Fast games are the backbone of the evening. Card and tile games such as Flip 7 and Mobi play in a few minutes, so a child who loses a round is straight back in for the next one. Dexterity and throwing games like Tossit get everyone up and moving, which helps if the little ones have been sitting still for a while. These are all available from The Happy Puzzle Company alongside its own titles.

To see jigsaws grouped by piece count and theme, from first puzzles for toddlers to harder pieces for adults, take a look at the jigsaw collection at educational games for kids.

For a bigger group, party and bluffing games give teenagers and adults something to sink their teeth into. Titles such as The Traitors board WordSnap XL word game and card game, both available from The Happy Puzzle Company, lean on reading the room and second-guessing each other, which tends to spark the loudest laughs of the night. Keep one of these for when the whole family is together at Christmas or on a birthday.

Think about space and time too. A large jigsaw needs a table or board where it can stay out for days, which is not always practical. Puzzles can be a calming, screen-free way to spend a wet afternoon, and working on one together is a quiet way for a family to sit down side by side without a fixed finish time.

For gift ideas sorted by age band, with the number of players and rough playing time listed for each, browse the games-by-age pages at brain games for adults.

For a hand-picked selection of Christmas games and stocking-filler puzzles for every age, browse the seasonal range at puzzle games for adults.