Dinner Games

Our dinner games are now available in two great styles. Choose from either the classic style or for our veteran players or families looking for a faster play, choose the new Gather 'Round Dinner Games.

Classic Dinner Games

How to Play What Makes Dinner Games So Great? Sample Games

Put fun back into family dinners with our quick and fun dinner games. Perfect for busy families on the go who still manage to find time for dinner. Available in two styles, each game set includes 51 dinner games that will add fun and lively conversation to your family dinners. The dinner game cards are laminated to protect them from spills and come in an attractive hinged top tin recipe style box with additional room for your personal family dinner recipes.

$15.95 - Item #FP100 - Dinner Games
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OR

Buy Both and Save 10% - $28.70 Item #FP102 - Combo Dinner Game Pack
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How to Play the Classic Style Dinner Games?

Our dinner games are quick, simple, and fun. Each dinner game takes just a few minutes to play and are enjoyable for kids and parents alike.

To play, families just sit down to their dinner, pick a card, and read it aloud to play. Kids love picking the cards, so give all of them a chance to choose.

While the dinner games have been designed for either ages 5 - 12 or ages 3 - 6 (depending on the style you choose), you may want to change some of the games slightly so they are either easier or more challenging. There are suggestions on each dinner game card to help parents with this.

The dinner games are stacked randomly. You can play them in order from 1 - 51, or you can simply pick out a card. Each dinner game card is color-coded for your reference.

For the Original Dinner Games (ages 5 - 12) the color codes are green for number & math games, pink for phonics and vocabulary games, blue for social skill games, purple for creative & critical thinking games, yellow for silly games, and maroon for memory games.

For the Beginner Dinner Games (ages 3 - 6) the color codes are green for the five senses, blue for social skills, pink for creative and critical thinking, purple for expressive language & listening, yellow for memory games, and orange for just for fun games.

What Makes these Dinner Games So Great?

Quick and Easy - Each dinner game is quick and easy, taking only one to three minutes to play

Appeals to a Variety of Ages - Dinner Games are available in two styles; The Original Family Dinner Games are designed for kids ages 5 - 12 and the Beginner Family Dinner Games are best for kids ages 3 - 6.

No Hassle - The dinner games are designed to be played at the dinner table while the family eats their meal. They require no advance preparation and most only require the use of supplies found on the dinner table.

Educational - The dinner games are designed to sharpen the family's critical thinking, social, math, memory and language skills all in a fun way.

Open up Conversation - Some of the dinner games use the family dinner to open up family conversation using thought provoking conversation starters.

Encourage Good Eating Habits - Many of the dinner games involve food and encourage the family to eat their vegetables and drink their milk.

Enhance Closeness - The games make the family laugh and encourage conversation both of which enhance a family's closeness.

Mess Free - All of the dinner games are laminated making spills easy to wipe off and clean.

Sample Dinner Games

Thumbs Up (Ages 3 - 6)

At the count of 3, everyone puts one fist out toward the center of the table with their thumb either up or down.

If everyone but one person has a thumb up (or down), that person must take a drink of his/her milk. (In other words, the odd person out, drinks milk.)

If everyone does the same thing with their thumb, or your family is split, count to 3 and try it again.

Alternative: Also play this by eating vegetables instead of drinking milk. Or the odd person out must hug the person to their left….

Rainbow Dinner (Ages 3 - 6)

Someone starts the game by saying a color. As a team, your family names all the food they can think of that are that color.

For example, red would be apple, radish, cherry, etc

Have a different person pick another color of the rainbow and play again

Family Favorites (Ages 3 - 6)

Get to know a little bit more about each other:

Each of the kids asks the adults 4 questions to see what they know about his/her favorite things.

For example:

What's my favorite animal?

What is my favorite color?

What is my favorite book?

What is my favorite song?

Each adult asks the kids 4 questions about his/her favorite things while growing up.

For example:

What was my favorite food?

What was my favorite TV show?

What was my favorite toy?

Who was my favorite friend?

Counting Moo (Ages 5 - 12)

Go around the table counting, starting with the number one. Whenever you get to an even number, say “Moo.”

For example, “one, moo, three, moo, five, moo…”

Anyone who misses a “Moo” or a correct number must take a sip of milk and start the game over.

Variation - Try this with odd numbers, prime numbers, or multiples of 3 depending on the ages of your children. You can find this fun game as well as many more in Family Time Fun’s Family Dinner Games and Activities.

Get To Know Ya Trivia(Ages 5 - 12)

Each of the kids test the adults with 4 questions. For example:

What do I usually play at recess?

Who are my two favorite school friends?

What is my favorite class?

What is my least favorite school meal?

Then, the adults test the kids with their own 4 questions. For example:

Where was I born?

Where did I go to Elementary school?

Where were my parents born?

What cities have I lived in?

Make up your own questions to continue to learn more about each other.

What’s in the Sock? (Ages 5 - 12)

One person begins by hiding a “secret” object in a clean sock. He or she passes the sock around the table and lets everyone feel the object. No peeking! Everyone guesses what’s in the sock, and whoever guesses correctly leads the next round. Alternative: Try using an oven mitt to make the game more challenging.

Gather Round Dinner Games

How to Play Gather Round Dinner Games Sample Gather Round Games

Sitting down and having a family meal is the best thing you can do for your kids - and a great way to bond as a family. With our Gather 'Round Dinner Game, you'll discover a whole new way to enjoy your family meal. These 132 dinnertime activities will add fun and lively conversation to your meals. You'll learn a little more about each other. Your kids will be more focused on the family meal and more willing to eat all their veggies and finish their milk. But, most of all, you will have fun bringing your family closer together. For kids ages 5+. Batteries included.

$24.95 - Item #FP189 - Gather 'Round Dinner Games
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How to Play the Gather 'Round Dinner Games?

It's easy! Just sit down to dinner with your family, press the button, and watch where the light stops - then play that game. Take turns pressing the button! These games are quick, so you can play as many as you like during the meal.

The 11 game cards are stacked randomly. You can play any card at any time. It's best to line up the arrow on the card with the arrow on the game unit.

While Gather 'Round is for families with kids 5 years and up, you may want to change some games slightly so that they are easier or more challenging depending on the ages of your children.

Sample Gather Round Dinner Games

Here is a sample of 12 of the 132 dinner game activities.

Everyone name as many red foods as possible

Pickup something and have everyone name a word that rhymes with it.

What's the funniest thing you saw this week?

Everyone sip their milk/drink

Give a thumbs up to whoever made tonight's dinner

Challenge someone to spell a word

Say 3 nice things about the person to your right

Name 3 super powers you'd like to have; let your family give you a superhero's name

Sing any song

Imitate a famous person or character for everyone to guess

Make up a story about a fish named Joe

Hum a tune for everyone to guess

The Importance of Family Dinners

In today's busy world, sometimes we lose sight of the family dinner. With work commitments, kids' school and extra-curricular activities, and the general craziness of life it is often difficult to sit down to a regular family dinner. But family dinners are important and even though families may not be able to have a regular non-rushed family dinner every night, it is important to try and fit in a few each week. Here are some reasons why family dinners are important:

Family dinners strengthen family unity, connections, and communication.

Family dinners help families stay healthy because most families who take the time to plan and have regular family dinners also tend to make healthier eating choices and tend to eat less fast food. Regular family dinners also lead to less snacking.

Family dinners provide kids with a predictable routine making them more secure and confident.

Parents who make time for regular family dinners are more likely to hear about kids' worries and problems.

Dinner Planning Tips

Even though family dinners are important, no one has a lot of time pulling them together. After a long day at work and school, families need to unwind not hyperventilate! Here are some dinner planning tips to help.

Use a monthly family meal planner to help you plan nutritious dinners.

Do as much dinner prep as possible on the weekends. Things like cutting vegetables, defrosting meats, mixing marinades can all be done ahead of time.

Let the kids help by setting the table, emptying the dishwasher, setting out the dinner games, pouring drinks, and rinsing and putting dishes in the dishwasher. Older kids may be able to make simple side dishes or mix a salad.

Set themes for each day of the week. For example, make Monday's chicken night, Tuesday's pasta night, Wednesdays crock pot night, etc.