18 Hilarious Family Games Your Tweens and Teens Will Actually Want to Play
The short answer: The best family games for tweens and teens are quick to learn, a little silly, and loud enough to get everyone laughing. Our favorites: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Telestrations, What Do You Meme? Family Edition, Exploding Kittens, Jackbox Party Pack, and Not Parent Approved. Let your kid pick the game, and put the phones in a basket for one round.
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If your family is anything like ours, you’re always looking for something fun to do together that doesn’t involve everyone staring at a separate screen.
Here’s what I’ve learned: a good game is one of the easiest ways to get a tween or teen to the table. Nobody has to talk about their feelings. Nobody gets a lecture. You just laugh together, and somewhere in the middle of the silliness, connection happens.
So here are our favorite family games that aren’t just fun, they’re hilarious. Maybe funny enough that your tweens and teens will actually want to spend time with you! (Want ideas beyond games? Here are 50 fun family activities your tween or teen will actually enjoy.)
Why are family game nights worth it with tweens and teens?
Shared fun builds connection without pressure. A Penn State study that followed families for seven years found that kids kept spending one-on-one time with parents in the early and middle teen years, even as whole-family time dropped, and that time with parents was linked with better self-esteem and social skills. A weekly game night is an easy, low-key way to keep showing up.
How do I get my teen to play a family game?
- Let them choose the game. Better yet, let them teach you the rules.
- Keep it short. Start with a 15-minute game, not a three-hour one.
- Phones in a basket for just one round (yours too, Mama!).
- Add snacks. Never underestimate the power of nachos.
- Laugh at yourself. Let them win the trash talk. It’s half the fun.
18 hilarious family games for tweens and teens
Laugh-out-loud card games
1. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Ages: 7 and up. Flip cards, say the words, and slap the pile when they match. It’s fast, loud, and everyone ends up giggling.
Shop Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza on Amazon
2. Exploding Kittens
Ages: 7 and up. Quick to learn, with goofy art and big plot twists. Grab the original edition (there’s a separate grown-up version).
Shop Exploding Kittens on Amazon
3. Throw Throw Burrito
Ages: 7 and up. A card game where you get to throw squishy toy burritos at each other. Need I say more?
Shop Throw Throw Burrito on Amazon
4. Not Parent Approved
Ages: 8 and up. One of our family favorites. Kids fill in the blanks to make the funniest combinations, and they love “beating” the grown-ups. Expect some potty humor.
Shop Not Parent Approved on Amazon
5. What Do You Meme? Family Edition
Ages: 8 and up. Match funny captions to meme photos. Your tween or teen will be the expert here, and they’ll love it.
Shop What Do You Meme? Family Edition on Amazon
6. Kids Against Maturity
Ages: 10 and up. A kid-friendly fill-in-the-blank party game full of silly answers. Heads up: it’s heavy on fart and booger jokes, so peek at the cards first if that’s not your family’s style.
Shop Kids Against Maturity on Amazon
7. Dutch Blitz
Ages: 8 and up. A fast card race where everyone plays at the same time. It gets wonderfully loud and chaotic.
Drawing, guessing, and word games
8. Telestrations
Ages: 12 and up. The telephone game with drawings. The worse the artist, the bigger the laughs. (Skip the “After Dark” edition, which is for adults.)
9. Codenames
Ages: 10 and up. Split into teams and give one-word clues to find your secret agents. Perfect for competitive teens.
10. Hues and Cues
Ages: 8 and up. Guess a color from one-word clues. It’s easy for every age, and you’ll be amazed how differently everyone sees “sunset orange.”
11. Wavelength
Ages: 12 and up. Guess where your teammate’s clue lands on a dial. It sparks great conversations about how each of you thinks.
12. Monikers: Family Edition
Ages: Family. A charades-style guessing game that turns into running inside jokes. Be sure to choose the Family Edition.
Shop Monikers: Family Edition on Amazon
Silly challenge games
13. Jelly Belly BeanBoozled Spinner
Ages: Tweens and teens. Spin, eat a jelly bean, and find out whether it’s a yummy flavor or a gross one (booger, anyone?). The faces are the best part.
Shop Jelly Belly BeanBoozled Spinner on Amazon
14. Relative Insanity: Family Gatherin’ Edition
Ages: Older tweens and teens. Jeff Foxworthy’s game of funny punchlines about crazy relatives. Choose the Family Gatherin’ edition; the original is rated 14 and up.
Shop Relative Insanity: Family Gatherin’ Edition on Amazon
15. Suspend
Ages: 8 and up. Take turns hanging wire pieces on a stand without knocking it over. It’s tense, silly, and great for family members who don’t love talking games.
Team-up, phone-friendly, and one-on-one games
16. Jackbox Party Pack
Ages: Tweens and teens (check the family-friendly setting). Everyone plays using their own phone as the controller, with drawing, trivia, and silly answer games on the TV. It’s a perfect answer to “but I want my phone!” Works on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and computers. This link is the Party Pack 9 for Switch.
Shop Jackbox Party Pack on Amazon
17. Forbidden Island
Ages: 10 and up. A cooperative game where the whole family works together to escape a sinking island. You win or lose as a team, which makes it a great pick for families where game night tends to turn into arguments.
Shop Forbidden Island on Amazon
18. Sushi Go!
Ages: 8 and up. A cute, quick card game that works beautifully with just two players. Perfect for a one-on-one evening with your tween or teen.
Want the words for the not-so-fun moments, too?
Get my 5 Essential Parenting Scripts free: word-for-word phrases for disrespect, boundaries, motivation, screen time, and communication that work with tweens and teens.
Game night extras
- Mad Libs: The Original #1 Mad Libs is a classic from your own childhood, and parents get all the jokes in 90s Mad Libs.
- Karaoke: a Bluetooth karaoke microphone connects to any phone and turns any night into a concert.
- Joke book: Dad Jokes: Over 600 of the Best (Worst) Jokes Around. Teens love rolling their eyes at these.
- Puzzle: the White Mountain “I Had One of Those” 1000-piece puzzle is full of retro toys, so you get to tell stories while your kids hunt for pieces.
Questions moms ask about family games
What are good games for teens and parents to play together?
Fast, funny games work best: Telestrations, Codenames, What Do You Meme? Family Edition, Exploding Kittens, Jackbox Party Pack, and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. They’re quick to learn, and nobody has to be a game expert.
What games work for tweens, teens, and younger siblings together?
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Hues and Cues, Throw Throw Burrito, Suspend, and Dutch Blitz work across a wide range of ages.
How do I make family game night fun for a teen?
Let them choose the game, keep the first one short, bring snacks, and put phones away for one round, or pick Jackbox, where the phones are part of the fun. If game night turns competitive, try a team-up game like Forbidden Island. Most of all, laugh at yourself and skip the lectures.
Are these games clean?
Yes, with two gentle heads-ups: Not Parent Approved and Kids Against Maturity have potty humor, and the original Relative Insanity is rated 14 and up (the Family Gatherin’ edition is a safer pick).
Let the laughter do the work
Mama, you don’t have to plan the perfect evening. Pull out a game, grab some snacks, and let the giggles do the connecting. Some of our sweetest family memories started with somebody losing a round of a silly card game.
I thank God for the gift of laughter. It carries us through so much in these tween and teen years. Looking for more ideas beyond the game table? Try our 50 Fun Family Activities Your Tween or Teen Will Actually Enjoy, or settle in with one of these 75 fun family movies or binge-worthy TV shows to watch with your tween or teen.
xo Sheryl
Mama, you don’t have to do this alone
Join real moms who get it in the Moms of Tweens and Teens community. Ask questions, share what’s working, and get support from moms raising tweens and teens right alongside you, with live workshops and time with me.
Free: 5 Essential Parenting Scripts
Know exactly what to say when your tween or teen pushes back, shuts down, or tunes you out. Word-for-word scripts for disrespect, boundaries, motivation, screen time, and communication.
About Sheryl Gould: Sheryl is the founder of Moms of Tweens and Teens and a Parent and Relationship Coach with 18 years of experience helping moms stay connected to their kids through the tween and teen years. She’s a mom of three, author of SOS! The Technology Guidebook for Parents of Tweens and Teens, and host of the Moms of Tweens and Teens podcast.
