Dinner table games can mean the difference between a pleasant meal with kids or a chaotic one, especially if you're aiming for a screen-free dinner. These 25 dinner table games for kids and families will help keep the peace (and your sanity), jump-start conversations and family bonding, and make dinner time fun again. They are perfect to slip into a restaurant or play at home.
If you want to continue the fun after dinner, here's a list of the 100 best board games for kids and family game night. You can find it—plus lists of more fun games, toys, crafts, and more—in our Boredom Busters for Kids Guide.
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Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is one of those dinner table games that will bring the energy to your next family dinner. Photo courtesy of the Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza brand on Amazon
Dinner Table Games You Can Bring Along
1. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Ages 7+; 2-8 players
In this fun card game, players take turns flipping over a card while saying either taco, cat, goat, cheese, or pizza. If you flip a card that matches what you say, everyone has to put their hand on the pile. The last person to tap the deck takes all the cards, which is exactly what you don't want because the player to lose all their cards first wins. (Tip: To avoid spills, move cups out of the way first, or try a different signal like putting a finger on your chin.)
2. Spot It
Ages 6+, 2-8 players
Pop a tin of Spot It cards in your bag and you're bound to have a table of happy kids. These cards are crowded with colorful icons. Be the first to find the target image to score points.
3. Mastermind
Ages 8+; 2 players
If your child is old enough for strategy games, try this classic code-breaker game where you have 10 tries to guess the pattern.
RELATED: 25 Fun Riddles for Kids and Families
Riddle Me This brainteasers will keep the whole family engaged at the dinner table. Photo courtesy of the Chronicle Books Store on Amazon
4. Riddle Me This
Ages 6+; any number of players
Brainteasers make great dinner table games! These riddle cards are perfect for groups to work through together.
5. Guess in 10: Animal Planet
Ages 6+; 2-6 players
The point of Guess in 10 is simple: Ask yes-or-no questions to try and figure out what animal is on your opponent's card. Got older kids? Choose other varieties of the game like Guess the State, Legendary Landmarks, or US History.
6. Heads Up!
All ages; any number of players
This app is a lifesaver whenever you have a long wait ahead. Pop the phone on your head, wait for the app to load with a word, and the table will feed you clues about the word. Try to guess it before the time runs out.
7. Highlights Hidden Pictures
All ages; any number of players
Grab a book of hidden pictures and rip out enough puzzles for everyone to get one. Set a timer and see who can find the most hidden objects in five minutes.
RELATED: 30 Easy Paper Crafts for Kids
Older kids can attempt various origami challenges while waiting for their meals. Photo courtesy of the Foldology Store on Amazon
8. Foldology
Ages 10+; any number of players
This pad includes 100 challenging origami puzzles to try. Fold your paper just right to create a beautiful picture. Games get progressively harder, so the puzzles toward the end would be challenging for teens and adults.
9. Uno
Ages 7+; 2-10 players
Get rid of your cards by matching colors, numbers, or playing special-move cards. Be the first to discharge all your cards and you'll be the winner.
10. Can You Name 5?
All ages; any number of players
Do your best to name five things in various categories before the time runs out. If you want to avoid carrying the box into a restaurant, take a picture of a few cards and do an informal game quiz with the family.
11. Pass the Pigs
Age 7+; any number of players
Just roll the pig-shaped dice and earn points depending on how they land.
12. Guess Who? (Card Game)
Ages 5+; 2 players
This twist on the classic game has players guessing each other's mystery card by asking yes-or-no questions.
RELATED: 25 Card Games Every Kid Should Know
Farkle is a fun dice game for kids and adults to play together. Photo courtesy of the PlayMonster Store on Amazon
13. Farkle
Ages 8+; 2 or more players
Roll the dice, risk a second roll, and strategize your turns to earn points. Little ones can roll for adults if they don't understand the strategy part of the game.
RELATED: Printable Word Puzzles for Kids: Great Sites for Word Searches, Crosswords, and Word Scrambles
Word games like Boggle challenge the whole family. Photo courtesy of the Hasbro Gaming Store on Amazon
Dinner Table Games: Word Games
14. Boggle
Ages 8+; 1+ player
If your child enjoys word games, they will love this one. Shake the grid of letters and once they settle into place, find as many words as you can in 90 seconds.
15. Printable Word Puzzles
Our list of printable word games for kids includes links to free printable crosswords, word searches, homonym worksheets, and more that will entertain wordsmiths for hours.
16. Mad Libs
Mad Libs are one of those classic word games for kids that will have the whole family in giggles. Just fill in the blanks with nouns, verbs, adjectives, and other words of players' choosing, then read the resulting wacky story aloud. These days, you can buy a themed Mad Libs to suit any interest, from Taylor Swift to Pokémon.
17. Hangman
All this game requires is a pencil and a piece of paper, a napkin, or the back of a paper kids' menu. One person thinks of a word or phrase and writes the necessary number of blanks. The other player (or players) take turns calling out letters. If the letter is in the word or phrase, the person writes it in the appropriate blanks. If not, they draw one part of a stick figure (the hangman) and write that letter underneath. The goal is to guess the word or phrase before the entire hangman is drawn.
18. Ghost
In this spelling strategy game, players take turns adding a letter to a chain of letters. The person who adds a letter that completes a word loses (such as adding E if T-H were played). You can also challenge someone who plays a letter that can't spell a word (such as adding Z to T-H).
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Some dinner table games really get the conversation flowing.
Best Dinner Table Games to Make Conversation
19. Don't Copy Me
The caller says a category like "a color" or "a breed of dog" and then counts 3-2-1. Everyone says a color, and if you repeat the caller, the caller gets a point. If you say something different, then you get a point. The first person to 10 points wins and gets to be the caller next.
20. Alphabet Challenge
This one works great with everyone from little kids to adults. Think of a category like colors, animals, or video game characters. The first person thinks of something in that category that starts with "A". Go round robin until the group reaches "Z". If someone gets stumped, they sit out the rest of the game.
21. 20 Questions
To play this classic game, the caller chooses a person, place, or thing, and everyone else gets to ask 20 total yes-or-no questions to figure out what it is.
22. Two Truths and a Lie
How well do the kids know the adults at the table, and vice versa? Each person takes turns saying two true statements about themselves and one false statement. The others try to guess which one is the lie.
23. Who Am I?
Pick a category (like Disney villains or Harry Potter characters) and have everyone write down the name of one character on a small piece of paper. Fold the paper in half and pass it to the person on your right. Then everyone asks yes-or-no questions about who "they" are. The last person to guess correctly loses.
24. I'm Going on Vacation...
The first player starts by saying, "I'm going on vacation and I'm bringing ______." The person fills in the blank with an object of their choice. The next person starts the same way, says Player 1's object, and then adds their own. The game continues with everyone taking turns saying the laundry list in the correct order. If you forget an object or the correct order, you're out!
25. Lyrics Quiz
Speak a few words from a song and see if the others can guess the song.
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