I always look forward to spending some quality time with my family, friends or other half. But then there we are lying in the sun, or sitting in the car on the longest road ever laid, and suddenly there’s nothing to talk about. Bicker about the tidying-up or gripe about Dad’s loud sneeze? We can do that. But real conversations? Real bonding? Now that can be a challenge.

The answer is play. Play’s great. A good game does everything a conversation does and more. Games connect us, challenge us and give us chances to grow. I have spent my life collecting and creating games that make the best of the little moments, particularly when spent together, and here I’ve pulled together five of the best that make vacations that much more joyful.

So get out there, get playful and make the most of that time with the ones you love. And don’t forget the sunscreen.

At the Beach

Once you’ve jumped a wave, licked a Popsicle and buried Uncle Bill in the sand, lay back on your towel and challenge a pal to a game of Yes/No/Black/White. The goal: Make your opponent say one of the above words, while they do the same to you. “Yeah,” “nah,” “hmmm” and the like are also banned. Winning strategies are many and varied, but I recommend drawing your foe off topic with a strange or personal question and then busting them on a follow-up. This one keeps rolling for hours.