Vacation Rental Game Night: Board Games and Activities for Every Age

Not every vacation evening needs to be an adventure. Some of the best vacation memories are made right in the living room of your vacation rental, gathered around a table of board games with the whole family laughing, competing, and connecting in ways that daily life rarely allows.

Classic Games for All Ages

Bring a few family favorites that bridge generational gaps. Uno is endlessly replayable and works for ages five to 95. Apples to Apples (or Cards Against Humanity for the adults-only round after bedtime) generates constant laughter. Yahtzee requires nothing more than dice and scorecards, and the excitement of rolling for a Yahtzee transcends age. Clue lets everyone play detective, and kids love the mystery element.

Modern Family Games Worth Packing

Ticket to Ride teaches geography while being intensely fun and strategic. Codenames divides into teams for a clever word association game that rewards communication. Telestrations (basically a combination of Pictionary and telephone) produces hilarious results every single round. Sushi Go is a quick, adorable card drafting game that kids pick up instantly. These modern games are lightweight and packable, perfect for vacation travel.

No-Equipment-Needed Games

When you forget to pack games or want variety, plenty of great games require nothing but people. Charades and Pictionary can be played with paper and pens. Twenty Questions is a car ride classic that works just as well poolside. Two Truths and a Lie helps family members learn surprising things about each other. The storytelling game where each person adds one sentence to an evolving tale creates hilarious and creative narratives.

Creating a Tournament

For multi-night stays, create a vacation game tournament. Each evening features a different game, and points accumulate toward a grand champion crowned on the final night. Keep a leaderboard posted on the refrigerator at your LoveYourVacationRental.com property. Award a silly trophy or prize to the winner — bragging rights alone will fuel competitive spirits throughout the vacation.

The game rooms and spacious living areas in our vacation homes are designed for exactly these kinds of evenings. Gather the family, shuffle the deck, and let the games begin.