Are you looking for a fun way to spend more quality time with your kiddos? This fun family game marathon just might be your answer.
Read on to learn how get your free Family Game Marathon packet and how to use it. The packet includes planning sheets, a scoresheet with preset points and without, and multiple invitation options.
My kids are always asking to play games so I thought this would be an extra special way to spend some time with them. The idea is to play ten different games and keep score based on how each person does in each game.
Choosing Games
When choosing your games, it can be really any type of game. Our family used mostly board games but I also needed some quicker games since two of my boys are too young to play and we would need to do our marathon during naptime. You could play more active games like basketball or good old fashioned tag. Pick whatever games your family enjoys playing.
You could have multiple marathons and pick different themes each time (board games, card games, sports, etc.)
In the Family Game Marathon packet that you can download at the end of this post, I included a sample of games that we played to give you an idea of how you could set up your marathon.
Timeframe
How long your marathon takes will really depend on the games you pick. We were limited to playing during naptimes so, we broke up our marathon into different days.
Pick games that are quicker if you have a limit to the time you have to play. Or if you have older kids, you could make a whole day out of it!
Snacks Make Everything More Fun
I thought it would be even more fun to include a small snack with each game. I tried to connect the snack to the game. For example, when we played Chutes and Ladders, we had licorice which was “ladders”. While playing Uno, we ate a mini M&M each time the color was changed (when the game got long, we cut off the M&Ms).
You could also only do snacks with every other game or select games.
In the packet, I have included a planning sheet with and without the snack option if you do not want to have snacks.
Invite the Family
I think that sometimes, half the fun of something is the anticipation. So, I created an invitation to give my boys to get them excited for our game time. It includes the date and time so you can give it hours, days, or maybe even a week in advance. You can pop it in an envelope and address it to your kids to make it even more fun!
Scoring Your Marathon
When you are ready to start playing, you will want to keep a running score. After each game, award points for the top four players. First place will earn 10 points, second place 7 points, third place 5 points, and fourth place 3 points. If you would like to assign your own point values to each place, use the sheet with blanks to write in your own values.
We only had four players so everyone earned points after each game. On the scoring sheet there is a section to write the name for each place and a section to keep a running total of each players scores.
Most Importantly: Have Fun
The goal of the Fun Family Game Marathon is to make memories and enjoy some family time. Hopefully you can use this idea and the packet to have some fun, quality time together. We had a great time with our family marathon. I hope you do too!
Get Your Packet!
Are you ready to have your own Family Game Marathon? If so click below to get your own copy of the Family Game Marathon Packet!