How 9 Families Are Keeping Game Night Alive
No matter your family traditions, it’s safe to say they’ve evolved throughout the years — including (but not limited to) the occasional game night. As a kid, perhaps you played raucous Friday night board games, but now, your game nights consist of Zoom-based charades. Or maybe, instead of decks of cards, you now play with VR headsets.
And while game night may look different now than it used to, the long-standing tradition of gathering together and playing continues to persist — we’re just updating our approach. So, with that said, what does game night even look like in 2021? Here’s how families across the country (and beyond) are still coming together for some good old/new-fashioned gaming.
“Our family gaming tradition involves pizza, pasta, and an old classic: charades. Since there are four members in our family, we always split into two teams composed of one adult and one kid. Then, to up the stakes, we pick a reward for the week’s winning team. Sometimes it’s monetary, sometimes it’s food-related, and sometimes it’s the option to delegate certain chores to the other team. And without fail, we always get pretty competitive.” — Scott H, California
“When I was a kid, gaming together was always something to look forward to — and now that I’m a father, it feels equally important. Growing up, I remember gathering around the coffee table to play board games with my brothers, sisters, and parents, and now, I get to do the same with my own little family. But games aren’t what they used to be — and my kids, who are growing up in the 21st century, are definitely not as excited about board games as I was. So instead of gathering and playing classic board games, we pick up controllers from Nintendo and play all kinds of games without having to set up a board.
“Since the whole point of game night is spending time together, we play games like Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain on our Nintendo Switch system, which is super interactive. Even my 6-year-old is so well-versed in technology that she can play, too, and watching her learn new things while we play is such a rewarding experience.” — Nick C, California
