Bubby and Bean ::: Living Creatively: 6 Ways to Make Family Game Night Extra Fun

This post is in partnership with YumEarth

If you ask my kids what they'd like to do on a weekend evening, you'll receive one of two responses: conflicting ideas that result in an argument with each other (this includes movie night, which we love but means having to agree on a movie), or family game night. Playing games together for a couple of hours is truly the one activity everyone enjoys, and usually even without a fight (!). And since my husband hasn't been on tour with the band for the past almost year now, we've really mastered the family game night, let me tell you. Today I thought I'd share some ideas for how we make them especially fun (with minimal arguments!), with some help from our favorite game night treat: YumEarth organic and allergy friendly candy! (BTW: YumEarth is hooking you up with an exclusive code to get 15% off on YumEarth.com. You can use SWEETS15 from now until 4/30/21, and they always offer free shipping on all orders over $40. Pretty sweet!)

1. Take turns.

Yes, take turns in each game, of course, but take turns in all other aspects too. Take turns with who chooses the game. Take turns with who goes first. Take turns with who cleans up each game. (We usually write game names on folded pieces of paper and pick them out of a bowl.) Doing this makes things fair, helps avoid arguments, and also teaches etiquette and important social skills.

2. Bend the rules.

If your kids are older, you can probably ignore this one. But if they're little (mine are 5 and 7), making up your own rules can open up a whole new world of games for you. For example, my 5 year old doesn't really get Monopoly yet, so we change the rules to make it easier for him to be included. Doing this also keeps old games new and fresh!

3. Have favorite snacks on hand.

We love a good bowl of game night popcorn, but our absolute favorite snack is (new!) Organic Chewys from YumEarth. Now, you guys already know how much we love all YumEarth organic candies. (Current other faves: YumEarth Organic Lollipops, YumEarth Organic Giggles, YumEarth Gummy Bears, and YumEarth Organic Chocolate Roll'n Stones.) But Chewys make for the absolute best game night treat. These delicious fruit chews come in orange, lemon (my favorite), strawberry (my kids favorite), and cherry, and are organic, non-gmo, gluten free, and vegan, which makes me feel good about giving them to my family. They also contain no high fructose corn syrup or artificial dyes and are allergy friendly (free from peanuts, gluten, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish and soy). Did I mention that they're individually wrapped, which makes them perfect to put in a bowl by the games so we can all enjoy?

4. Turn off electronics.

With the exception of music, we make sure everything but the lights are turned off for game night. There is no TV, no tablets, or phones. My husband and I keep our phones on silent because we're the worst offenders! It's nice to be present and focused on the game and each other.

5. Mix it up.

My kids got into the habit of wanting to play the same couple of games every game night for a while, and it started to get boring for all of us. We made a new "rule" that we can't play any of the same games two game nights in a row. Much more fun!

6. Cozy up!

In the winter especially, we love doing game night on blankets by the fire. It's more comfortable than sitting at a table, and it's the perfect excuse for snuggle time afterward. We love to end each game night with a cuddle session (we know those days are numbered as these babes get bigger) with a handful of our beloved YumEarth Chewys.

If you have other tips for a successful family movie night, I'd love to hear them! And if you want a fantastic movie night snack that you'll feel good about giving to your family, visit YumEarth's store locator to find out where you can pick up their new Chewys, or shop online and use code SWEETS15 for 15% off your order of treats. I know you'll love this unbelievably tasty organic allergy friendly candy as much as we do!