Boardgames are a fantastic way for the whole family to build warm memories. Plus, it keeps the children (and adults) away from screens—a win-win situation. With such a wide selection to choose from, there is bound to be a few that everyone in the family enjoys. We picked some of our favourites, from the classic to the zany.
This is an oldie but always a goodie. Perfect for primary school-age children and above, the property trading game introduces the young ones to the dilemma of spending versus saving and how to strategise their way to a win at the end. There are so many special versions of this classic board game by now. If you haven’t got one in your home yet, make a beeline for the Singapore edition where you can traverse familiar neighbourhoods from Serangoon to Bukit Gombak and even to Sentosa Cove.
Hope your children get more motivated to increase their vocabulary? Perhaps a weekly session of competitive Scrabble might be the answer. This two- to four-player game is perfect for rainy days. Have more than four at home? Make it a team game—after all, we don’t want to put the youngest at a disadvantage!
Be prepared for laughs and shocking revelations in this game that pits dwarves (miners) against saboteurs (who try to prevent miners from reaching the gold). Each player’s identity is not revealed until the very end, though your actions along the way will reveal which team you’re on!
Hosting extended family? Herd Mentality will be the perfect post-meal entertainment—even preschoolers can join in the fun. Each card features a question like “Would you rather be covered in feathers or covered in fur?”. There is no correct answer but the task is to guess what most people will answer.
Think Charades but instead of acting out the answer, you model it using the dough provided. If you’re too slow to guess, your team loses some dough. A hilarious time ensues with this wacky game.
The premise is simple: collect sets of three cards and get rid of unwanted cards. But along the way, certain combinations will call for players to grab the toy burrito and start a dodgeball battle. Be warned: remove fragile items from the room before starting this game.