Fridays always meant family movie night in our house until my kids insisted on watching Cars for the fourth week in a row. I mean, I love Lightning McQueen, but this mom needed to pump the brakes on watching that racecar figure out (again) what matters most in life. So, I kiboshed the “ka chow” and instead pulled out everyone’s favorite board games. (It’s not what we do, it’s who we do it with, right McQueen?)
Every mom knows about family movie night. It’s a classic for a reason. But sometimes, we need to take a detour from that familiar route. Steer your tribe away from movie night with these 6 family night ideas that’ll put you on the road to fun and games.
1. Baking Wars: Home Kitchen Edition
Turn your kitchen into a bakery battlefield. Family night ideas don’t get any sweeter than
this.
How it works: Choose a simple theme like “Cupcakes” or “Cookies” and set out basic ingredients such as boxed cupcake mix, frosting, sprinkles, and a few surprise items like gummy bears, pretzels, strawberries, candied eyeballs, marshmallows, chocolate chips, bacon, or, um, raisins. (Hey, you do you.)
Divide the family into teams—kids vs parents, boys vs girls, random draw—or let it be an individual competition. Then, set a timer and get baking! When the buzzer sounds, hold a blind taste test (yep, with blindfolds). Award fun prizes like “Best Presentation,” “Most Creative Flavor,” and “Crowd Favorite.” Or “Best Use of Random Ingredients” and the “Sugar Coma Award.”
2. Operation Scavenger Hunt
A family scavenger hunt is a surefire way to get everyone laughing and shouting, “Found
it!”
How it works: Write out a list of items to find around the house or your neighborhood—think a red sock, a stroller, a bird feeder, or a fork. Or, make it easier on yourself by using these popular iMOM printables: Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt, Selfie Scavenger Hunt, and Nature Scavenger Hunt.
Make it a timed race or split into teams to see who can find everything first. Hide a few surprises for bonus points. For example, pull out those Easter eggs and stash them around the house. Offer five extra points for each egg found… plus the candy inside! Before winning, you can also require one final challenge, like listing everyone’s birthday, singing the theme song to Paw Patrol, or naming five characters from Bluey.
3. A Glue and Glitter Extravaganza 
Some family night ideas are messier than others. This is one of those.
How it works: Set up a table with craft supplies like markers, crayons, glue sticks, glitter (or glitter glue for less mess!), stickers, construction paper, and recycled materials (cereal boxes, old magazines or catalogs, water bottles).
Choose a theme like “Build Your Dream House,” “Create a Family Crest,” or “Family Portraits.” Then, let everyone get to creating! Or turn this into a seasonal craft night and make decorations for an upcoming holiday. Pick a playlist to set the vibe! After everyone finishes their creations, let each family member present their masterpiece. Encourage storytelling—like what the family crest’s walrus symbolizes and where that slide hidden in your kid’s closet goes in her dream house.
4. Living Room Field Day
Bring the spirit of competition to your home with your family’s version of a school field day. Or do what one of our All Pro-Dad writers did and pull off a family Olympics game. His family went all out by designing country flags and picking a song to play during the medal ceremonies.
How it works: Set up simple challenges like tossing socks into a laundry basket, pillow sack races, or balloon tennis. Add team events like a “spoon relay,” where participants balance a small toy or ball on a spoon as they race, and a “paper plate discus,” where kids throw a paper plate as far as possible. Or select one family member to judge a gymnastics floor routine or a breakdance battle. Keep track of points or times to create a friendly competition, and end with a medal ceremony using homemade awards or small prizes. Some of the best family night ideas end with bragging rights.
5. Escape Room: The Den of Doom
Transform an ordinary room in your home into an escape room challenge by creating puzzles, riddles, and hidden clues that family members need to solve to break free. This DIY adventure provides an evening of entertainment and encourages teamwork and problem-solving skills.
How it works: Full disclosure: This is one of those family night ideas that take a bit more prep than the others. Start by setting the scene with a story. For example, your family is “trapped” in your den by a mischievous character called Captain Crinkle Fries. To escape, you must solve five challenges before time runs out. Hide clues and props around the room, using items you already have at home. Start by hiding jigsaw puzzle pieces for kids to find and assemble to reveal the first clue. Other challenges might include solving a riddle like one of these, completing simple physical tasks like jumping jacks, or cracking a code using a substitution cipher (e.g., A=1, B=2).
And, hey, Mom, if you’re short on time (or creativity), find printable escape rooms online and customize them to your family’s preferences.
6. Mad Scientist Lab
Experiment with science in your very own home lab. Transform your kitchen or garage into a Mad Scientist Lab with bubbling concoctions, glowing experiments, and mysterious “chemical” reactions.
How it works: Dress the part with lab coats (oversized white shirts work!) and goggles. Give everyone an official “scientist name” like Dr. Fizzy McFizzface, Madame Curiosité, or Professor Plasma. Set up two or three classic science experiments, like making slime, baking soda volcanoes, or invisible ink with lemon juice. Or add in technology, engineering, and math experiments for a STEM family fun night. Our kids loved making catapults and testing them to see which could fling things the farthest.
Choose experiments or activities that don’t require a lot of cleanup or prep, or go all in with the mayhem! Some science experiments are better done outside, so peek at your local weather beforehand.
What are your favorite family night ideas?
