
I love spending time with my family at Christmas, when we are all together it is a fabulous time to relax and chill out. My eldest brother Matt loves board games and when we are all home he gets out his favourites games and we all sit and play them together.
On Christmas day my Nana and Grandad came over for lunch and after we had eaten we all had a game of “Balderdash”. It was hilarious, in the game a question is asked from a category either: Events, Words, Laws, Initials or People and you have to write down your own explanation of the answer, for example if the category was a “person” you would write down what you believe they were famous for. The person whose turn it is to read the question writes down the correct answer from the back of the card on their own slip of paper and then gathers in everyone else’s answers, the aim is to write something that the others will think is correct because you get points for that. You gain points if you guess correctly and a point for every person who incorrectly chooses the answer that you wrote down. This can lead to some really interesting answers with plenty of bluffing and game play.
Another favourite of ours is “Articulate”, we play this in teams of two and each turn one couple has to act out or explain a word given on a card. For each correctly guessed answer the team moves forward place. It helps if you are each other’s wavelength for this game as then the answer can come quite quickly and you play with a timer. Although there are some tricky ones in the pack.
Matt really enjoys strategy games and last year he got us playing “Catan” after I bought it for his birthday. Thomas bought him an expansion pack for the game this Christmas and we have been trying to get our heads around the new rules so we have a better chance of beating him. The game involves trying to outwit the other players to build up your assets expand your settlements and cities. The winner is the one who is the first to acquire 15 assets.

Last night Matt’s friend Ali came over to join us and as she knows what he is like with games she brought with her a game called “Categorically Speaking”. Each round of the game you select four subject cards e.g. Football players, things that are square, tennis players, movie stars and four letter cards e.g. A, Y, N, B. Then in the time it takes for an egg timer to empty you have to write down an item/object/person for each letter and each category. So you have a possible 16 points every go and you can play as many rounds as you have time for. Sometimes your mind just goes blank and you kick yourself when the answers are read out. You score a point for each correct answer, but nothing if two or more of you get the same answer. I would definitely recommend access to an iPad or Tablet to check some of the answers as they can sometimes be very questionable.
I could go on for hours as we do play so many but one we always come back to is “Scrabble” it is just a shame that it is only for four players as it usually means one of us sits out a round.

I hope that this has given you a taste of what we get up to whilst relaxing, especially as our weather can be very unpredictable. I would love to know what you do over the holiday season, any board games you could recommend and if you have any family traditions that are important to you?

These games sound like fun! I love Scrabble but don’t remember the last time I played. The last game I played was a game from the movie, Frozen, with my five-year-old granddaughter. She loved it because she won all four games! Chuckle. It was a boring game but as long as she had fun so did I!
Nice to spend time with family relaxing and having fun together – great bonding! Wishing you a lovely New Year! Blessings & hugs. xo
I was singing karaoke ‘Let It Go’ with Matt the other day, it’s a lovely movie Janice I bet she loved playing that game with you.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I love that song even thought it has been over used a lot. I would love to hear you sing it. You would do a beautiful rendition! xo
One of my favorite parts of this spring break has been the board game nights. See my related posts.
Relaxation is great. Relaxation with family is the best. Your games sound fantastic. Especially “Balderdash”. Since I am often told that I have “the gift of gab” I think that would be my favorite. We play Scrabble as well. Also Monopoly and Yahtzee. Board games are considered pre-historic any more but they are great fun and you don’t need any electricity to play. Sounds as if you guys had a good Christmas. I wish you all a Happy New Year.
Most of our friends love our board games, Matt invents his own he could probably make a living from it 😀. Mum pulls the plug after too much XBox lol, Tom’s hooked on Fifa15.
Best wishes and a Happy New Year to you,
Charlotte
Back in the days when I was a married lady, we always played Trivial Pursuit or Monopoly with the family. This tradition carried on for years later until my Mother passed. Nowadays we are creating ‘new’ traditions and this year we played Christmas Trivia, which was rather enlightening and a lot of fun, especially since it was so casual. Thank you for sharing your excellent time and may the New Year bring you every joy!
We loved Trivial Pursuit too but Matt got too good he’s got like a photograph memory 😀. Hope the new year brings you good health and happiness too Annette.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Charlotte. Celebrating with your family looks fantastic. Balderdash! Fun bluffing them all. ;-o
Thanks Mark, hope you have a lovely New Year 😊
Best wishes
Charlotte
We’re a scrabble family
We love Scrabble too as long as we have a dictionary nearby 😀.
Best wishes
Charlotte
That sounds like a wonderful Christmas, Charlotte. I look forward to following along your journey in 2015.
Thanks Matt, I’m looking forward to discovering what 2015 has in store too 😊.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Spades and Uno here.
We love card games and Uno especially.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Great looking & happy family 🙂
Thanks Randall, I’m testing them a bit tonight we’re watching a long Opera DVD together 😳.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Ha, ha…my bet, your brother catches some zzzz’s 😉
We start at 9pm I’ll keep nudging him 😀.
We used to play a few board games but haven’t for some years now probably because we don’t often all get together at the same time. You all look as though you have had a lovely time with your family. Have a very happy new year, Charlotte.
It’s harder now Matts working full time in London but it’s been a lovely weeks break and to you and your family Clare.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Very good idea playing the board games with friends and family for this time of the year. I think I like the game that your brother likes to.
I won last night so I’m happy with that game now too 😀.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Yea!!!
Balderdash is my favorite game , it’s soooo much fun , my son at ten loved it , so neat to use imaginary things and words , it’s the BEST for group !! ( group is a greek soup ) haha Charlotte , Health & Happy 2015 dear xx
😊 thanks Ron and a Happy 2015 to you too.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Charlottee…..i bought THE HAT!! I love it! 💝
Fabulous 😊 hope you have as much fun wearing it as I have.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wish you very very happy new year I wish you complete your aim god bless you
Thank you Amritpal, I hope I complete my aims next year too, it’s a testing year, I appreciate your lovely wishes for me,
All the best
Charlotte
Great post! Thanks for reminding me of Balderdash – must dust it off at mum & dad’s next time im home!! Happy new year when it comes! X
Thank you it’s good if there is a big group of you some of the answers we came up with were hilarious. I’ll be home in Glasgow at the end of the week ready for an early start to the new term, hope the snow stays away for the journey.
Best wishes to you for 2015,
Charlotte
Every time a pleasure to read you. I’m happy to show you have some good time with your familly….All the best for you !!
Yes, it’s been great, we’ve had a lovely time Mum and Dad keep us all busy, it’s great just to have a relax. Hope you’re having a superb break too.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Our family loves Scattergories, which is almost identical to “Categorically Speaking,” except there are more categories and only one letter for each round. I like Trivial Pursuit, too, since you have to know all the answers about miniscule details of such subjects as Sport, Science, Literature, Film, etc. My brother gets all the sports ones, I know obscure facts about history, and nobody knows anything about modern movies! (I think we own three films made after the 1960s–oh, and the 1995 BBC television series of Pride and Prejudice on DVD, too. My sister got me that for my last birthday.)
I liked the sound of some the games you mentioned that I had not heard of before, especially Catan. It’s funny; this morning I was doing the balance sheet for the little chocolate business my sister and I do at the local markets, so the word “asset” has a decidedly familiar ring to it! Not that we could build cities out of what we earn . . . but the game sounds fun. We enjoy games a lot in our family too–my brother got this three-D tic-tac-toe game for Christmas, called Noughts and Crosses, which is much more difficult (and fun) than ordinary tic-tac-toe! I beat him once so far.
Happy New Year!
Cate
Such good fun Cate to take them on at their favourite game and win lol 😀. I can recommend Catan I think you’ll all enjoy it.
Do you make strawberries dipped in Chocolate for your stall? I loved buying cones with fresh dipped strawberry in Paris, they use the most amazing chocolate over there.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Games are nearly always part of my family gatherings. We love balderdash and catan too, but also rummikub, tripoly, taboo, and pit.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the game suggestions Kristen I only know Taboo from your list. Have a great 2015,
Best wishes
Charlotte
Charades is always a winner, especially for the laughs it generates. A very Happy New Year to you and your family Charlotte!
I enjoy Charades haven’t played in a long time. Happy New Year hope you’re planning some exciting travels this year.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I’d so be fun at some of that you list, but often unless the game’s there it’d also be a beautiful moment of an older game… A$$hole which oddly enough is apparently the very same thing as Revolution in the Please Teacher Searies anime. I plotted and executed sweetest revenge the last time I lost huge at A$$hole the cardgame also known as balderdash or by serving up straight shots of peychoud Bitters. with just a dot of blueberry juice so ice, white; blueberry, blue; peychoud bitters or new orleans lousianna bitters red… “patriotism is the last refuge of a Scoundrel! – Patrick Henry (give me liberty or give me death, founding father america…usa to you, Patrick Henry) I cant win bull doop without cheating and plying everyone with liquor. same way I cant beat good chess players without destroying their concentration playing forever loop “fireing up the sunset gun” by Animal Logic or making you laugh with extreme effort faces for the armwrestle along with the usual goose-necking…. 😉 horrible cheater I’m afraid.
Not a big fan of Chess my family are too good 😳!
Happy New Year, best wishes
Charlotte
I love board games, too. Thanks for sharing these ones. All the best in 2015.
All the best to you and your family too Nanette.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Great blog. I have to go with Monopoly.
I frustrate everyone because I just buy everything to negotiate. I think my favourite properties are the Yellow set.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Neat post dear Charlotte…. And great photographs… I hope you have a groovy new year ahead. Best wishes. Aquileana 😀
A groovy New Year to you too Aquileana lovely meeting you last year.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I remember playing board games with you all when you were tinies and miss it all. I was playing Guess Who with Ollie over Christmas and was soundly beaten by him! I need more practice 😃 have a safe journey back to Glasgow and a fantastic 2015 xxx
I remember playing Guess Who 😊. I think we had every type of Uno going lol. You’d have loved Ali’s game it was like the categories game we played but with cards and a timer.
Best wishes
Charlotte
What a wonderful and quality time you had with your family, Charlotte, over Christmas. 🙂 Interesting post. Best wishes to you and family for the New Year and have a happy holiday! 🙂 Iris
It has been quality time Iris, my parents insisted I had a rest for a week.
Best wishes
Charlotte
How do you look as good in casual as you do in royal attire? =) Glad you got to relax, C. You work hard.
All the best to you in the new year.
Diana
Thank you Diana new clothes for Christmas 😀.
Best wishes for a Happy 2015,
Charlotte 😊
Happy New year!
Happy New Year to you and all your family Diane,
Best wishes
Charlotte
We’re a games family too, and got through several, including a marathon four-hour game of Risk (6 players all being just a little too nice to each other).
We play Risk at my Nana’s house great game. Glad to hear you had fun too. Started reading Bordeline 😊 I keep getting interrupted, I loved the bookmarker with names (great idea) enjoying getting to know the characters.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Sounds like fun 🙂 I just spent new years eve playing board games with my friends: Tension, Cranium, Extreme Charades (not actually a board game) and Disney Trivial Persuit. I’m just about to go downstairs and play Monopoly with my aunt and family… *happy sigh*.
Thanks for your comment Jenny, extreme charades sounds interesting. My brother has such a fantastic memory I hate playing Disney trivial pursuit with him so hard to beat him. Hope you had a fab time.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Looks so much fun. Articulate is my favourite. You’d be amazed at some of the different answers you get haha.
Same here Alex, I love it when the reader gets exasperated because I’m just not getting their clue 😄.
Best wishes
Charlotte
You would love playing games with my family. One of our newer favorites is Wise and Otherwise, which has a somewhat similar premise to Balderdash, except you have to complete obscure sayings from all over the world. We’ve come up with some hilarious stuff.
My parents and I love Scrabble too (my mom is slightly annoyed by the fact that I can now beat her in both languages though). 😉
My dad and sisters love Risk, though I’ve never had any interest in playing. That said, I do get a kick out of their running commentary.
Hi Stephanie, hope you had a lovely Christmas. Not heard of Wise and Otherwise sounds great. I never thought of a French version of Scrabble that would be a proper challenge 😳. You’d all enjoy Catan. It seems so long ago now lots to do this month.
Best wishes
Charlotte