Game Night

Game nights are great events because pretty much anything goes. There are very few rules, if any, and the night can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be. You can gather a few friends around your kitchen table to play a simple card or board game, munch on nachos, and laugh until your sides hurt. It can be a cut-throat Bingo night at the local VFW hall with ladies who have been playing the game for years, each one displaying their good luck charms around their spaces, using their favorite blotters, and laying out twelve game boards in front of them. A group of friends can organize a complicated character game that spans an entire weekend, it could be a trivia night with teams and prizes, or be part of a fundraiser for a good cause.

I’ve even been part of an electronic game night. While sitting comfortably in the living room of a friend’s house, munching on popcorn, and catching up on life, we downloaded an app that corresponded with a program on their TV. We entered a game code, picked aliases, and voila! We were off and running. From our phones we drew pictures with our fingers on its screen, answered trivia questions, came up with plausible definitions for outlandish words, and so much more which then displayed on the TV.

Game nights are a fun, low-pressure way to gather people together to hang out and get to know one another. Often, based on how someone answers a question, you can learn a tidbit or two about them that you didn’t know before. You can quickly spot who the competitive ones are and who likes to sit back and observe the actions of others. People’s personalities start to emerge and you can often gauge their communication styles if you watch long enough. It’s a fun way to build relationships across teams, neighbors, community groups, and friends.

These events are not just beneficial for relationship-building. Laughter has been shown to improve your health! The Mayo Clinic states that short-term benefits of laughter include releasing more endorphins in your brain which cause you to feel more relaxed and less stressed. Longer-term benefits of laughter can include an improved immune system, better pain relief, an increased sense of personal satisfaction, and an overall improved mood.¹

As a planner, adding some food, music, lighting, and prizes are simple additions you can make which give the game night a little something extra and show off your hospitality skills. Charcuterie boards, cheese plates, fresh cut veggies and dip, fruit, pizza bites, water with lemon, or a bowl of punch with a floating ring of sherbet all make for fun, easy-to-grab snacks and shouldn’t be too expensive. Silly prizes or awards and $5 gift cards to coffee shops or fast-food restaurants are also inexpensive and fun prizes should you choose to offer some.

And, don’t forget to take pictures! I try so hard to be intentional about taking pictures. We are quick to take selfies and snap pictures of our babies, pets, and sunsets, but grown-ups having a good, old-fashioned game night…not so much. These are moments that warm our hearts and remind us that life can be fun between workdays.

So, the next time you have a free Friday night and need a good laugh, invite some of your coworkers, friends, family members, or neighbors over for a game night and see if you don’t end up with a spontaneous fun evening that you all end up talking about for weeks.

What types of games have you played at a game night? Share them here or send me an email. I’d love to hear what you found to be fun and successful!

Like this blog and share it with those friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors!

1.Mayo Clinic. Healthy Lifestyle: Stress Management. Stress Relief From Laughter? It’s No Joke. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456