Fun Foods For Family Game Night

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, it seems more board games and card games are played than any other time of year. People are in the holiday spirit of family togetherness, and one thing we can all agree on is that games are fun. My closest friends and I, together with our significant others, love to get together at this time of year and play a few rounds of our old favorite games along with trying out some new ones that were brought by Santa. On those jolly game nights we enjoy an assortment of delicious party and snack foods such as homemade Chex Mix, cheese and crackers, chips and dips, and more than a few remaining holiday cookies.

You can keep the fun of the holiday season going with a family game night once a week or month. Turn off all of your electronic devices and just enjoy some fun time spent as a family, playing your favorite board games and enjoying some fun foods. My older son is just getting to the age where he is getting into games so we are entering a new stage of parenthood. While there may be a bit more helping and “making it work” than actual playing by the rules and competition, this year we’d like to start a game night tradition with kid-friendly card games like crazy 8’s, old maid and go fish, and all the classic boards games. Plus, we have to have lots of fun foods to go along with it, right?

Maybe my association of good eats and games came early on because of my parent’s love of a good game of cards. My mother belonged to a weekly bridge club that she would host once a month. The card game seemed to be almost secondary to the party foods and girl talk in these get-togethers. And while we were not allowed to cross over the threshold into the living room once the bridge game began, we did get to help prepare the spread my mom would lay out for her friends.

As a woman of half Italian heritage, my mother does not take hostess duties lightly. You can be guaranteed anytime you are invited to her home there will be an abundance of good food. I remember on bridge night decadent peach melba pie, fancy butterfly crackers and port wine cheese spread. We kids would try our best to stay up so we could polish off the leftovers.

For game night you want food that can be eaten one-handed so the other hand can easily attend to rolling dice or holding cards; munchies like finger sandwiches, sliders, pretzels, popcorn, snack mixes and pigs in a blanket all fit the bill. On your family game night, why not try your hand at cut out sandwiches in the shapes of playing card suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. It can be any sandwich filling of your choosing (might I suggest club sandwiches?). Alternate white and whole wheat or pumpernickel bread for visual interest. So easy to make and you can find the cookie cutters online or carefully cut the shapes yourself with a paring knife. Then add in some snacks like the Chex Mix below. You can customize it however you like it, adding different ingredients such as dried fruit, spices, or whatever you like. Complete your party with brownies for a perfectly fun evening.

So whether there is little competition or it’s a heated match up, make an event out of it with some delicious and kid friendly finger foods!

Serves/Makes: 8 cups

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 8 cups Chex cereal (mix of corn, rice, and/or wheat)
• 1 cup mixed nuts
• 1 cup pretzel sticks
• 1 cup bagel chips