This week I introduced my kids to Cluedo (or “Clue” if you’re American).

We played with the original game that I’d had when I was a child.

Yes, my parents kept a lot of our childhood stuff. My eldest child’s bed currently has my 1980s duvet cover on it, but that’s another blog post for another day.

My kids enjoyed it (they’re 9 and 7) and were keen to play it again the next day.

I was impressed at how quickly they got the hang of the game and were able to make deductions.

In case you’re wondering, it was Mrs White in the hall with the lead piping. It’s nearly always Mrs White, isn’t it?

Here are some other games we’ve been enjoying lately.

Maki Staki

I’m sure you have never heard of Maki Staki. It’s a sushi card game, in a similar vein to Uno. It’s much more fun than it sounds!

Game of Life (or “Life” if you’re American*)

*I keep saying “if you’re American” because my wife is American and our kids have dual nationality, so we are always using American and British English interchangeably. Yes, even for the names of games.

Like Cluedo this is the same original game that I played with as a kid. This means bits of the board are tatty and falling apart and some of the money is very worn. However, my kids still love it, even though they don’t understand the concept of retirement or what insurance is for.

The game is a bit dated because it forces you to get married and have children. I wonder if newer versions of the game have changed to reflect our modern values?

Doctor Who DVD Board Game

We’re a household of Doctor Who fans and my kids love this game, which we picked up from a charity shop a few years ago. The questions are sorted into different levels of difficulty so we can all play this game without it being too hard or too easy.

 

A big part of the appeal is the interactive DVD, which features video clips that questions are based around. What could be more exciting than racing through space and time in the TARDIS?

What board games does your family enjoy playing?