Family dinner games build fun memories! This huge list of activities is perfect for multiple ages to play together at home or in restaurants!
For many years I felt like dinner time was nothing but chaos. A bunch of little people crying, spilling things, and talking nonstop about their latest Lego creations.
I had this dream of all of us sitting around the dinner table, talking over deep things and deepening our relationships in the process. But, I had no idea where to start to make this dream happen – especially when my children were small.
One day, I had the brilliant idea to try playing a game as we ate. Turns out dinner games are the perfect way to start directing conversations with and building relationships!
Because I am so passionate about encouraging mothers to enjoy the families God has given us, I wanted to share some of my favorite family dinner time games, along with full instructions on how to play these simple, multiple-age-friendly games!
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33 Family Dinner Games!
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Games to Play During Dinner
Below are 33 family dinner games that work well for multiple ages. Most do not require any preparation and all are guaranteed to create fun family memories!
1. Story Starters
Story Starters – Tell a story by having one family member start and then proceed around the table adding to it. Each family member gives a sentence to create a full story that could be real or silly.
Example: Mommy starts with the sentence, “Once upon a time, Cooper the Cat climbed a tree to see what was on the other side of the fence.” The next person at the table adds to it with something like, “When he got to the top of the tree, he saw a giraffe standing on a spaceship.” You can choose to limit the story to one time around the table or just keep going!
2. 10 Questions
10 Questions – One person is “it” and everyone else asks them questions to get to know them better. Once you reach 21 questions, it is someone else’s turn to be “it”.
Example: What is your favorite color? What is your favorite school subject? What country would you most like to visit?
3. Word Association
Word Association – The first person starts by simply saying any word that comes to mind. The next person at the table says whatever word that word makes them think of, and the game goes on.
Example: Daddy says the word “blue” and the next person at the table says “water” and the next person says “swimming pool” and the next person says, “summer” and on and on.
4. ABC Game
ABC Game – Go around the table working through the alphabet with a word that starts with each letter.
Example: Mommy starts with Apple, next person says Bug, next person says Cat and so on. Try going fast. You can also change it up by trying to come up with words that END with each letter.
5. My Father Sells
My Father Sells – This is a game of memory using the alphabet to create what Father Sells. The first person starts with, “My Father Owns a Store and He Sells (something starting with an A). The next person has to say what the first person said and then add a B word. The game keeps going with each person saying what everyone before them has said and adding the next letter in the alphabet.
6. Guess the Ingredients
Guess the Ingredients – Whoever has cooked the meal is in charge of this game. Everyone must taste the food on their plate and guess what is in it all the way from the main ingredients to the herbs and spices used in each dish.
7. Chair Questionnaire
Chair Questionnaire – This game takes a little forethought. One family member writes questions down on a piece of paper and tapes them to the bottom of the chairs. Each person takes turns reaching down and finding their question and answering it. On this night, it would be fun to have everyone sit in different chairs. It would also be fun on special occasions to have a small prize taped to the bottom of the chair.
8. Guess What Animal I Am
Guess What Animal I Am – Everyone at the table chooses an animal to be. Everyone takes a turn eating like that animal while the other family members guess what kind of animal they are.
9. Sync
Sync – Everyone tries to eat, drink, and move at the same time.
10. Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader – Choose a “leader” and everyone has to follow their lead as they eat their meal. This game is like Sync, except that you are syncing with the leader.
Get a printer-friendly pdf version of these
33 Family Dinner Games!
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11. Eat with the Opposite Hand
Eat with the Opposite Hand– Everyone tries to eat with their non-dominant hand.
12. Progressive Dinner
Progressive Dinner – This can be played two ways:
A. Your family can eat each part of the meal one dish at a time. Bring out a salad, then a dinner roll, then your meat, and then your vegetables, and then your dessert.
B. Your family can eat each part of the meal in a different room, moving from room to room as each dish is served.
13. Eat Blindfolded
Eat Blindfolded – This is most fun if each person takes a turn eating blindfolded so the others can enjoy watching them try!
14. Merry-Go-Round Eating
Merry-Go-Round Eating – Choose a family member to call out “Merry-Go-Round” throughout the meal. When they call out Merry-Go-Round, everyone must pick up their plates and move over one place.
15. Sing for Your Supper
Sing For Your Supper – This is exactly what it sounds like! Choose a song to sing for your family. No song, no supper!
16. Skip Count Around the Table
Skip Count Around the Table – How about a little math at the dinner table? Each person takes a turn adding the next number in a skip counting sequence.
17. First Letter, Last Letter
First Letter, Last Letter– This game is similar to the ABC game except that each member builds off the last letter of the word before.
Example: The first person says APPLE, the second person says EGG, the next person says GOAT, etc.
18. Clothespin Manners
Clothespin Manners – Decide which manners you will be working on during the meal. Every family member begins the meal with a clothespin. If anyone catches another family member NOT using their manners, they get to take away their clothespin.
19. “Don’t Say It!”
“Don’t Say It!” – Choose a common dinner time word and make that word “off limits” for the entire meal. You can use the Clothespin Manners idea here and take a clothespin away if caught saying the word, or simply have fun trying not to say the word.
20. The Big Word Game
The Big Word Game – Build your family’s vocabulary by requiring everyone to use the biggest words they can think of to convey what they are trying to say at the dinner table. Have a dictionary or thesaurus handy!
Get a printer-friendly pdf version of these
33 Family Dinner Games!
>> DOWNLOAD HERE <<
21. Family Stories
Family Stories – Dinner time is a wonderful time to tell family stories from the past. Tell your children stories about their grandparents. Tell them stories from your childhood. Tell them their birth stories or adoption stories or stories about them when they were little. Be prepared to be at the dinner table a LONG time! Children love this!
22. Fill in the Blank Silly Story
Fill in the Blank Silly Story – This is story-telling Mad Libs style! There are a lot of places you can find Mad Libs to print off and work through at the dinner table. Have each person at the table contribute a word and then tell the story!
23. Name That Quote
Name That Quote – Print off a list of quotes and have one person read the quote while everyone else tries to figure out who said it.
24. Food Critic
Food Critic – Everyone pretends they are food critics as they analyze the meal, coming up with descriptive ways to describe what they are eating and what they like and don’t like about it.
25. No Silverware
No Silverware – Dinner is served without silverware! Everyone has to use their hands to eat whatever is on their plates. Sure to get plenty of laughs – and messes!
26. The Color of Food
The Color Of Food – Everyone must describe the color of their food without using traditional color words.
Example: “The broccoli is the color of turtles in the sunshine.”
27. Bento/Muffin Tin Meals
Bento/Muffin Tin Meals – Make a meal out of finger-foods separated into their own containers or muffin tins.
28. Theme Food
Theme Food– Create a meal based off of a common theme. It can be based on a favorite family movie, a certain color, a particular country, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Get my FREE Fall Movie Themed Parties Printable HERE
Get my FREE Christmas Movie Themed Parties Printable HERE
29. Eat By Numbers
Eat By Numbers – Each food on the plate is assigned a number. The numbers are put into a container and drawn out individually (and put back in). Everyone takes one bite of the corresponding food number drawn.
30. Freeze
Freeze – One person is assigned to call out “FREEZE!” throughout the meal. Everyone must stop moving no matter what they are doing at the time. They could be in the middle of chewing or cutting their meat or talking. Sure to produce lots of giggles!
31. Eat In Order
Eat In Order – Start at the head of the table. Each person takes a turn eating a bite in order. See how fast you can go!
32. I Spy
I Spy – Each person takes a turn “spying” something on or near the dinner table, while everyone else takes turn guessing what that something might be.
Example: “I spy something green.” Everyone looks for something green and calls out what they find until someone gets it right.
33. Switch
Switch – Put everyone’s names in a container and everyone pulls out a name. During the meal, they “switch” places with that person. They sit in their place and pretend to be them!
Get a printer-friendly pdf version of these
33 Family Dinner Games!
>> DOWNLOAD HERE <<
Try a new game every month, every week, or every night! And share these ideas with your friends! Everyone needs to know how to make family meals fun!
