Board games are a great way to help your child develop social skills while having fun. The best board games for kids encourage collaboration and competition while requiring your child to find strategies they can use to win. Here are a few board games to consider for family game night.
We compared different board games, including classics and more modern games. Here is how we chose recommendations and assigned ratings:
We have selected a few board games to consider for your next family game night.
Sorry! is a new take on a classic board game. Players have to draw cards to see how far their game piece can move on the board, bounce other players, and decide when to stay in their safe zone.
We like this game because there are some basic math skills required. Young players are able to quickly grasp the rules of this board game and have the same chances of winning due to the element of luck.
Bumping another players’ piece makes the game fun and exciting, but your child will also have to use their decision-making skills to determine when they should remain in their safe zone. The game comes with some power-up tokens to mix things up.
We recommend this board because you probably grew up playing it and this new version introduces some slightly different rules. It’s something that children of all ages can play as long as they know how to count.
Guess Who? is a classic two-player game. Each player has a mystery character and asks questions to determine who the other player’s character is.
This game is fun because players will ask different questions every time they play. There are no limits to the kind of questions players can come up with to deduct who the mystery character is. There is a real sense of accomplishment when your child successfully guesses who the character is.
We like this game because it encourages your child to use their language skills. They will also need to use logic to eliminate the characters that don’t match the answers to the questions they ask.
Your child will figure out how to formulate questions that would help them eliminate characters to guess who the mystery character is. You can make the game more challenging by limiting the number of questions players can ask.
Monopoly is a must-have board game. Young children might not enjoy it because of the complexity of the rules, but Monopoly provides plenty of fun and excitement for children who are eight and older.
We like Monopoly because the chance and community chest cards can completely change the course of the game. Your children will have to use their math and money management skills to win and make the right decisions to buy properties.
We recommend this classic edition of the game, but keep in mind that there are plenty of different editions available that might have themes your child will find more appealing and interesting.
Labyrinth features a fun and interactive board game with a maze that players transform through their actions. Players take turns to modify the maze and get to the object they need to find. Players can also change the maze design to slow down other players and get in their way.
We like Labyrinth because your child has to use logic and think a few steps ahead to figure out how changing the maze design will help them achieve their goal.
This goal-oriented game is accessible to young players since they can take their time and make basic changes to the maze while older players will figure out how to get to their goal faster while getting in the way of other players.
Labyrinth is the perfect board game to foster logical thinking and problem-solving skills. We also like the board and cards and their illustrations that evaoke a magical world.
Jenga is another must-have game for your family game nights. Your children will need to use their coordination, dexterity, motor skills, and luck to pull blocks from the stack without causing it to crash.
Young players love this game because it’s fun and exciting. Your child will develop strategies to figure out which blocks to pull without causing the stack to collapse.
We recommend Jenga if your child doesn’t enjoy traditional board games. The element of excitement will keep your child interested in this game, and they will still get the benefits of playing games as a family.
Catan is a unique and immersive board game. We don’t recommend it for young players since you need at least an hour to play. Keep in mind that you will need three or four players.
We recommend Catan if you have older children and are looking for a board game with high replay value.
Each player controls settlers who discover resources. Players have to establish settlements, build routes, and choose how they will use their resources. It’s a complex game that requires your child to make decisions, strategize, and think about the consequences of their actions.
There are different actions that allow you to get in the way of other players and some game mechanisms that add unforeseen difficulties. Players have to choose the right strategies to react to these difficulties.
We like Catan because it’s one of the best games for developing decision-making skills. You should give Catan a chance if your children are older than ten and if you want something that is a little different from classic board games.
Yahtzee is a simple and fun dice game. Players need to get lucky to obtain the combinations they need to complete their scorecards.
Your child will need to use math skills and think about probabilities to determine which line they should try to fill first on their scorecard, but young players can win this game thanks to the element of luck.
We recommend Yahtzee for your family game night because the rules are easy to understand, it’s an exciting game, and it will help your child understand math and probabilities.
Risk is one of the best strategy board games. We highly recommend it if you have older children who enjoy strategy games.
There are different ways to play Risk, which improves the replay value of the game. Players can use mission cards or attempt to take over the entire board.
You can make the game more challenging by introducing a third neutral army besides the two armies controlled by players.
The downside of Risk is that it’s a two-player game, but we recommend it if you are looking for a new and challenging game you could play with your child.
Players have to build their army, move their troops, and decide when and how to engage in battle. Players use dices to determine the outcome of battles. It’s a complex game that requires players to formulate strategies to reach a specific goal. We think Risk is a great strategy game for children ten and above.
Scrabble is a classic game that can help your child develop their vocabulary and spelling skills. Players have to use letter tiles to form words on the board.
There is an element of strategy since players can use letters that are already on the board. There is also an element of luck because players might not draw the letters that would help them.
Scrabble is accessible because young players can get started with simple words. You can keep Scrabble fun and interesting by using different ways to play.
You could play with teams or play finish-line Scrabble where players have to reach a score adapted to their level instead of competing against each other.
Pictionary is another classic board game that is fun for the entire family. It comes with markers and erasable boards so you can easily draw the words, ideas, or expressions on your game card.
Children have to use a wide range of skills to play this game. Drawing is part of the fun, but Pictionary also helps children develop their language and critical thinking skills. Analytical skills are also important since children have to figure out how to express concepts that are sometimes abstract with drawings.
You might hesitate about getting this game if you don’t feel confident in your art skills, but keep in mind that bad drawings make the game even more fun to play.
We recommend Pictionary because your children are going to love using the markers and erasable boards to draw and they will develop their communication and analytical skills thanks to this game.
Battleship is a must-have board game. It’s a two-player game that young children can play.
We think Battleship is a great introduction to strategy games. Older children might prefer more complex games, but a young child will have fun figuring out where the other players’ battleships are.
It’s a game that encourages your child to develop different strategies and to use their spatial thinking abilities.
This Disney board game is going to be a big hit with your children because it features the characters they know and love. You can play with up to six players and the rules are very easy to follow.
We like the replay value of this game. Each character has different abilities and goals to achieve. Players will have a different experience every time they play based on the character they choose.
There is a strong story-telling aspect to this game that children will love. The stories focus on the Disney villains, which is a fun way to explore stories your children are already familiar with.
We like this game because it’s goal-oriented and requires your child to adopt different strategies to win. The game includes different guides that will help your child formulate strategies that use their character’s abilities.
Overall, this game is a great introduction to strategy board games and your child is going to love the Disney theme.
Candy Land is a classic board you probably played as a child. We recommend this board game because your child is going to love the illustrations and universe of this game.
Candy Land is great for young players because anyone who can count the spaces on the board can play. The goal is to be the first one to reach the castle, which makes the game fun and challenging.
Your child will feel a sense of accomplishment when they reach the castle, and anything can happen throughout the race.
Ticket To Ride is a challenging board game for children who are ten or older. It might be too complex for young children, but we recommend this board game if you have older children since adults will also enjoy playing it.
Ticket To Ride is a game you will want to play regularly once you get into it. The purpose of the game is to claim different railway routes between major cities by collecting train cards.
The game is a fun way to brush up on geography while using strategy to achieve different goals. Ticket To Ride is a great family board game because of the different levels of complexity.
You can focus on claiming as many railway routes as possible or introduce additional adjectives to make the game more challenging once you become familiar with it. We like the illustrations and universe of the game and think adults will enjoy this board game just as much as the children do.
We like Outfoxed! because it’s very accessible for young players and it requires players to cooperate. Players have to move through a board game to find clues, find the culprit, and solve a mystery.
Players have to team up and analyze evidence to eliminate suspects in a race against time. This board game is original because it’s about cooperation rather than competition, and children are going to love the different characters they encounter during the game.
Using clues to solve a mystery is a fun way to encourage your child to use their analytical skills. Young children will have fun with this game, but your child will probably prefer a board game that is more challenging once they turn seven or eight.
If you’re hesitating about which board game would be best for your child, this guide will help you choose a board.
The best board games for kids encourage your child to use their critical thinking skills. These games are a great way to get your child to focus on something for a little while and to develop their problem-solving skills.
Depending on the games you play with your child, your child might need to use their math skill, think of different strategies, and learn to make the best choices. Some board games have an element of luck that adds to the excitement, while others require some teamwork.
Playing board games is important because these games teach your child about competition and about being a fair loser. Having to follow the rules is an important lesson that applies to many other areas of life.
Board games are also a great way to spend quality time together as a family. It can be difficult to have some family time between busy schedules and children who would rather play video games, which is why we recommend that you pick a few board games and use them to start a family game night tradition.
This quality family time is crucial for your child’s development. It will help them develop social skills and will improve communication in your family.
You can involve your child in the process of selecting a board game. Show them different games and briefly discuss the rules to see which games appeal to them.
You can also look at these things to find fun board games:
The best board games for kids provide you with an opportunity to connect with your child and have fun together. You can get the most out of this type of play by turning it into a weekly tradition. Your child will look forward to having a board game night every week.
We also recommend that you introduce new board games regularly. New games will provide interesting challenges and keep your children interested. You can introduce more complex board games as your children get older.
Go over the rules in advance. Take a few minutes to explain the rules before you start playing. If you have older children, you can put them in charge of reading the rules and explaining how the game works.
Set a few rules to follow when you play a board game. These rules could include being patient when it’s another player turn. Board games are a great way to help your children develop social skills, but you might have to remind your child to be patient and to wait for other players to finish their turn.
Your child will benefit from playing board games if you let them make decisions on their own. Whether the game requires math skills or decision-making skills, encourage your child to figure it out on their own.
Board games are a great way to spend quality with your children while having fun. Compare the different games we recommended above to choose one your child will be interested in!
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