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Our favorite part of the holiday is after the meal, when everyone is still around the table and the games come out. No screens, no rushing, just people. We play games all year, but around the holidays we love to fill the table and stay a while.

These are the games we actually play at our house, with seven kids ranging from adults to a toddler. Every one of them is also well reviewed by other families, and we noted the player counts and ages the Amazon listings state. We left off a few popular games that never stuck with us, because a list is only worth sharing if we would hand it to a friend.

Our Sunday and holiday table favorites

• CATAN (Amazon #ad): we play this every Sunday, and it is still the game we are most excited to pull out. We also own an expansion, which keeps it fresh once everyone knows the base game. Trade-off: it has the steepest learning curve on this list, so it is better for older kids and adults. Plan on teaching the first game.
• Sequence (classic Sequence #ad): we play this a lot, and we own three versions. The classic is listed for 2 to 12 players and works for a big group on teams. Sequence for Kids (Amazon #ad) uses pictures, so no reading is required, and the listing says the first to get four in a row wins. Sequence States and Capitals (Amazon #ad) is our favorite twist, because the kids learn their states and capitals without realizing they are doing school. Trade-off: the kids version is for smaller groups, so it will not seat the whole family at once.
• Qwirkle (Qwirkle tiles #ad): a matching game with colors and shapes that kids pick up quickly and adults still find challenging. We have two versions. Qwirkle Cubes (Amazon #ad) is a dice-style take that the listing says is playable from early ages up, for 2 to 4 players. Trade-off: both are best with a small group, so a big family may want a few copies or take turns.

Card games everyone already knows

• UNO (Amazon #ad): listed for ages 7+, 2 to 10 players. It is also a great way to teach young kids their colors, patterns and numbers. Trade-off: rounds can run long with a lot of players.
• Phase 10 (Amazon #ad): listed for ages 7+. A step up from UNO with more strategy. Trade-off: a full game takes a while, so plan for a long afternoon or play a few phases.
• Skip-Bo (Amazon #ad): the card version in a storage tin, listed for 2 to 6 players. You race to empty your stockpile by playing cards in order, and the wild cards add a little strategy. Trade-off: it takes a game or two to learn when to hold your cards and when to block, so the first round can feel slow.

Dice games for a loud, fun table

• Farkle (Amazon #ad): a classic push-your-luck dice game for 2 or more players. You roll, set aside scoring dice, and decide whether to risk another roll. We really like it, and it is easy to teach in a minute. Trade-off: luck plays a big part, so it rewards nerve more than skill.
• TENZI (Party Pack #ad): a fast dice-rolling race that the listing says is for ages 7 to 97. The Party Pack has 6 sets of 10 dice, which works well for a big family. Trade-off: it gets loud and competitive, which is part of the fun.

A note on storage

We play these games a lot, so how they are stored matters more than we expected. We like games that come in a good tin or box, because the cards stay together and the whole thing goes back on the shelf in one piece. The Skip-Bo above is the tin version for that reason, and we like UNO and a few others that come in tins too. If you want that for UNO, there is a tin version (Amazon #ad), which the listing describes as the UNO card game with two add-on packs and a storage tin.

For games that do not come with good storage, we have found some game storage envelopes that work well for keeping the cards and pieces together.

How to choose: have a lot of little ones? Start with UNO, Sequence for Kids and Qwirkle Cubes. Mostly teens and adults? CATAN. Need something to pull out between pie and cleanup? Farkle or TENZI take about a minute to explain and can be played in short rounds.

Alternatives: a deck of regular cards opens up dozens of games for almost nothing, a handful of regular dice is enough for Farkle, and a family game of charades needs only a bowl of folded papers.

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