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The Best Family Board Games to Play During Half Term

The Best Family Board Games to Play During Half Term

Half term, that long and glorious week of freedom we all crave, is arriving next week! You know what that means? Those of us with children are FREAKING OUT.

How do we keep them entertained for a whole 7 days? There's no way we can put them through the pain and suffering of daytime TV, and there are only so many ice creams we can digest at the park!

Don't panic, parents.

Board games - your trusty reliable friends - are here to save the day. A session playing family board games can last hours! More importantly, they're so much more fun than 3 hours spent watching Jeremy Kyle. In terms of things to do during half term, playing board games is definitely our number 1!

We're listing some of our newest and most popular board games for families and kids, so you can play the cream of the crop and fill your half term with lovely, lovely games.

 

Family board games

Games for the whole family

If you've got a few kids, a partner, a Grandma, and a spare Auntie to keep happy, never fear - these fresh new games for all the family are designed to entertain everyone from 6 to 96!

Dalek Dice, a great game for kids

Dalek Dice £12

2-99 players | 5+ minutes | Age 6+ 

When it comes to cheap games for kids, Dalek Dice exterminates the competition. Players race to 'exterminate' more humans than anyone other Daleks in the game - but keep an eye out for the pesky Doctor, as he's always trying to foil your plans of world domination! Bonus: a portable game you can take to a picnic!

This is a great game for: kids and families who love Doctor Who, and those who already enjoy games like Martian Dice

 

Happy Salmon, the fast card game for kids

Happy Salmon £13

3-6 players | 2 minutes | Age 6+

A family card game as silly as silly can possibly be, Happy Salmon sees players shout out the 'actions' on their cards. Once 2 or more players have a match, they have to perform the action, like 'High 5', 'Switcheroo', or the crazy 'Happy Salmon' itself! The first player to get the most matches and discard their cards wins!

This is a great game for: families who love card games like 'Snap' but want to add more high stakes!

 

Kodama The Tree Spirits, a family board game

Kodama: The Tree Spirits £18

2-5 players | 30 minutes | Age 13+

If you're a 'think green' type of nature-lovin' family, you'll love the family board game Kodama: The Tree Spirits! You are caretakers for tree spirits (the Kodama) and must cultivate trees with the right mix of flowers, insects, and branch arrangements - whoever cares for their Kodama the best wins! 

This is a great game for: green-fingered families for when it's too hot outside to do any real gardening...

 

Storylines: Fairy Tales game for kids

Storyline: Fairy Tales £17

3-8 players | 15-30 minutes | Age 6+

Collaborative board games for creative kids are few and far between, so Storyline: Fairy Tales is a real gem! Players craft a fairytale story together using object or location cards to win points. This game encourages creative thinking and improves your storytelling skills!

This is a great game for: families who love creative kids games like Once Upon A Time

 

Games for little kids

Games for little ones

If your sprogs are a little bit smaller, there are so many new board games for young kids! Whether your children are 5, 6, 7 or older, these family games will keep them out of trouble!

 

Gobbit card game for kids

Gobbit £14

3-8 players | 15 minutes | Age 5+

Gobbit is a fast-playing reaction game in which the last player to have cards in front of them wins. The cards depict four animals that eat one another based on their colour and a precise food chain - you need to eat the most, the fastest! 

This is a great game for: kids who LOVE Dobble (and who doesn't?) and want to try something new

 

Dragonwood board game for kids and families

Dragonwood £14

2-4 players | 20 minutes | Age 8+

In Dragonwood, you collect sets of adventurer cards to earn dice, which you then use to roll against your foes. Stomp on some fire ants, scream at a grumpy troll, or strike the menacing orange dragon with a magical silver sword. Only the bravest will overcome the odds to emerge victorious!

This is a great game for: kids and families who love fantasy board games, dragons, and epic battles!

 

The Fairy Game kids board game

The Fairy Game £15 

2-4 players | 30 minutes | Age 5+

In The Fairy Game, Mr. Winter is trying to freeze over the fairies’ treasured flowers! In this cooperative game for kids, players must work together to fill the fairies’ magic wand and banish Mr. Winter from the garden!

This is a great game for: teaching children how to play together in cooperative but mystical situations

 

Cauldron Quest, a cooperative kids game

Cauldron Quest £17

2-4 players | 20 minutes | Age 6+

In this board game for little kids, everyone plays together as a team against the evil wizard trying to destroy the kingdom - he's definitely no Dumbledore! The goal of Cauldron Quest is to get the 3 correct ingredients into the cauldron before all 6 of your paths are blocked by the wizard.

This is a great game for: those who want cooperative family board games to build their skills as a wizard-beating team!

 

Classic family board games 

Classic family board games

We never tire of recommending these ol' faithful family games, as they'll never go out of style! Give your kids a half term to remember with these unique board games for the family.

 

Cube Quest, the family board game

Cube Quest £25

2 players | 15 minutes | Age 8+

Get ready to dodge dice! Cube Quest is a 2 player family board game that sees players flick their character dice to knock over their opponent's King cube! But careful - the other cubes have special powers too, and you'll need to flick past them to get closer to the King!

This is a great game for: kids to play against each other, before Mam and Dad start their own cube battle, of course...

 

Loony Quest, the family board game for kids

Loony Quest £20

2-5 players | 20 minutes | Age 8+

In Loony Quest, the family favourite that's hugely popular with kids, players study challenging level cards, then try to draw & replicate the routes to meet targets and avoid obstacles on their tracing sheets. This board game is heavily inspired by video games, with big bosses, bonuses, 3D levels and more.

This is a great game for: kids who love video games - this is the board game for them!

 

Survive Escape from Atlantis board game for kids and family

Survive! Escape From Atlantis £30

2-4 players | 45-60 minutes | Age 8+

In Survive! Escape From Atlantis, you are all stuck on a sinking island and you are trying to escape to safety. Problem is, between you and safety there is an ocean full of sharks, sea monsters and whales ready to destroy your boats and your meeples!

This is a great game for: kids who use board games to pick on Dad...

 

Forbidden Island family board game

Forbidden Island £17

2-4 players | 30 minutes | Age 10+

Dare to discover danger in Forbidden Island! In this cooperative family game, you work with the other players to try and collect treasures before the island goes underwater. Teamwork ensures you survive and the beauty of the board makes you want to play again (but maybe with a lifejacket). 

This is a great game for: team-building exercises. Also, kids who aren't scared of the sea!

 

Half term might seem like a never-ending stretch of sunny days and Loose Women re-runs, but with our top family board game picks, you've got your whole week sorted! Just, er, don't forget the wine. You'll definitely want some wine.


For half term activities for kids in Wales (and further afield!), playing family board games is definitely our recommendation - need some further help picking games? Drop us an email or pop into our shop at 29 Castle Arcade.

Fancy a night off from the kids? Shh, we won't tell! Join us Mondays for our weekly Board Game Bar at Urban Tap House, between 5-10pm for only £3 entry.

Planning to play lots of board games with the family this half term? Tell us which ones in the comments below! 

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