How to Run a Family Quiz Where Everyone Gets a Turn

A family quiz has one job: everyone plays. The moment the grown-ups start answering the kids’ questions, or the kids drift off because every question is about 1980s telly, it’s over.

Two questions per slot

The simplest fix is to write every question twice: one for grown-ups, one for kids, on the same topic. “What is a group of owls called?” for the adults; “What noise does an owl make?” for the children. Everyone answers the question pitched at them, and the scores stay close.

Build mixed teams

Pair an adult with a child in every team, and let the child be the one who writes the answers down. It keeps them involved even on the grown-up questions, and they’ll pick up more than you think.

Topics that work for every age

• Animals. Endless, and children often know more than adults.
• Films and TV. The kids know the new films; the grown-ups know the old ones.
• Around the world. Capitals and flags for adults, landmarks and animals for kids.
• Food. Everyone has opinions.
• A picture round. The great leveller: a six-year-old can spot a zoomed-in bauble as fast as anyone.

Our free quiz questions for kids and family Christmas quiz are good places to start.

House rules

• Count to five before anyone can answer out loud, so the fastest shouter doesn’t win everything.
• Give half points for a good guess on hard ones. Being nearly right counts at this age.
• End with a trick question. “How many months have 28 days?” (all of them) gets a groan from every generation.

The full version

The Family Quiz is fifty new questions over five rounds, each with grown-up and kids’ questions side by side, plus a picture round and answer sheets. The free kids’ page is the free version: questions and answers only.