After getting extremely bored with playing Trouble every. single. night. I was on the hunt for fun games that us adults could enjoy, but would be simple enough for our 5 year old (and some for our 3 year old as well). I found the best article that reviewed multiple games and age groups! I selected a few games from that list and promptly ordered them on Amazon Prime. Two days later, we had our first family game night and our kids now beg to have game night EVERY night. They love the games and so do we! And of course, who doesn’t love popcorn and hot chocolate?! So today I’m sharing the best, richest hot chocolate recipe and the list of games we love so far. Let’s start with the games and save the best till last, shall we? 😉
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These are all games that our family loves.
Game List and Review:
- Sleeping Queens – this has by far been the favorite of all of the games I ordered. Our 5 year old loves it and honestly, we love it too. It’s too advanced for our 3 year old, so we play this one after he’s in bed, or he “helps” one of the grown ups. It does give the option of using addition (up to 10) and our 5 year old is able to make some equations on his own. I would guess as he gets closer to 6, he will do that part even more on his own. Either way, he beats us fair and square all the time!
- Sushi Go – This one has quite a few rules to remember, but after a few times through, our 5 year old got it down. Our 3 year old has no clue what he’s doing in this game, but he loves to be a part of the action, taking a card and passing the rest. Sometimes he even ends up with more points than I do, which is embarrassing to say since I should be using some sort of strategy I guess. This one’s definitely a keeper – we all enjoy it!
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza – we just got this game out for the first time today. After just one round, we are still figuring it out, but the boys were really giggling with this one. It seems like it will be a really fun game over the holidays with a crowd!
- My First Castle Panic – Both our 3 and 5 year olds can play this game. I love that it’s a cooperative game. It’s all of us against the monsters, who are trying to get to the castle to knock the walls down! You can ask other players for help, which is nice because it encourages the boys to offer help to one another, which never happens. As adults, we don’t enjoy this one quite as much because it’s pretty simple, but it is a nice short game that our 3 year old can really take part in, so the boys love it.
- Skip Bo Jr. – Both boys like to play this game. Our 5 year old understands the rules, and our 3 year old can do it with a little help, since it only requires being able to count up to 10. He doesn’t understand any sort of strategy, but he likes putting his cards in the middle.
I’ve got a few more games planned as Christmas gifts for the boys, and I’m anxious to see if any of those become favorites. I’ll update this post after the holidays to include those as well! They are: Ticket to Ride My First Journey, Connect Four, Trouble Olaf’s Ice Adventure, and Kanoodle. I love that this has become a tradition in our home that we all look forward to!
Now for the good part. We always make a bowl of popcorn and sometimes as a special treat, this hot chocolate. I love that it cooks in the slow cooker, so there’s no work when it’s time for game night!
Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
6 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and whisk vigorously for 2 minutes. Heat on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours, whisking periodically. Serve with your choice of toppings: marshmallows, candy cane, etc.