

Give them a role - scorer, judge, photographer - and expect two games rather than the whole afternoon. Two is a good result and pushing for more usually costs you the first two.

Do you sell games or party supplies?

No - we make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. Every game here runs with what's already in the house, and the only products on this page are our own cards.