18 Family Challenge Ideas
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Quick answer: 18 Family Challenge Ideas. This guide gives 18 ideas in 4 sections: Kitchen challenges; Active and outdoor; Creative and thinking challenges; Longer and kinder challenges. Budget: Mostly free. Best for: Families with children aged 5 and up.
- Time: 10 to 45 minutes each
- Budget: Mostly free
- Best for: Families with children aged 5 and up
Everyone has a competitive streak, even the one who claims not to. A family challenge channels it into something silly, with a timer, a few rules and a bit of friendly trash talk about who will win.
These ideas are friendly, cheap and flexible. Make teams of mixed ages so everyone can contribute, give every player a role and celebrate effort, not just winning.
Top tip: Handicap the grown ups. Make adults use their non-writing hand, stand on one leg or wear oven gloves. It levels the field and makes the children giggle for the rest of the day.
Kitchen challenges
Cheap, quick and usually a little messy.
- Biscuit stacking: Stack as many plain biscuits as you can in one minute. Keep a spare packet for the inevitable collapses. You will need: plain biscuits.
- Blindfold snack taste test: Taste small safe foods with eyes covered and guess what they are. Check allergies first and avoid choking hazards for young ones. You will need: sleep masks.
- Family bake off: Everyone bakes the same simple cake recipe with a secret twist. Judges score taste, looks and creativity. You will need: cupcake cases, icing pens.
- Sandwich art: Make a face on a sandwich using fruit and veg. The most creative one gets a medal, and everyone eats their work. You will need: cookie cutters.
- Speed pour relay: Move water from one bowl to another with a sponge. A lot of splashing, so do it outside or on a tray. You will need: mixing bowls.
Active and outdoor
Blow off the cobwebs.
- Garden Olympics: Create events such as long jump, sock toss and egg and spoon. Draw medals on card and hold a closing ceremony. You will need: egg and spoon set, medals.
- Step challenge: Wear a step counter and see which team walks furthest in a day. A weekend woodland hike scores bonus points. You will need: kids pedometer.
- Bean bag target throw: Mark target circles with chalk and award points. Move the circles back each round. You will need: pavement chalk, bean bags.
- Scavenger race: Give each team a list to find and return. Allow only items from the garden, and check lists together at the end. You will need: paper bags.
- Plank and wall sit contest: Hold a plank or wall sit for as long as possible. Children are often amazed at how long they last. You will need: timer.
Creative and thinking challenges
Brains over brawn.
- Draw it: One person draws a word and others guess. Keep to simple things such as pizza or rocket. You will need: whiteboard, markers.
- Lego or brick build off: Give a topic such as “a house for a cat” and ten minutes. Judge with a family vote. You will need: building bricks.
- Story relay: Each person adds a sentence to a story. Add a rule that every sentence must include a banana.
- Charades: Act out films, animals or jobs. Make themed cards to keep it going. You will need: charades cards.
- Name that tune: Hum the start of songs and guess them. Teams of mixed ages work best.
Longer and kinder challenges
Challenges that last a week.
- Kindness challenge: Write a kind act on each day of a calendar, such as drawing a picture for a neighbour. Tick them off together. You will need: calendar, thank you cards.
- Tidy up sprint: Race a timer to tidy a room. Then reward everyone with a family film.
- Screen free evening: Agree on a night with no screens and fill it with games. Keep a jar of ideas ready. You will need: board game.
Helpful links and further reading
A few trusted places to find out more.
- NHS Healthier Families: Simple recipes, food swaps and active ideas for the whole family.
- National Trust: Find gardens, parks and historic places for a day out.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make challenges fair?
Mix teams across ages and give adults handicaps. Celebrate effort and teamwork with a prize that every player can share.
What if someone gets upset when they lose?
Agree on a “good sport” rule, play short rounds, and take turns choosing. Replays and team games help ease the sting.
What are good prizes?
Small things like a sticker, picking the film or choosing tea work well. Avoid sweets as the only prize, and keep it light.
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