Does the competition of family game night sometimes lead to fighting at your house? It can be hard to get through a marathon Monopoly game only to be disappointed when you lose! Younger players who are still struggling to figure out the rules may prefer games where the players work together toward a common goal.
My family has had a lot of fun playing cooperative board games instead of the more traditional “one winner” type games. In a cooperative game, the whole team works together to achieve a common goal—like to clean up a mess or defeat a villain.
- In Mermaid Island, players work together to help mermaids reach Mermaid Island before the Sea Witch. It’s surprisingly fun for age 5 and up and requires a bit of strategic thinking as well.
- Hoot Owl Hoot! is a game for age 4 and up where you try to get all the owls to fly back to the nest before the sun comes up.
- In Outfoxed, a cooperative game for age 4 and up, the team works to figure out which fox stole Mrs. Plumpert’s prized pot pie. Work together to gather clues and solve the mystery before the guilty fox leaves.
- Pandemic is a great game for kids age 8 and up. Players work together using different abilities to cure global outbreaks of deadly diseases before time is up.
For a lower stress, tear-free game night, check out a cooperative game from the library! Working as a team can help make game night more enjoyable for kids.
