10 of the Most Fun Board Games for Kids
Every child needs an engaging activity to keep him/her from reaching boredom. Whether that activity is playing soccer, reading a book, or painting a picture, children need to keep their bodies and minds active.
Let’s say it is a rainy day; or maybe your kids simply can’t find anything entertaining to do. This is the perfect time to search the depths of your closets for something to keep them occupied. I would suggest that you pull out a board game.
Board games are such easy and simple solution. Additionally, there is a huge range of board games to choose from to fit any (and every) interest. Many board games engage critical thinking skills. Even if a board game requires little thought, they are excellent opportunities for whole family fun and bonding.
The 10 Best Children's Board Games
Below, I listed my top 10 entertaining, educational, and enjoyable board games that could be perfect for you and your family. Ranging from the classics to wacky new games, your kids will always have something fun to play when they are feeling bored.
This silly board game is perfect for the whole family to enjoy. To play, you must lay the spaghetti noodles across the bowl, then set Yeti on top of the noodles. Taking turns, each player pulls out one piece of spaghetti. In the end, the rules are simple: don’t make Yeti fall, or you lose!
This board game is recommended for children 4-15.
If you are ever looking for a quick and exciting board game, then give this one a try. The game contains 200 cards, 6 pawns, a timer, game board, and instructions. Each player takes turns reading the questions on the cards. They have 5 seconds to say their answers. If the player can complete their task in time, they move their pawn to the next spot on the board. Whoever is the first to move their pawn to the end is the winner. The game helps children to think quickly and use their imaginations.
This board game is recommended for children 6-15.
There are many versions of this board game to choose from, but I will highlight this one. Playing Guess who? is a great way to get your kids thinking. The object of this 2-player game is to guess who your opponent’s selected character is. Each player takes turns asking yes-or-no questions about their opponent’s character. Then, after the opponent answers their question, the player closes the doors to the wrong characters.
For example, let’s say Player One’s character is a cat. Player Two might ask, “Is your character furry?” Player One would say, “Yes.” Then, Player Two would close the doors to the characters that are not furry. This game will bring out the detective in your kids and teach them to think outside of the box.
This board game is recommended for children 8 and up.
Connect 4 is a staple in many homes. This game will never fail to entertain people of all ages. When it comes to games, Connect 4 is one of the easiest to play. Two players decide among themselves who be will the red or yellow team. They take turns dropping the discs into the slots until one player has four-in-a-row of their color. It is as simple as that. There are so many ways to play and win, it is possibly endless!
This board game is recommended for children 6 and up.
This is personally one of my favorites. At least two players are needed to play, but four people can join in on the fun. The game is very simple and only takes 25-35 minutes to finish. This would be a great choice to play on Family Game Night.
There are 16 pegs of four different colors along with a game board, a pop-o-matic die roller, and instructions. Each player puts four pegs in their colored corner. Then, everyone takes turns rolling the dice. The players move one peg at a time to their color’s finishing area. However, if a player’s peg lands on another player’s peg, the second player mentioned would have to return their peg to the very beginning. Whoever brings all four pegs to their finishing area is declared the winner.
This board game is recommended for children 5 and up.
This strategic game is perfect for your little adventurers. 2-4 players race against an Ogre to reach the treasure. They must work together to build a path from Start to End while collecting three keys for the treasure.
To win, the players must find the treasure before the Ogre. Your children will learn to compromise, interact with math-grid concepts, and have tons of fun! Here's a bonus: the games are also made with earth friendly materials that are safer for the environment!
This board game is recommended for children 5-8.
This game is similar to Race to the Treasure. The object of the game is to rescue three dinosaurs and bring them to Dinosaur Island. You must do it quickly or the volcano will erupt! To play, the players roll the die, move the dinosaur movers, and search for three identical dinosaurs underneath the fern tokens.
But, they must watch out for the T-Rex! If the players complete the 3D volcano puzzle before bringing the dinosaurs to safety, they lose. Just like Race to the Treasure, your kids will learn to work together, strategize, and follow instructions, all while strengthening their memory.
This game is recommended for children 4-7.
Apples to Apples is a wonderful vocabulary game for your children. At least three people are needed to play this crazy, hilarious board game, but it is recommended to play with 4-10 players (You can add this game to the list of games to play with the whole family).
The rules and game-play are very simple. Everyone gets a number of red cards. Every red card has a noun written on it. Then, the players must decide who will be the judge first. After the judge is chosen, he/she will select a green card. The green cards have adjectives written on them. The other players will select whichever red card they think best suits the green card’s adjective. As the judge is deciding on which card will be the winner, the players must convince the judge why their card is best. The judge gives the green card to whoever wins that round. To be the winner of the game, a player must win four green cards.
This board game is recommended for children 9 and up.
If you are looking for an educational game your children can play, this is it. This game can be played by 2-4 players who are in grades 1-6. The players take turns reading the cards appropriate for their grade level. In order to win, a player must answer five questions of different categories correctly. The categories are: Science, Math, Arts, Reading, and The World.
This game is recommended for children 6-12.
This game really makes you use your brain. Two players/teams attempt to guess their opponent’s selected sweet treat. The players must use their memory, and think strategically and logically. After guessing, remembering answers, and taking away the wrong sweets, players try to correctly guess the true secret treat. If they get it wrong, they get a brain freeze. If they are right, they win the game.
This game is recommended for children 5-10.
Introducing board games to your children will expand their minds. They will learn how to think for themselves, work together with others, and celebrate each other's achievements. Below are a few frequently asked questions about using board games with children.
Children's Board Games FAQ
Because my kids love playing games, I get asked a lot of questions from friends, FB groups, etc. Hopefully I'll be able to answer some of these questions in this FAQ. If not, make sure to contact me or Homeschool Base.
When to Introduce Board Games to Your Children
Every child is different. Some are eager to play, learn new things, and can quickly take in new information. Others have a more difficult time learning, or are simply not interested in games. Just remember to introduce age appropriate games, starting as early as 2 years old, and be patient in teaching the rules of the game.
How Often Should Your Child Play Board Games?
Obviously, you can’t force a child to play a game if he/she is not interested. There isn’t a specific schedule to follow. You can introduce a game as a break from school or homework, or simply as a fun family activity.
Teaching Your Child the Rules of the Game
As mentioned before, children have different ways of learning. If you are teaching your young toddler the rules of a game, most likely they won’t understand or follow them. This is okay. It is important to play along with your child because they are still learning.
As they get older, you can begin to explain the rules of the games you play. A suggested way to do this would be to teach them the object of the game first. Then, explain the general rules as they play. If there are any complicated rules in the game, you could take them out until the child is old enough to understand them. Or, you could teach them the more difficult rules when they reach that specific point in the game where the rules are necessary.
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