Family Party Games Where Grandparents and Kids Both Win
Try guessing family photos, answering trivia in pairs or voting on two funny choices. Grandparents and children can play the same round without having to read, write or move in exactly the same way. Below are six options with supplies and suggested rules, plus a checklist and an example schedule. Pick three your guests would enjoy; you do not need to play them all.
Which games fit your family?
Start with what people want to do. Who likes guessing? Who wants to tell a story? Who would rather move around? Mix ages within pairs where it helps, but let both partners contribute before agreeing on an answer. With an odd number of guests, use one team of three and rotate the reader, writer and person who gives the answer.
These are suggested session lengths, not limits on what any age can manage. Finish earlier or repeat a round if the group wants to. Nobody is eliminated in the versions below.
| Game | Where to play | Have ready | Suggested time | When it might fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guess the baby photo | Seated, with pictures everyone can see | Family photos, paper, pencils, answer key | 15–20 minutes | Before the meal |
| Family trivia | Seated in pairs or small teams | Questions, confirmed answers, paper, pencils | 20–30 minutes | Before or after food |
| Story Hot Seat | Seated together | A question list | 15–20 minutes | Wind-down |
| This or That | Seated or standing | A question list | 5–10 minutes | Between courses |
| Team board game | Around a table | A familiar game and its rules | 20–30 minutes, or one short round | Whenever the table is free |
| Team target toss | Beside a target, seated or standing | A basket and rolled-up socks | 10 minutes | After the meal |
For younger cousins who need different jobs within a game, see party games for a mixed-age crowd. The aim is to share the decisions as well as the supplies.
Play games about your family
Family pictures and memories give you material for a round, but a newcomer may not recognize every face or know every story. Include clues and recent events, and avoid questions that only one household can answer.
Guess the Baby Photo
Ask willing relatives for a baby photo, number the pictures and keep a matching list of names with the host. For a first round, try six photos. Put them where everyone can see, or pass copies around before collecting answers.
Give each pair one sheet. Read the possible names aloud, then let partners discuss and write one name for each number. A teammate can record a spoken answer. Wait until every pair is ready before revealing the names; this is a guessing round, not a race.
Award one point per correct name, with no deductions for a wrong or blank answer. Highest score out of six wins; ties share the win. If the host cannot confirm a photo, leave it out of the scoring. Finish by inviting the pictured relatives to share a short story if they want to. Use different photos for another round.
Family Trivia
Write six questions and confirm each answer with the relevant relative beforehand. Mix recent details with older memories. For example, ask which pet belongs to a particular household, which place appears in a shared holiday photo, or which dish someone brought today. These are question ideas to fill with your own confirmed facts.
Read each question twice. Give all teams the same time to discuss, then ask them to show or say one answer together. Alternate who records the answer so one confident player does not do every job. Offer three possible answers when a question would otherwise leave newcomers guessing blindly.
Give one point for a correct answer and zero for a wrong or skipped answer. Accept equivalent wording. After six questions, add the points; tied leaders share the win. Set aside a disputed question rather than guessing at the answer key. Start again with fresh questions if guests want another round. Our trivia party games guide has other ways to collect answers.
Story Hot Seat
Ask for a volunteer to go first, then offer each person a turn around the circle. Read one question from the family pack, such as what game they enjoyed when they were younger. Let them give a short answer or a story, swap the question or pass without explaining.
Ask before adding a follow-up, and move on when the speaker is finished. End after everyone has been offered one turn. There are no points or winner. Children can ask questions and tell stories too; grandparents do not have to carry the conversation. For a longer list, browse Hot Seat questions or Good Hot Seat questions, both with questions intended for ages eight and up.
Games to play sitting down
Hands-Only This or That
Read two choices: “Pancakes or waffles?” Ask for hands for the first choice, then the second. Players can say their choice instead, or pass. Read five questions, invite a willing person to explain one answer, then finish. There is no score and nobody needs to agree.
Use the choices in the family question pack or find more This or That questions. For a different seated round, Never Have I Ever questions lets guests respond to statements; a response need not lead to a story.
Team Board Games
Pick a game you already know and check its player count and rules. If everyone agrees to pairs sharing a turn, demonstrate how that will work: both partners discuss the move, then alternate moving the piece or handling the cards. Let a partner read card text aloud without deciding the move for the other person.
Agree before starting whether you will finish one round or stop after a suggested 20–30-minute session. Follow the game’s scoring and tie rules if you complete it; if you stop mid-game, call it an unfinished session rather than inventing a winner. The board game party guide covers explaining turns and arranging the table.
A movement game after the meal
If some guests want to move after sitting at the table, try this suggested team target toss. Put a basket where everyone can reach a comfortable throwing position and use rolled-up socks. Players may sit or stand, and can choose a closer position before their turn.
Play in mixed-age pairs or one group. Each person gets three throws; a sock that stays in the basket earns one point. A miss uses that throw, but does not remove the player. Take turns retrieving the socks between players. In pairs, add both partners’ points after everyone has thrown; highest total wins and ties share the win. With a team of three, compare each team’s average points per player, or skip competition and count a shared total instead. Reset the basket and socks for another round.
Grandparents can throw, retrieve, keep score or simply watch, just as other guests can. For other activities, see team party games. If your family likes short timed challenges, the Minute to Win It guide and versions with adjusted difficulty explain particular tasks; you can choose a cooperative round rather than a race.
Let guests decide whether to play or help
Ask for a willing question reader, answer checker or timekeeper. These can be enjoyable jobs, but offer them as choices rather than assigning every grandparent to a judging chair. Rotate helpers between rounds so someone who wants to guess gets a turn. For family trivia, the reader with the answer key sits out that scored round and can play the next one with a different reader.
You can play without prizes. If you want an award, let the winner choose the next game from the options you have prepared, give paper certificates or offer a treat that suits the guests. Say how ties work before playing, and keep anything promised to every guest separate from winner awards. Our party game prize ideas can help you count what you need.
An example one-hour game schedule
This 60-minute example fits three games after a meal. It includes explanations and clearing supplies; the meal itself is outside this hour. Adjust it to your guests, or replace the toss with seated voting.
- 0:00–0:05 · Explain the games and form pairs. Offer reading help and show how answers will be collected.
- 0:05–0:25 · Guess six baby photos. Compare answers, reveal the names and leave room for a few short stories.
- 0:25–0:30 · Clear the photos and take a break. Put answer sheets aside and bring out the basket and socks.
- 0:30–0:40 · Play team target toss. Give everyone three throws and finish the full set before comparing scores.
- 0:40–0:55 · Offer a Story Hot Seat turn. Keep answers brief enough to offer everyone a turn, or split a larger group into smaller circles with a reader in each.
- 0:55–1:00 · Finish and put supplies away. Ask whether people want another game or time to chat.
If you need to serve food while a round continues, hand the rules to a willing adult first. Games where the host can step away explains how to demonstrate turns and endings before handing over.
Get the games ready
- Pick two seated games and one optional movement game, or three seated games if those suit the group.
- Ask guests which roles they would enjoy and what help they want with reading, seeing pictures or taking turns.
- Collect photos from willing relatives and confirm the names. Check family trivia answers before writing the answer key.
- Prepare paper, pencils, questions and any game pieces. Keep the answers with the reader.
- Arrange pairs or small teams, including a plan for an odd number of players.
- Explain points, ties, passing and the ending before each game. Give a practice turn where it helps.
- Agree who will read questions and who will take over while you serve food.
- Count any promised prizes and keep the next game’s supplies together.
Your checkmarks won’t be saved when you leave this page.
Questions About Family Party Games
What games can grandparents and grandchildren play together?
Try guessing family photos, family trivia, This or That or a board game played in pairs. Read questions aloud, share the turns and let players answer without writing if they prefer. Choose the game around what your guests enjoy and can take part in.
What are good games for a family reunion?
Family photo guessing and trivia can bring different relatives into the same round. Include recent family events as well as older memories, and give newcomers clues or multiple-choice answers. A voluntary story round can follow without points.
What party games work for all ages?
There is no game that suits every guest. Seated choices, picture guessing and team games are starting options because you can change how players respond. Demonstrate a turn, offer reading help and let anyone pass or join the next round.
How do you include older adults at a family party?
Ask what they would like to play and what seating or help would make it easier. Offer the same guessing and decision-making turns as other guests. Reading questions, judging answers or keeping time can be optional roles for anyone who wants them.
More games and party preparation
Browse party games if you want alternatives to questions and photos. For an outdoor reunion, summer party games and food covers activity options and changing your plans with the conditions. If gifts are part of the occasion, decide where to put gifts so they do not take over the game table.