Weekly Wrap-Up {Games to Play While You’re Stuck at Home}

(The boys making a terrarium for one of Jackson’s science lessons)

It’s Friday! I joked yesterday on Instagram that it doesn’t really feel like the weekends mean much of anything anymore, and someone pointed out that they like the weekends because it feels like marking the passage of time – one week closer to the end of this craziness!

Tomorrow will officially mark two weeks of being stuck at home, leaving as little as we possibly can, and having minimal connection with the outside world. It’s been hard, but at the same time it’s been a little refreshing – for the last few months it felt like our schedule was always WAAAAAY too full and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying the forced slow-down.

Of course, I desperately miss hugging my parents, hanging out with our friends, and going to Target.

But I’m trying to focus on the positives and take it one day at a time. Because if I think too much about how much longer we might be doing this, my brain wants to implode.

One day at a time, my friends. It’s the only way to get through this.

I’ve been getting asked a lot about games to play while we’re on lock down – I’ve shared tons of game recommendations regularly here on the blog (this is probably my most comprehensive list), but I figured it was worth a dedicated post for quarantine game time. I’ll be sharing a few of our very favorites on my Instagram stories later today (and I’ll add them to my Board Games highlight if you miss it live!), but here’s the full list of games I’d recommend for this weird stuck-at-home time of our lives.

For you + your partner

Here are some of the games Corey and I love to play when it’s just the two of us (you can play with more people if you have teens/other adults in the house, but these all work great with just two players).

• Machi Koro
• Splendor
• Azul
• Lords of Vegas
• Scoville
• Small World
• Five Tribes
• Suburbia
• Red7
• Viticulture (this is a more complex and involved game, but it’s SO FUN and you’ve got time to learn it, right?!)

And, of course, if you feel like you can handle the irony, you could always start a game of Pandemic Legacy (it’s too soon for us…haha)

For the family

Here are some of the games we like to play with Jackson – we’re pretty picky about kids’ games and don’t enjoy the super basics like Candy Land, so we try to steer him more towards things we can all enjoy!

(Jackson is 6, and I’d say any of these games would be good for kids in that general age range – some might need help if they haven’t played a ton of games, but we sometimes just partner up for games that Jackson struggles with!)

• Catan Jr.
• Ticket to Ride: First Journey
• Skip Bo
• Uno
• Roll for It
• Zombie Dice
• King of New York
• Sushi Go
• LCR Wild

I hope this helps! I’d love to know what you’ve been playing with your family lately.

ICYMI: This week on the blog

• I shared a detailed tutorial for how to use a nail gun – I love sharing power tool tips for beginners and this post tackles one of my verrrry favorite tools!
• This week I made some cute wooden puzzles for the boys – and the post includes a (pretty mesmerizing) video of the process!
• From the archives: If you want to make sure Easter still feels special, now’s probably the time to order a few things! Here are my favorite Easter basket fillers!

Elsewhere on the internet…

• I love the fun color on this ceiling.
• I love this tip for houseplants!
• Everything about this living room is stunning.
• I cannot even handle how much I love this bedroom. Those curtains! The bed!
• This gallery wall is soooooo good!
• Brit & Co. is offering all of their classes for free until the end of the month with code SELFCARE. I signed up for a couple of calligraphy classes that I can’t wait to try!

Have a happy weekend!