About Family Edition
Family activity ideas, with a little envelope magic.
Days out, cosy days in and a fun way to choose what you do together.
Less deciding. More “let’s do that!”
Everyone wants to do something together. Nobody can quite agree what. One person fancies a big adventure, someone else wants to stay cosy, and somehow the afternoon is already disappearing. Sound familiar?
Deal or Date Family Edition turns choosing a family activity into a game. Fill a board with ideas you would all enjoy, keep a mystery envelope and open the others one by one. Tempting offers pop up along the way. You can take the activity on offer or keep playing to discover the one inside your winning envelope.
There are 77 ready-made family activity ideas to explore, with descriptions, preparation notes and suggested ages. Think kitchen-table creations, weekend outings and a few adventures worth planning ahead for. It is free to play in your browser, with no account needed.
A family game for choosing your next adventure
Start with 4–24 envelopes. Pick your own activities or create a random board using your family’s preferred vibes, budget bands, setting, collections and suggested age groups. Review the possibilities before you play, and move them between Low, Medium and High prizes however you like.
Keep one envelope, then take turns opening the others. After a round, decide whether the dealer’s offer is the activity you want: Deal, or No Deal? When two envelopes remain, keep your first pick or swap. Your winning activity gets its own celebratory reveal.
The prize is a plan from your own shortlist. There are no cash prizes or bookings in the game, and you can adapt the winning idea to suit your day. Let children help choose the possibilities while a grown-up checks that each activity works for the family.
How to play Family Edition →Family activities at home for rainy days and cosy afternoons
A day in the house can still have a bit of adventure. Turn the kitchen into a pizzeria, let the decorating get delightfully messy or make a den that suddenly makes film night feel like an occasion. Start with the materials you already have and share out jobs everyone can enjoy.
Turn the kitchen into your own little pizzeria. Stretch the dough, put out bowls of toppings and let everyone invent a pizza. Give your creations silly names before sitting down to try them together.
Explore this idea →Read the full activity plan →Build the comfiest blanket fort you can, make a bowl of popcorn and settle in for a film you choose together. Make homemade cinema tickets and let someone take the important job of snack delivery.
Explore this idea →Read the full activity plan →Family days out and outdoor activities with kids
For a change of scenery, choose a little trip or a bigger day out. A picnic and a woodland mission can make an ordinary weekend feel different; an aquarium or bowling session can be a handy option when the weather changes its mind.
Head into the woods with a little list of things to spot, such as a curly leaf, a feather or something heart-shaped. Work together to find the lot, then stop for a snack and compare your favourites.
Explore this idea →Read the full activity plan →Family Edition suggests activities rather than local venues. Check travel, prices, opening times, access and booking requirements before you set off. Choose a plan everyone can join in with and leave room for a snack stop.
Find inspiration for family days out →Ideas for younger children, older kids and teenagers
What thrills a four-year-old may get a very different reaction from a teenager. Use the suggested age groups—2–4, 5–7, 8–11 and 12+—when creating a random board, then look through the results together. A film-making challenge or a family tournament can give older children room to bring their own ideas.
Board-game mini tournament
Everyone chooses a game and you work your way through a family mini tournament. Mix quick favourites with something new, take snack breaks and invent an award for the best sport of the day.
Explore this idea →Read the full activity plan →These ages are participation guides, not guarantees or venue permissions. Consider the children taking part, the adult help available and any materials involved. For outings, follow the venue’s age, height and supervision rules. Add your own local favourites whenever the library does not quite fit.
A family day that fits your budget
Some days call for a special trip. Others call for free activities, a few cupboard supplies and very little planning. Use the budget bands to narrow the possibilities and review the preparation notes before you start.
The £ symbols are broad cost guides, not live prices or guaranteed totals for a family. Admission, travel, food and things you already own all affect what you spend. Random boards suggest higher-budget activities for higher prizes where possible, but you can move them: the best prize is whatever your family is most excited about.
A few things families often wonder
Do we need to download anything?
No. Play in a modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer. The browser game is free; real-world activities may have their own costs. You can add the website to your home screen for a handy shortcut.
Can we save our favourite family activities?
Yes. Save favourites, add personal ideas and keep boards for another day. Progress stays in the same device and browser. It does not sync between devices, and clearing site storage removes those saves. Family Edition keeps its saves separate from the couples game.
Can we make a board just for staying home?
Yes. Pick your own activities and choose ideas you can do in the house. For a random board, choose Indoor and review the possibilities before playing: indoor also includes venues, so check each description when you want to stay home. You can use age, budget and vibe options to narrow the choice.
Is it only for family games night?
Any time you want to make a plan together will do: a rainy afternoon, a school-holiday morning or a weekend with nothing in the diary. Choose activities for the time you have and enjoy letting everyone have a say.
A small game, with some useful planning behind it
Daniel Jenkins publishes and maintains Deal or Date. Family Edition uses its own activity catalogue and saves, while sharing the original game’s envelope decisions and celebrations. The aim is to help families find a plan everyone feels happy about, then make it easier to get started.
The detailed guides build on activities from the catalogue with materials, clear steps, suggested-age variations and original printable resources. They are suggestions to adapt to your family, rather than claims about a venue’s access rules or what a particular child will enjoy.
Prepared for Deal or Date · Updated 28 October 2026
These plans expand activities from our game catalogue. Text and illustrative artwork were prepared with AI assistance, then checked for catalogue accuracy, clear steps and practical variations before publication. They are suggestions to make your own, rather than accounts of personal trips or product tests.
A little inspiration for your next family day
Find family activity ideas for rainy afternoons, weekends and school holidays. Start with the time, budget and ages you have, then make the plan your own.