As just about anything you attempt to do with a 3-year-old, playing a board game with them requires a Mother Teresa level of patience.

Between a preschooler’s short attention span and their inability to sit still longer than a few minutes, you’ll be lucky to get through a whole game with them. As an added bonus, they have an almost gleeful disregard for following the game rules.

And yet, skipping board games with your preschooler isn’t the answer, either.

Because research shows that playing board games with your preschooler improves their social skills, such as by developing a cooperative spirit, teaching them how to take turns, and nurturing other prosocial behaviors like sharing and helping others. Board games can also boost educational knowledge. For example, playing a number board game with a preschooler supports their early mathematical development.

Short on Time? Here Are Our Top Picks

If you’re in a rush, here’s a quick run-down of the best board games for 3-year-olds that have been most popular with the parents and kids in this community:

• Best Overall Board Game for 3-Year-Olds: Spot It! Jr Animals, $10†
• Best Cooperative Game for 3-Year-Olds: Orchard or Hoot Owl Hoot, $50 or $19
• Best Educational Game for 3-Year-Olds: Concept Kids: Animals, $28
• Best Memory and Matching Game for 3-Year-Olds: Sequence for Kids, $16
• Best Card Game for 3-Year-Olds: Spot It! Jr Animals, $10

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices shown are from time of publishing.

What’s a Parent to Do?

Unfortunately, the most commonly recommended board games for 3-year-olds like Candyland and Chutes & Ladders are all chance and no strategy. At best, they prepare your child to understand the concept of a scratch-off lottery ticket.

Not to mention the whole point of playing a game with your 3-year-old is to have fun while connecting. If you’ve actually managed to get your child to sit still for a game but you’re bored out of your mind, your child will sense that. Kids are more perceptive than we give them credit for.

The solution: Play better games.

When you play board games that you and your 3-year-old enjoy, you’ll be more likely to play with your child. Because keeping a copy of Hungry Hungry Hippos in your closet that you secretly hope your preschooler won’t find certainly isn’t going to help grow their social skills and educational knowledge.

Instead, cleanse your game collection of those mind-numbing board games for 3-year-olds and replace them with games you’ll both look forward to. Life is too short to be pulling out your hair when you could be giggling with your preschooler.

16 Board Games for 3-Year-Olds Your Child Will Love (And You Will, Too)

Use this list of fun board games for 3-year-olds to beef up your family game collection, and you won’t be sorry. (See what I did there?)

This list grew out of my family’s quest for the best family board games and card games over the last several years. Plus, we researched for hours and hours online to find as many suggestions as possible of board games for 3-year-olds, then market-tested them with our own crew and with friends who have preschoolers.

Not only will your child love these board games and card games, but you will too. If you need more ideas after you check out this list, head over to our list of the best preschool board games for more ideas.

And if your 3-year-old has a short attention span or isn’t interested in following board game rules, you’ll find a section at the end of this article to help you with that, too.

Related: The Best 21 Preschool Board Games You’ll Actually Enjoy, Too

But First, a Warning

When my second child was three, she swallowed a coin that got stuck in her throat. One emergency room visit, one surgery, and one five-figure hospital bill later, trust me that choking hazards are nothing to take lightly. We were lucky that we caught it in time.

Some of these board games for 3-year-olds—even the games marketed specifically for preschoolers—may contain game pieces that are the perfect size to be choking hazards. Please always keep a close eye on your child when they’re playing with a game that has small pieces. And if you have an infant or toddler, make sure they’re sleeping or otherwise occupied so they don’t find a fallen game piece and pop it into their mouth.

A Quick Note About Suggested Ages

Keep in mind that as with anything when it comes to kids and suggested ages, your mileage may vary. For example, some 2-year-olds might be able to play and enjoy some games for 3-year-olds, whereas some 3-year-olds might need help playing a few games marketed to 2-year-olds.

If you try a game and your child doesn’t seem ready for it, put it away for a couple weeks or a month, then try again. Your preschooler’s brain is growing constantly, so they might surprise you sooner rather than later!

Note: indicates my family’s absolute favorite board games for 3-year-olds. These are the games my whole family can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

Cooperative Games for 3-Year-Olds

When you’re starting out playing board games with your 3-year-old, cooperative games are your best bet. That’s because competitive elements of a game tend to go right over preschoolers’ heads. Also, competitive games typically leave younger kids feeling less enthusiastic about the game and may even lead to more aggressive behavior and less cooperation after the game.

Here are the best cooperative games for 3-year-olds, according to the parents and families in our community.

1. Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard by HABA

Time to Play: 15 minutes for Hoot Owl Hoot; 10 minutes for Orchard
Number of Players: 2–4 for Hoot Owl Hoot; 1-8 for Orchard
Minimum Age: Both games are a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard

When it comes to cooperative games for 3-year-olds, these two are our favorites aside from Feed the Woozle below. But because the game play for these two games is so similar, I recommend picking up either Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard.

My kids love both games, so you really can’t go wrong. The wooden game pieces and picnic baskets for Orchard are super well-made and sturdy, but if that game is a bit outside your price range, Hoot Owl Hoot is just as fun. My kids regularly pull out both games to play together independently!

Pro tip: With Orchard, if your child still tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Orchard edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids.

222 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$36 from Amazon* $36 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Orchard or First Orchard

    
“We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal!” – Richard

Note: The manufacturer says Hoot Owl Hoot is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) the vast majority of 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

877 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$19 from Amazon* $19 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Hoot Owl Hoot

    
“Family games should be fun for everyone! We have five kids, and that is one of the rules of our Friday Family Fun Night. We play a lot of co-op games with our kids — Hoot Owl Hoot and Outfoxed are really fun! … Co-op games are great for teaching kids slowly, as open hands and working together are good.” – Michelle

By the way, we’ve tested nearly every cooperative game for 3-year-olds made by Peaceable Kingdom, the same folks who make Hoot Owl Hoot. The other games were fun too, but Hoot Owl Hoot has been the clear winner!

2. Feed the Woozle

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Minimum Age: Some 2-year-olds can play this, so it’s a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Feed the Woozle

In this cooperative game, you work together to feed the Woozle by balancing snacks on a spoon while you deliver them. And as an added challenge, you’ll have to hula dance, bunny hop, or do something else silly at the same time. But watch out because if a snack falls along the way, the Woozle won’t eat it. When you’ve fed the Woozle 12 snacks, your whole team wins.

Cooperative games like this are great for building teamwork skills while still getting practice with taking turns. For that reason, this is a perfect first board game for 3-year-olds to teach turn-taking, foster good sportsmanship as you encourage your teammates, and nurture a sense of collaboration as you work together. And because each game takes around 10 minutes, it’s perfect for short attention spans, too.

This game also helps develop motor skills, gives practice with counting, and builds frustration tolerance. But most important of all, it’s pure silly fun!

Pro tip: When you need a way to keep your kids entertained so you can load the dishwasher (or catch a catnap), this game works great for an older sibling to play with a younger sibling. My kids play this together all on their own at least once a week!

$24 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Feed the Woozle

    
“My 6-year-old and 3-year-old love this goofy little game! Sometimes, we’ll all play together, and it’s fun to see my kids actually get along for 10 consecutive minutes. But if I’m busy, the setup is easy enough that the two of them can play together without me.” – Jackie

3. Concept Kids: Animals

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2–12
Minimum Age: Most 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Concept Kids: Animals

This cooperative guessing game is perfect for kids who love animals, and it’s one of those rare educational games that’s actually fun for both kids and adults.

As you play, you’ll build your child’s deductive reasoning skills, foster their sense of teamwork, and load them up with oodles of new animal facts. Your child will have so much fun playing they won’t even realize how much they’re learning along the way!

This game is a particularly excellent choice for younger kids because it doesn’t require reading. Plus, if your kids tend to butt heads, the cooperative gameplay will get them working together.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Concept Kids: Animals

    
“We got this game when our youngest was 3, and I wish we’d known about it when our older kids were that age. It’s an under the radar gem! This is my preschooler’s favorite game, and unlike most games for young kids, I actually want to play this one.” – Taylor

4. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Outfoxed!

This board game is like Clue but for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. A fox stole a pot pie, and you have to figure out which fox it was before they escape into the foxhole.

My kids will regularly play this cooperative whodunnit game independently, and I love watching them work together as a team to solve the mystery.

This is a fun little game to build your 3-year-old’s logic and deductive reasoning skills.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 5 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) some 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

1,129 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$16 from Amazon* $16 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Outfoxed

    
“Outfoxed is cooperative so it’s fun for everyone and easy enough for even preschoolers to participate!” – Elizabeth

5. My First Castle Panic

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: My First Castle Panic

Castle Panic is one of my favorite cooperative board games for the whole family, so I was excited to discover they had a kids’ edition.

Because this is a cooperative game, you work together to fight off a horde of monsters who are trying to tear down your castle walls and destroy your castle. It sure is fun to work together as a family towards a common goal that doesn’t involve loading the dishwasher!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

$28 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

My First Castle Panic

    
“We play Castle Panic and Carcassonne with our boys, and they LOVE them both. They are 3 and 6. Sometimes, our 3 year old is on a team, but he can usually play by himself for both games.” – Autumn

6. Dinosaur Escape

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Dinosaur Escape

This is another of our favorite cooperative board games for 3-year-olds. In this one, all the players work together to get all the dinosaurs safely to the island before the volcano erupts.

Your child will build memory skills and learn how to work on a team, all while having fun playing in a pretend world with dinosaurs and an erupting volcano. Even my 12-year-old gets into this preschool game!

Because this game is designed for younger kids, you’ll rarely lose to the volcano. But for 3-year-olds just getting their feet wet in the world of board games, that goes in the pro column because it helps build their confidence.

If you’d like to make this game more challenging over time, the game instructions include suggestions for variations. Or you and your kids can come up with your own house rules. Here are a few rules we sometimes play with to make it more challenging for older kids:

• Dinosaurs can search only the area they’re in
• Game pieces can move in only one direction
• Add more dinosaur or animal figurines so you have to rescue more before the volcano blows
• Each player can move only one dinosaur
• If you get a T-Rex, shuffle all the fern tiles and redistribute
• If you get a lizard, go back one space

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

$17 from Amazon* $17 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Dinosaur Escape

    
“We LOVE Dinosaur Escape in our family. It only takes about 10 mins to complete so it holds our 2 year old’s attention span. It’s simple enough for both our 5 year old and 2 year old to grasp. But best of all, it’s a cooperative game that gets them excited to work together…this is a winner!” – Katie

Educational Games for 3-Year-Olds

Research shows that playing an educational board game with your 3-year-old can help them learn. As one example, playing a number board game with a preschooler supports their early mathematical development.

But all educational board games are not created equal. Some learning games can be a snoozefest for your preschooler (and you). Here are the tried-and-true educational games for 3-year-olds that you’ll actually enjoy together.

1. Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard by HABA

Time to Play: 15 minutes for Hoot Owl Hoot; 10 minutes for Orchard
Number of Players: 2–4 for Hoot Owl Hoot; 1-8 for Orchard
Minimum Age: Both games are a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard

With both these cooperative board games for 3-year-olds, your child will get practice with color matching. Hoot Owl Hoot also gives young kids a taste of strategic thinking and planning ahead.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

2. Concept Kids: Animals

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2–12
Minimum Age: Most 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Concept Kids: Animals

This delightful game will get your 3-year-old thinking about categories, similarities, and differences. Plus, they’ll get to hone their deductive reasoning skills.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

3. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Outfoxed!

I’ve loved playing this game with all my kids at age three! If you want to build your child’s deductive reasoning ability, this is the best pick.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

4. My First Castle Panic

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: My First Castle Panic

This cooperative game is excellent for teaching your child to slow down and think through their next steps. And because it’s cooperative, you can be a gentle support to your child as they develop their strategic thinking skills.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

5. Sequence Letters

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Sequence Letters

This game will help your child with recognizing letters and the sounds they make, but unlike most educational games, they’ll actually have fun playing this one. (And so will you!)

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

1,202 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

    
“The one we have enjoyed playing most with our 4-yr-old daughter is Sequence for Kids. We loved it so much that she wanted to purchase one for her friend for Christmas. :)” – Kim

Memory and Matching Games for 3-Year-Olds

Memory and matching games are the perfect fit for 3-year-olds because those kinds of games support the development of their working memory as well as their emotional knowledge, which they need for healthy social play. This is important because working memory is essential to early childhood learning. Plus, research shows preschoolers with strong working memory skills are more likely to graduate high school.

Below, you’ll find the best memory and matching games for 3-year-olds, as reviewed by real parents and families in this community.

1. Sequence for Kids

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds and up can understand and enjoy this game
Get It: Sequence for Kids

Most 3-year-olds aren’t yet ready for the classic Sequence game, so the Sequence for Kids version is a great way to get them familiar with that fun game before they’re ready to graduate.

What I love about this game is that after you play a few times, you’ll notice your child start thinking ahead a couple turns instead of just playing the second they find a match, which is excellent for developing their strategic thinking skills.

1,202 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

    
“The one we have enjoyed playing most with our 4-yr-old daughter is Sequence for Kids. We loved it so much that she wanted to purchase one for her friend for Christmas. :)” – Kim

2. Spot It! Jr. Animals

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Minimum Age: Even toddlers can play this one, so it’s an excellent pick for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Spot It! Jr. Animals

This card game is similar to the regular version of Spot It! but simplified for younger kids with larger images and fewer images on each card.

My favorite part of this matching game for 3-year-olds is that it’s so portable. I can throw it in my purse when we’re heading somewhere the kids will have to wait a bit, like the doctor’s office or to a restaurant. The small tin holding the cards also makes this game a great fit as a stocking stuffer for kids.

If your child loves this game, Spot It! 123 is another version that will help develop their number sense.

1,132 families purchased this game after reading this post…

Out of stock on Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Spot It! Jr Animals or Classic or 123

    
“A must have game for every home perfect for ALL ages…Spot It! It’s a matching game on a whole new level. My husband and I love this game as much as the kids!” – Cristy

3. Life on Earth Memory Game

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds and up can understand and enjoy this game
Get It: Life on Earth Memory Game

It took us three tries to find the best memory matching game for 3-year-olds: the Life on Earth game by eeBoo.

The original Memory game was fine, but the artwork is babyish so our older kids weren’t as interested in playing with their younger sibling, not to mention the cardboard pieces were flimsy and easy to bend. Another edition was a little too “creative” for young kids to figure out, and we couldn’t seem to find the memory game that was the perfect fit.

Then we found the Life on Earth edition: The artwork is gorgeous, and the thick, sturdy pieces are perfect to prevent bending or ripping by curious little hands. Plus, with younger kids, each piece gives you an opportunity to talk through different types of animals and share fun tidbits you know about them. Great for building your child’s vocabulary!

Here are a few ways you can play this memory game with your 3-year-old:

• Classic game: Flip all the cards upside down and take turns flipping two at a time to find matches.
• Variation for younger kids: Flip all the cards right side up and take turns spotting matches. Or as another option, you can set out just a few matching sets at a time like 3 or 4 matching sets face down.
• Sorting game: Flip all the cards up and sort them into groups. For example: Which of these would you find in the ocean? The sky? On land? Or: Find all the purple cards, and so on.

$17 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Life on Earth Memory Game

    
“I’ve gone through a few different memory games over the years as my kids have grown, and I wish I’d just started with this one. The pieces are durable, the illustrations are beautiful, and I love watching my 3-year-old play with her grandparents!” – Jenny

4. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Outfoxed!

This clever cooperative game helps develop your child’s working memory skills because when you receive new clues, you have to compare that to what you know about the pool of suspects. Plus, Outfoxed is just plain fun. This is an all-time favorite for my family!

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

5. Concept Kids: Animals

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2–12
Minimum Age: Most 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Concept Kids: Animals

This is another fun cooperative game that will give your child practice with memory skills. For example, they have to remember which animal they’re giving clues about, and they have to remember which clues they’ve already given. But because 3-year-olds are still learning, all is not lost if they forget! They can simply peek at the animal card again, or they can check the clues on the board.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

6. Dinosaur Escape

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Dinosaur Escape

In this cooperative game, your child will build memory skills while playing in a pretend world with dinosaurs and an erupting volcano. If your 3-year-old loves dinosaurs, this game is a must!

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

Card Games for 3-Year-Olds

Card games are a fun choice for playing with your preschooler because they’re typically quick to play, which is great for their short attention span. And you can typically set up a card game more quickly than a board game so that your 3-year-old doesn’t lose interest before you even start the game.

In this section, you’ll find the best card games for 3-year-olds that you’ll both enjoy.

1. Spot It! Jr. Animals

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Minimum Age: Even toddlers can play this one, so it’s an excellent pick for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Spot It! Jr. Animals

This card game for 3-year-olds is simple and quick yet still challenging enough to keep adults engaged, too. Whenever we would head on a trip with our kids at age three, this portable little game is the first game I’d pack.

After your child masters this version for younger kids, they can graduate to the regular version of Spot It!.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

2. Create a Story Cards

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2 or more
Minimum Age: 2-year-olds can play this one (even if their stories don’t make a lot of sense!), so this is a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Create a Story Cards

This simple card game for 3-year-olds is a great way to foster your child’s imagination and build literacy skills.

The game has several variations, but our favorite is this: Each player takes turns picking a random card. The first person starts a story with “Once upon a time…” and then on the next turn, the next person uses their card as inspiration to add to the story.

The stories we come up with as a family always leave us giggling!

What’s especially great about this game is you have several versions to choose from, and to kick it up a notch you can even mix different sets together:

• Fairy Tale Mix-Up
• Animal Village
• Mystery in the Forest
• Volcano Island

This one also makes for a fun travel game to take along on road trips or plane rides.

1,208 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Create a Story Cards

    
“This little game is quick, easy, and fun! You pick a card, say “Once upon a time…”, and let your child fill in the details. Then you can ask follow-up questions like “and then what happened?” until they peter out. I love that this requires minimal brainpower from me when I’m tired (which is always) and my daughter LOVES coming up with the stories. Great for her imagination!” – Fiona

3. Sleeping Queens

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Sleeping Queens

This card game is technically for older kids, but our preschoolers all played this game since the age of three. Of all the games for 3-year-olds in this list, this one has been a top favorite for our kids and our number one go-to as a family. The rules are simple enough for a preschooler to understand, but the game still keeps everyone on their toes.

We really and truly never get tired of this one. Plus, you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes, which is perfect for getting in a dose of family connection before sending little ones off to bed.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) many 3-year-olds are ready for this game if you help them.

4,687 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$18 from Amazon* $18 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sleeping Queens

    
“My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought ‘How did you know that…?’ Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.” – Ann

By the way, when you’re playing card games with your child, this card holder is a must have for little hands. Your child can hold it to see their cards, or they can set the holder down on the table for a break. (This particular card holder has stood the test of time, as opposed to other card holders we’ve tried.)

Readers who bought Sleeping Queens also bought

$9 from Amazon* $7 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Little Hands Playing Card Holder
    
“I love the card holder, plus your suggestions for how to play with little kids!” – Linda

More Awesome Games for 3-Year-Olds

If you need more ideas of games to play with your preschooler, here are the best games for 3-year-olds that didn’t fall into the above categories.

1. Yeti in My Spaghetti

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more players
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Yeti in My Spaghetti

This game is similar to Ker-Plunk, but it’s a better fit for 3-year-olds because Ker-Plunk’s marbles are choking hazards.

To play this fun little game, you lay the spaghetti pieces across the bowl then put the yeti on top. (No logic or story behind this setup—just go with it.) Then each player takes turns pulling out one piece of spaghetti. If the yeti falls to the bottom of the bowl on your turn, you lose. This is usually the point where the kids collapse into giggles, which can be contagious!

This game is perfect for preschoolers because it helps develop their executive functioning skills when they learn (the hard way) to be patient and pull the spaghetti pieces out slowly.

162 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$14 from Amazon* $14 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Yeti in My Spaghetti

    
“We love Yeti in My Spaghetti. :) Low competition and just a fun game!” – Jane

2. Animal Upon Animal

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Minimum Age: Even some 2-year-olds can play this one, so it’s a great fit for 3-year-olds
Get It: Animal Upon Animal

When your child is ready to move from cooperative to competitive board games, this is a fun stacking game. In this game, you stack different wooden animal figurines on top of a large alligator, trying to see how high you can stack them before it all comes crashing down. This game develops your child’s executive functioning skills as they learn they’ll need to be patient and use creative problem-solving in order to get their animals to stack without falling down.

But even when the stack does come crashing down? Giggles all around.

This game is great for developing your child’s fine motor skills. But it can also be a fun challenge even for adults because the painted pieces are a bit on the slick side, so it’s harder to stack them than you might imagine.

Then when your child beats you fair and square at this game, you won’t even care because they’ll literally glow with pride.

And unlike some other stacking games for kids that are made with low-quality plastic, these sturdy wooden pieces are made to last. 3-year-olds aren’t always the gentlest with flimsy game pieces, but our copy of this game has lasted through four kids! (Side note: This game is made by the same company who makes Orchard, which my kids also love and is featured earlier in this list.)

At first, start by just stacking the pieces like you would with blocks. As your child gets more confident and comfortable with the physics of the game, you can follow the game rules.

Warning: If your child still tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Animal Upon Animal edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids, then later you can get this edition.

139 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Animal Upon Animal

    
“We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal!” – Richard

3. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: Even toddlers get into this one, so it’s excellent for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

This makes a good first board game for 3-year-olds because it doesn’t require a lot of strategic thinking, it’s quick to play, and the game rules are easy to understand. Plus, the artwork is adorable!

But here’s my favorite aspect of this game: Kids can easily play this independently while you sneak a catnap on the couch.

If you have more than one child or your child likes to play board games with friends, you’ll likely want to play this with the kids the first couple of times to help them learn the rules, but after that you can peace out.

Here’s the setup: Your forest friends are hungry, and they need your help. Be the first to fill your log with delicious acorns, and you win.

563 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

    
“Great fun for little ones and adults!!! We play with my 5 year old who loves it and my 2 year old who is starting to understand. It’s one of the few kids games that is actually fun for me to play as well. I highly recommend this game. It is great quality and great design!” – Dan

Beware: Board Games for 3-Year-Olds to Avoid

If your child is enjoying playing a game with you and you’re enjoying the experience too, ultimately, that’s the most important factor in what makes a board game a good fit for your family.

With that said, some parents have reported certain board games for 3-year-olds as being mind-numbing for adults and/or frustrating for the child.

If you want to avoid that experience, here are a few board games for 3-year-olds to skip bringing into your home. If you already have any of these and you want to phase them out, what’s worked well for other parents is to move the game to a less visible spot wherever you store board games and instead move one of the fun games from earlier in this article in their place.

• Candyland: This game does give kids practice with taking turns and following directions, but that’s true of any game. Kids can get unnecessarily frustrated with this game because the penalties are completely random, and they have no agency for making a choice that would influence the outcome of their turn. Adults don’t enjoy this game because it’s repetitive and boring, with absolutely zero mental effort required. The game manufacturer also seems to have changed the game board in recent years, such as by making the path visually busy and hard to follow and by adding more squares to the path to make the game longer. Neither of which are a good fit for young children.
• Hi Ho! Cherry-O: This game does require counting, so in theory it could be an educational game for 3-year-olds. But if your child ends up frustrated and sad, they won’t be learning anything. As an adult, setting up the tiny fruit pieces (40 of them!) to start the game is tedious. Also, when you grab your basket from the game board, those tiny fruit pieces will roll into the hole left by your basket—and you have to pause the game to put them all back where they belong. From a child’s perspective, the spinner is unfriendly, with almost half of the spaces you can land on forcing you to give all your fruits back. That can be incredibly frustrating for young kids.
• Chutes & Ladders: As with Candyland, this game involves zero decision-making. Just spin the wheel and move, which makes it mind-numbing for adults and means it doesn’t have staying power with kids as they grow. Also, adults and kids don’t enjoy that this game seems to drag on, especially as you reach the end.
• Hungry Hungry Hippos: This game is frustrating for young kids because the hippos tend to detach during the gameplay, and sometimes the mouths won’t open, whereas other times, the mouths get stuck open. That means you have to stop the game and fix it, which requires extra patience on a young child’s part—not their strong suit. If that weren’t bad enough, the marbles often get stuck inside the track or a hippo’s neck, so you have to stop the game and fish them out. On the adult side, the setup for this game is tedious, as is having to be “tech support” when the game breaks while you’re playing it.
• Don’t Break the Ice: The legs of the ice stand come off, which is helpful when you need to put this game back in the box, but not so helpful when you’re in the middle of the game and they come off. Then your child has to wait while you put it back together, interrupting the flow of play. The ice also falls out too easily, especially with repeated plays as what’s holding the ice in place loosens over time. And as with the other non-recommended board games for 3-year-olds in this list, the game is all luck and no strategy.
• Let’s Go Fishin’: Similar to Hungry Hungry Hippos, this game does give young kids motor skill practice. However, the motor that spins the board goes fast and the fish are very small, so it’s too challenging for many 3-year-olds. Also, adults report that the sounds of the motor and the fish rotating are grating, plus kids who are sensitive to sensory input hate the noise. But most important of all, the current version of this game seems to have quality control issues because it often breaks after a few times of playing it.

How to Play Board Games With Your 3-Year-Old: 8 Tried-And-True Tips

If you haven’t played many board games with your preschooler yet or if you’ve tried and it hasn’t worked well, this section is for you.

Preschoolers aren’t exactly known for their ability to sit still, follow directions, and take turns. So at first, playing board games with your child can feel a bit…futile. They zip off three minutes into the game, they seem determined to destroy as many game components as possible, and trying to bend your preschooler’s will to follow the rules can land you in the middle of an epic tantrum wondering when the “fun” is supposed to start.

After introducing my own four children to board games and also playing countless games with the preschoolers of our friends and neighbors over the years, I’ve stumbled on a few tricks for how to make playing games with your 3-year-old go more smoothly.

Here are a few tips for introducing your preschooler to board games so that you’ll both grow to enjoy the experience of playing games:

• Do a test run. Your preschooler has a limited attention span. So if you’re playing a brand-new-to-you game for the first time, you might use up all their patience while you’re reading the rules and figuring out the game. Before you sit down to play a new game with your child, play it by yourself after your their bedtime or during naptime (if you’re still lucky enough to have a napper at this age!). That way, when you do play the first time with your child, you’ll be able to jump right into the fun part.
• Go for cooperative first. When you’re starting out, play cooperative games for 3-year-olds like Outfoxed! or Orchard. Why? Because competitive elements of a game tend to go right over preschoolers’ heads. Also, competitive games typically leave younger kids feeling less enthusiastic about the game and may even lead to more aggressive behavior and less cooperation after the game. If you do play a competitive game where there’s one winner, you can make a big deal about how much fun it was to play the game together. You can also model good sportsmanship by congratulating the winner, but try to keep the focus on how fun the whole game experience was.
• Make it quick. Because young children have short attention spans, you’ll have the best results if you start out with quick 5- or 10-minute games like Yeti in My Spaghetti, rather than games that take 15 to 20 minutes or longer.
• Let them choose. Wherever you typically keep your board games, make sure the preschooler-friendly games are at eye level and the others are less visible. Then let your child pick which game they want to play. (Forcing a child to play a specific game they’re not interested in typically won’t result in a fun experience!)
• Put fun first. If you’re a stickler for following the rules (that’s me!), you might get especially frustrated when your 3-year-old loses interest in a game you’ve started or refuses to play by the rules. But if at any point you or your child are no longer having fun, give yourself permission to hit the pause button on that game and try again later. I am absolutely guilty of turning a game into an unnecessary power struggle with my child, and that never ends well!
• Bend the rules. While your child gets used to playing games, feel free to bend the rules to simplify a game or make it more fun for them. Some of the board games for 3-year-olds listed above include rule variations for younger children, but you can make up your own variations too. The ultimate goal is to connect with your child and inspire a love of playing games, so be flexible. For example, when we’re playing the Life on Earth Memory Game with a 3-year-old, we flip all the cards right side up and take turns spotting matches that way. Or as another alternative, you can set out just five to six matching pairs at a time and flip those over.
• Repeat yourself. For a young brain to learn, they need repetition. So while it may feel frustrating to keep reminding your child of what to do next and what not to do, gentle and kind reminders are exactly what they need to improve their ability to focus, remember instructions, and control their impulses.
• Play on teams. To get your child used to the mechanics of game play, play a few rounds with them on your “team” before you let them loose to play on their own. When you’re on a team together, your preschooler can be responsible for things like rolling dice, picking a card from the draw pile, moving your pawn, and so on.
• Follow the leader. For example, if your child is having fun stacking the animal pieces in Animal Upon Animal, that’s awesome. But if instead they start playing pretend with the animals and doing all the animal noises, that’s awesome too. The overall goal of playing board games with your preschooler is to have fun together, so follow your child’s lead and roll with the punches.
• Narrate the game. Pretend you’re a sportscaster, and comment on everything that happens in the game. Narrating the game both helps your child understand the game rules and boosts their vocabulary. Also, game strategy may be a foreign concept to your preschooler right now, so talking through your own decisions during the game can help build their reasoning skills.
• Move back one space. Every child develops at their own pace. If the board games for 3-year-olds in this article aren’t working for your 3-year-old, that’s perfectly okay and nothing to worry about. You can follow the tips in the rest of this section to infuse a playful spirit into your board game experience until your child is ready for more, or you can pick up one of the best board games for toddlers and see if those might be a better fit for now. Remember: If you try a game and your child doesn’t seem ready for it, put it away for a couple weeks or a month, then try again. Your preschooler’s brain is growing constantly, so they might surprise you sooner rather than later!

Your Turn

What are your favorite board games for 3-year-olds? Share in a comment below!

The post 16 Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds (Plus What to Avoid) appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

When you’re the parent of a teenager, it’s normal to feel a bit wrong-footed from time to time.

Your teen comes to you with a problem, so you try to offer helpful advice, but they get more frustrated. You try to get a laugh out of them, but instead you get an eye roll. You go in for a hug, but they shrug you off.

You know in your bones that if you want to nurture a loving parent-child relationship that will last beyond the teenage years, you need to stay connected right now. But it feels like you can’t seem to do anything right, so you have a knot in your stomach that’s growing by the day. And you wonder: Are they slipping away from me?

The truth is that teenagers gotta teenage. In other words, it’s healthy for your teenager to exercise their independence and to express big emotions.

At the same time, if you want a healthy relationship with your teenager, you need to find a way to stay connected during this pivotal time. But they’re no longer toddlers, so you can’t just tell a goofy knock-knock joke, read a sweet picture book, or play pretend with their 798 stuffies and call it a day.

Here’s the good news: You can still play with your teenager in a way that fills both your warm-fuzzy tanks. All you need are a couple of the absolute best board games for teenagers.

Your Teenager Still Wants to Play With You

This time in your child’s life can be confusing for them.

They want to be independent, but they still crave your unconditional love and warmth. They want to be treated like an adult, but sometimes they still want to be a kid. They want to act mature, but their brain often feels like it’s drowning in a slurry of emotions.

While they’d be hard-pressed to admit it, your teenager needs a safe space to set all those burdens down for a little while. And one of the best ways you can give them that safe space is by letting them be a kid again and playing a board game with them.

Not only is playing with your teenager fun for both of you, but it’s exactly what their brain needs. Research shows that while the first eight years of life are critical for brain development, adolescence marks a second critical phase of brain growth:

“The way to make a better brain is not through hours of homework and training, what the brain wants is play; it grows best when it is allowed to play…Play is quintessentially capable of activating the very best that the (brain) is capable of.”

In fact, experts say play is crucial for your teen’s mental health, especially in a world where teens are under increasing pressure to succeed and meet high expectations.

Related: The Best Family Board Games for All Ages (No Candyland!)

What Makes This List Different

When you search “board games for teenagers,” you can find list after list of games that are supposedly perfect for teenagers. But there’s one big problem with most of those lists: They weren’t compiled by actual real-life families with actual real-life teenagers.

Unfortunately, a lot of the lists of recommended products these days are written by someone whose boss told them to search Amazon for a few products and slap a list together—or worse, written by an AI tool (i.e. a robot) designed to help companies crank out as much content as possible.

But this list is different. My family has been testing board games with our crew of six for more than 10 years, then roping friends and neighbors into testing our favorites too. Over the years, we’ve uncovered the absolute gems—and rooted out the total clunkers.

In fact, we’re such big board game aficionados that a couple years ago, we opened our own family-owned game shop.

Every game we recommend has been kid-tested and parent-tested. Not just tested and approved by our own family but by thousands of other families who’ve added to their own game collections based on our recommendations over the years.

Related: The Best 30 Games for Family Game Night, According to Kids and Parents

The Best 23 Board Games for Teens

Your teenager has outgrown Connect 4 and Candy Land (thank goodness!), but just because they’re more mature doesn’t mean you have to suffer through a mind-numbing 4-hour session of Risk.

Below, you’ll find the best board games for teenagers that you’ll both enjoy. From cooperative games where you’ll work together toward a common goal to silly games that will get you giggling, this list has something for every teen.

Play these fun games with your teen to strengthen your parent-child bond while also giving them a playful break from the growing stress and anxiety they’re experiencing. (Side note: These games also make great gifts for your teen!)

Note: indicates my family’s absolute favorite board games for teens. These are the games we can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

Quick Card Games for Teens: Play in 20 Minutes or Less

When you’re short on time and need a quick dose of connection with your teen, these are the best card games for teenagers. These quick games work great before bedtime, while you’re waiting on dinner in the oven, or anytime you happen to find your teen free on the weekend. If you’re sick of Uno, this list is for you.

1. Love Letter

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Get It: Love Letter

This quick strategic card game is so fun that as soon as you finish one game, you might find yourself wanting to kick off another one right away!

Here’s the setup: The Princess is seeking a partner and confidant to stand by her side when she assumes the throne. Each player is a suitor who’s competing to have their love letter delivered to the Princess.

The gameplay is simple, so it’s easy to learn:

• Each player gets one card to start.
• On your turn, you draw one card and pick one of your two cards to play. Whichever card is left in your hand is the person who’s carrying your letter to the Princess.
• Then here’s where it gets fun: When you play a card, each card has a different effect, like letting you peek at another player’s card, making someone discard their hand and draw a new one, protecting yourself against other players’ card effects, and more. You’ll have to use deductive reasoning skills to figure out who has which card and make the most of your card effects.
• The last player left standing delivers their letter to the Princess and wins the round.

Because it’s so quick, this game is the perfect fit for a dose of connection with your teen before bedtime or as a filler in between other games during a family game night. And it’s small, so you can easily tuck it into your suitcase before a family vacation.

This is an all-time favorite for many families because it’s so quick yet still challenging. And out of all these board games for teens, this is the one that’s gotten the most play in my own family. It’s easy to set up and a fun puzzle for your brain!

Black Friday’s back: Get 30% off all games with the code HAPPY30. Plus, free shipping for orders $49+.

$13 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Love Letter

    
“My teen and tween love this quick little card game. To win, you need to rely on your deductive reasoning skills, plus a bit of luck. You can play a whole game in 20 minutes, but if you’re short on time, you can play one round in 5-7 minutes. But warning: Even when we set out to play ‘just one round,’ we always end up playing several!” – Tyler

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

2. Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition

Time to Play: 30 minutes (or less if you want—see below)
Number of Players: 4-20+
Get It: Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition or expansion packs Glow in the Dark Box and Written by Kids Pack

When you play this card game, get ready for your whole family to collapse into giggles—teens included. The ridiculous question-and-answer combos your family members put together will keep you coming back again and again. This is pure silly fun! (Warning: If your family is not into potty humor, best skip this game.)

The game comes with two decks of cards: the black set contains questions, and the white set contains answers.

Here’s how you play: The first person assumes the role of the Card Czar and picks a black card, then asks that question. Then everyone else picks a white card from their hand with what they think is the funniest answer and hands it to the Card Czar to shuffle together (without showing whose card is whose!). The Card Czar then reads all the answers and picks the funniest one, and whoever submitted that answer wins the round. The next round, the next player becomes the Card Czar, and you keep going as long as you want to.

Because this game can accommodate a large number of players, it makes the perfect party game.

Pro tip: The box says each game takes at least 30 minutes, but if you’re short on time, you can play just one circuit so everyone gets to be the Card Czar once.

The Family Edition includes 600 cards, the Glow in the Dark Box adds 300 more cards to the mix, and the Written by Kids Pack tops you off with 30 extra cards written by real-life kids who love this game.

$29 from Amazon* $29 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition

    
“I’m 16 years old, and this is one of my family’s favorite games. My youngest brother is 7, and he can even win some rounds. I love coming up with the winning answer, but the best part of the game has got to be when my dad is laughing so hard he cries and can’t even speak.” – Lucy

3. SET

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Get It: SET

Teens love outsmarting their parents, and this fast-moving card game will give them ample opportunity to do just that. To play, you compare patterns on the cards and find a SET of three cards before anyone else does.

Confession: At first, I thought this game looked too simple and that it wouldn’t keep my interest as an adult, but it came highly recommended so I gave it a chance. As it turns out, I was dead wrong. Finding a SET is challenging enough to keep adults on their toes too!

$13 from Amazon* $13 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

SET

    
“So good for including all ages together, getting them to think mathematically without telling them so. The spatial awareness this develops is fun, competitive and beautifully repetitive. Finish a game and you want to start another!” – Karen

4. Dragonwood

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Dragonwood

Of all the quick card games for teens in this list, this one and Love Letter are my personal favorites.

In this card and dice game, you recruit adventurers to go off on quests and battle magical creatures including trolls, wolves, and dragons.

This game is a must for teens who love fantasy books or movies. For an extra dose of fun, when one of us captures a creature, we celebrate with a “Huzzah!” or “Take that!” or “A plague upon thee!”

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Dragonwood

    
“I have 3 boys ages 9, 12 & 16. Dragonwood is always a hit with all 3 of them. The 16 yr old helps the youngest figure his mathematical odds of rolling a high enough number with a certain number of cards. They all love the names of the creatures. Great family game that doesn’t take too long (30 min).” – Lisa

5. Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

Time to Play: 15 minutes for original; 20-30 minutes for party edition
Number of Players: 2–5 for original; 2-8 for party edition
Get It: Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

This fun card game is one of our go-to picks on family game night.

To play, you pick one card from your hand to keep for yourself, then pass your cards to the next person. Everyone keeps doing this until all cards are picked. Then you score points based on which cards you picked to keep: Did you get the most maki rolls? Did you dip your nigiri in wasabi to triple its value?

The Sushi Go Party edition is perfect when you want a quick game for a large group because you can play with up to 8 people. You also get fun new cards that aren’t in the original edition, plus you can customize each game to change up the strategy and keep it fresh.

1,822 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

    
“I can confirm the power of board games. It’s our bonding time where we all have fun together. Sushi Go is one of our favorites when we are short on time!” – Olivia

6. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Time to Play: 10-30 minutes
Number of Players: 3-8
Get It: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

This twist on Slapjack is more fun the more players you have, so it works best when your whole crew can play together.

Each person takes turns placing a card from their hand face up into a community pile while saying the next word in the sequence of taco/cat/goat/cheese/pizza. For example, suppose it’s your turn to say “goat” and as you lay the card down, you see that the card matches what you just said. Then everyone slaps! The last person to slap picks up the pile and adds it to the bottom of their hand. The first person to get rid of all their cards wins.

The deck also has a few special cards where you have to act something out before you slap the deck, like with the gorilla card where you have to beat your chest like a gorilla before slapping. This game is great silly fun!

But beware: Some teens really get into this game, so everyone might end the game with sore hands from slapping enthusiastically.

$10 from Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

    
“We went camping and packed this new game we’d gotten for Christmas, and I’m so glad we did. Everyone had a BLAST, even my teenager and my 65-year-old mom. I love that you can play with a big group, and it’s easy to learn.” – Kristin

7. Go Nuts for Donuts

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Get It: Go Nuts for Donuts

This is a quick card game that always makes us laugh. The goal of the game is to get as many points-scoring donuts as you can and end up with the highest score.

But the magic of this game happens when you go after the same donut as someone else. Because if you both go after the same donut, no one gets the donut. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after—so you can avoid going after the same donut. But then…are the other players predicting the same thing about you and therefore picking a different donut than you’d expect, so now you’re actually going after the same donut after all?!

My husband and I always end up picking the same darn donut turn after turn, so our teen, tween, and younger kids tend to beat us handily.

Most families who enjoy Sushi Go end up loving this quick card game too.

116 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$30 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Go Nuts for Donuts

    
“So many great games here! Castle Panic and Go Nuts for Donuts are AWESOME.” – Kayla

8. Quiddler

Time to Play: 20-35 minutes
Number of Players: 1-8
Get It: Quiddler

If your teen enjoys word games, you need this card game. Because when you’re in the mood for Scrabble but don’t have time for a full game, this one will scratch that itch!

Each card in your hand features a different letter, and the goal of the game is to use those letters to create words. Creating words scores points, and the person with the most points at the end wins.

Note: The manufacturer says this game takes 35 minutes to play, but that’s for a full eight rounds. If you’d like a shorter game, you can just play fewer rounds and then add up everyone’s points.

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Quiddler

    
“This has been a go-to game for our family for years, and my teens love it! It’s quick and easy, and you can play it anywhere. We even throw it in a suitcase so we can play when we’re traveling. If you like Scrabble, it’s similar, but this game is easier and allows more people to play.” – Cassie

Exciting Board Games for Teens That Will Make Your Heart Race

These fun board games for teenagers will get you working toward a common goal against a shared enemy—or desperately trying to out-maneuver your opponents so you’re not left in the dust. Tuck your smartphones away for a few minutes, and get ready to have fun together!

9. Forbidden Island or Forbidden Desert

Time to Play: 30 minutes for Island; 45 minutes for Desert
Number of Players: 2-4 for Island; 2-5 for Desert
Get It: Forbidden Island or Forbidden Desert

These are cooperative games, which is a great choice when you and your teen have been butting heads. In Forbidden Island, you work together to collect treasure before the ancient island you’re on sinks into the ocean—plus you have to rescue your whole team off the island with a helicopter before you sink with the island.

Forbidden Desert is the sequel to Forbidden Island, and now your team of adventurers is trying to recover a legendary flying machine buried in the ruins of an ancient desert city. You have to survive the lack of water and sandstorms, retrieve all the pieces of the flying machine, and escape before the desert claims you forever.

Even though I know it’s not real, my heart races every time we get to the end of these games! An instant boredom-banisher.

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Forbidden Island

    
“Forbidden Island is great because unlike most games it teaches cooperation instead of competition – all the players must work together, using their different player skills, in order to get all the treasures before the island sinks. Either everyone wins or everyone loses. It is my new favorite game to play with my 9-year-old daughter!” – Mark

$25 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Forbidden Desert

    
“Family games should be fun for everyone! We have five kids, and that is one of the rules of our Friday Family Fun Night. We play a lot of co-op games with our kids [like] Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert and Castle Panic. Co-op games are great for teaching kids slowly, as open hands and working together are good.” – Michelle

10. 7 Wonders

Time to Play: 30-40 minutes
Number of Players: 2-7
Get It: 7 Wonders

This is my personal all-time favorite game to play with my teen.

In the game, each player is the leader of one of the seven great cities of the Ancient World, and your goal is to build your city and erect an architectural wonder that will stand the test of time. You collect cards to accumulate resources for your city, develop commercial routes, advance scientific discoveries, and build your military.

I never get tired of playing this game, and my teen and tween love that they can beat me at it.

However, if we’re short on time and it’s just two of us playing, we go for 7 Wonders Duel, a 2-player version of this fantastic strategy board game.

$48 from Amazon* $48 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

7 Wonders

    
“My teenager played this at a friend’s house and came home raving about it, so I surprised him with a copy for his birthday. Now our whole family is HOOKED. The genius of this game is that every time you play it, your strategy has to shift based on the hand you’re dealt. So it never gets boring. It’s a family favorite for us!” – Gabriela

11. Summer Camp

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Summer Camp

The nostalgia of this game will give you all the warm fuzzies—even if you haven’t ever gone to summer camp. This deck-building game is easy to learn, takes just 30-45 minutes, and is a delightful throwback to quintessential childhood experiences of summer.

During the game, you race against your competition to earn merit badges and collect the most experience points.

But first, you pick three categories to compete in: adventure, arts and crafts, cooking, friendship, games, outdoors, and water sports. That variety keeps the game feeling fresh and different every time.

My teen and tween never tire of playing this game, and playing it always puts a smile on my face too. Plus, ever since we got it, my kids insist that we pack it for every summer vacation!

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Summer Camp

    
“I’m 15 years old, and I love this game. It’s a deck building game, where you try to collect cards that will earn you experience points in different activities. Each game is never the same because you get to choose what activity card decks to play, like water sports and cooking. When you’re all trying to race to get the merit badges in each category, it gets really exciting!” – Abby

12. Catan

Time to Play: 60+ minutes
Number of Players: 3-4 or 5-6 with this extension set
Get It: Catan and Catan Extension: 5-6 Player

Previously known as Settlers of Catan, this is one of the most popular board games for teens and older kids, and for good reason. The gameplay is challenging so adults don’t get bored but still straightforward enough that teens and older kids can figure it out.

Your teen will get a playful arena for practicing their strategic thinking and negotiation skills, all while having a blast. Forget Monopoly and play Catan instead!

If you’ll be playing with more than 4 family members, you can add on the Catan 5-6 Player Extension here.

$44 from Amazon* $44 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Catan

    
“We LOVE Catan! Best game for the whole family.” – Janet

13. Pandemic

Time to Play: 45 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Pandemic

In this game, you work together and use your problem-solving skills to find the cure for deadly diseases so you can stop them from running rampant across the world. This has always been one of our all-time favorite board games for teens, and playing it right now has also felt a bit cathartic. It even helped my teen and tween process more of what’s going on in the world, and the pretend aspect helped them work through some of their anxieties about a real-life pandemic situation.

If you’re playing with a wide range of ages, the instructions include variations so you can increase or decrease the difficulty level to fit who you’re playing with.

$36 from Amazon* $36 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Pandemic

    
“This is a favorite co-operative game of our teen! It’s his choice every time. It is fast paced, full of suspense and challenge too! We usually win about 75% of the time. It’s for a good amount of people, so families can play. Each game is different depending on what character you get, how the epidemic cards are pulled and you can increase the difficulty by adding more epidemic cards. Always fun and we recommend!” – Stephanie

Smart Board Games for Teens That Will Keep Your Mind Sharp

If you and your teen enjoy a clever game that keeps you on your toes, here are the best board games for teenagers that will engage your critical thinking skills.

14. Splendor

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Splendor

This game is one of my family’s all-time favorites and a particular favorite for my teen and tween. It’s easy to set up and fairly quick to play, and it will make your brain hurt—in a good way! In my family, we’ve been known to finish this game and then immediately kick off another round right after that. In fact, if you forced me to choose the single best game for teenagers, I would be hard-pressed to choose between Splendor and 7 Wonders.

Here’s the setup: Each player is a merchant from the Renaissance, and your life’s goal is to build your prestige. You do that by purchasing gem mines, modes of transportation for your wares, and artisans who can turn your raw gems into jewelry you can sell in a storefront. Collect enough gems and cards to do all that, and you might even receive a visit from a noble, which gives you a mega prestige boost.

When I’m playing this game with my younger kids, I try to keep an eye out for when they might need help thinking ahead, and I intentionally hit the “off” switch on my own cutthroat mode before we start playing—I save that mode for playing against my husband and teenager instead.

$32 from Amazon* $32 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Splendor

    
“This game is deceptively easy, but it requires you to think ahead and build a strategy. With every game we played, I could see my kids learn how to plan ahead better so they could have a chance at winning. These days, they routinely beat me!” – Laura

15. Welcome To…

Time to Play: 25-30 minutes
Number of Players: 1-100
Get It: Welcome To

Imagine you’re an architect in the 1950s, and your job is to build the best neighborhood. This fast-paced card game feels a bit like playing Tetris on paper—if Tetris also had backyard pools, neighborhood parks, and real estate agents to contend with.

Welcome To is easy to set up, quick to play, and a fun puzzle for your brain. Plus, everyone takes their turn simultaneously, so it’s perfect for a larger group during family game night or other get-togethers.

But if you get the itch to play when the rest of your family is busy, you can also play the solitaire version.

Bonus tip: To help scoring go faster at the end of the game, consider using a bright highlighter to draw your neighborhood fences—that will make the fences stand out more than pencil or pen.

$29 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Welcome To…

    
“I’m 10 years old, and I love to play this game with my mom and my older sister who’s 15. It moves fast, so you never know who’s winning until the very end when you add up all the points. It’s pretty quick too, so we can play right before bedtime.” – Bailey

16. Azul

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Azul

This tile-laying game is the perfect choice for a cozy weekend afternoon with your teen. My teen and I like to brew up a batch of tea, then gather around the dining room table for this quick mind-bender of a game. This is especially perfect for teens who love puzzles.

The game has gorgeous art, and the colorful, chunky tiles look like candy. But the gameplay is where Azul shines: You’re a tile-laying artist, and you’re hired to build a mosaic fit to decorate the king’s palace. As you build your mosaic, you get points for linking tiles together, laying a whole row of tiles, and for using a variety of tile colors. A playful way to exercise your teen’s strategic thinking skills while also giving your mind a workout!

When you’re playing with younger kids, you can choose to take a more laidback approach and be considerate when choosing tiles so that you don’t leave your kids high-and-dry—and vice versa. But when you’re playing with tweens, teens, and adults, the gloves can come off. Every artist for themselves.

Playing this game always wakes up my overtired parent brain, and that feels good.

$32 from Amazon* $32 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Azul

    
“We love Ticket to Ride. Brilliant board game. Also, Azul is suprisingly brilliant!” – Ian

17. Wild Space

Time to Play: 30-40 minutes
Number of Players: 1-5
Get It: Wild Space

If your teen loves anything to do with sci-fi or space, you need this card game. Your goal? Recruit a crew of wild animals turned astronauts to help you explore space, kind of like building your own ragtag Guardians of the Galaxy team. The bigger your crew, the more points you can earn. But each player gets only 10 turns, so you’ll need to plan ahead to make the most of every opportunity to grow your team.

You’ll love the bright illustrations of animals—owls, monkeys, rhinos, lizards, octopuses, and bears—and feel a sense of satisfaction as you collect them for your crew. But what really makes this game shine is the possibility for card combos. If you keep your wits about you, you can kick off a chain reaction on your turn and play multiple cards one after the other, opening you up to earn more points at the end.

This game is a delightfully fun mind-bender!

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Wild Space

    
“My teens and I are huge sci-fi fans, so this game is right up our alley. I don’t have the time to join in on their sci-fi video games, but I can take 30 minutes to play this card game with them. All of us are usually so busy with our own stuff, so this is the perfect way to stay connected. This game is quick and fun, plus it makes you think.” – Sarah

18. Kingdomino or Queendomino

Time to Play: 15-20 minutes for Kingdomino; 25-30 minutes for Queendomino
Number of Players: 2-4; combine both games for up to 6 players
Get It: Kingdomino or Queendomino

In this fun twist on the classic game of dominoes, you’re royalty in search of new lands so you can expand your kingdom. But you’ll need to hurry to snag the best spots before other royalty gets there first.

Kingdomino is simple to learn, quick to play, and challenging enough to keep both teens and adults coming back for more. Queendomino adds some fun details on top of the original Kingdomino game, with buildings you can build on your land to earn more points, knights you can send out to collect taxes, and a dragon you can bribe to burn buildings down. Plus, if your lands boast the most towers, you can host the queen, which means you can purchase buildings for one coin less while you’re hosting her.

Queendomino is a standalone game and does not require Kingdomino. However, both games are in our regular rotation with our teen and tween, depending on how much time we have and whether we want something super simple or a little more involved. Whether you decide on Kingdomino or Queendomino—or both so you can play the “Royal Wedding” variation with up to 6 players—you can’t go wrong.

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Kingdomino or Queendomino

    
“Our family loves this game! It incorporates patterns, multiplication, and strategy, and with several variations on the rules, this works well for two players, and adds different objectives to games with more players.” – Christina

19. Ticket to Ride

Time to Play: 30-60 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Get It: Ticket to Ride

In this game, your goal is to figure out the best train routes to travel across America.

My teen loves beating me at this strategy game. Who knew geography could be so cutthroat?

Ticket to Ride is so much fun that my husband and I love to play it after all our kids are in bed, just the two of us. This game has been in our family’s regular rotation for years!

$44 from Amazon* $44 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Ticket to Ride

    
“Definitely one of my 13 year old’s favorite games to play! We love the strategy and the concept is easy enough to teach friends and them be able to catch on and enjoy the game as well.” – Ashley

20. Qwirkle

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

As with SET, teens love outsmarting their parents at this deceptively simple pattern matching game.

This game is simple enough for beginners but still challenging for adults, so it’s the perfect fit when you need a game that will give your teen a fighting chance.

This game also comes in a compact travel version, so we keep it in our suitcase and take it with us wherever we go.

365 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

    
“This game is so much fun for the family! We have played it several days in a row, and it’s a fun and challenging way to spend time together. The youngest in our home is 15 and we are all competitive. But this game would be great for a wide range of ages. The game is designed to suit any skill level. This may be the best $25 I ever spent…This game is compelling enough to get teenagers off their phones.” – Sheila

21. Rummikub

Time to Play: 45-60 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: Rummikub

This classic board game is easy to learn, but don’t let that fool you because it moves fast.

Rummikub is the perfect combination of luck and strategy, so every player has a chance to win. That’s important because if the only games you play with your teen are the ones where you dominate every time, that won’t exactly fill them up in the warm fuzzy department.

When grandparents come to visit, this is a great pick for your teen to connect with their grandparents!

258 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$24 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Rummikub

    
“This is a great QUICK game for all ages! Some family games like Monopoly can take FOREVER, but this one is fast enough that you can even play more than one round if you want. Plus, it’s not way easy like some games for kids, so it’s actually a challenge for me as an adult too! Keeps my brain active. :)” – Rose

22. Sequence

Time to Play: 10-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-12
Get It: Sequence

This classic strategy game will give you and your teen a workout for your brains.

Plus, you can play a game in 30 minutes or less. And because you can play with up to 12 people, Sequence makes the perfect choice for a family game night.

When you upgrade to the deluxe edition, you get a cushioned playing mat instead of a folding game board.

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence or Deluxe Sequence

    
“I bought this when my kids were little. It was a hit from day one! Even though they are 13 and 17 now, Sequence remains in our rotation of games which makes me happy. It’s truly a game for all ages.” – Milain

23. Dixit

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 3–6
Get It: Dixit

This storytelling game is especially perfect for creative teens. Not only is the artwork absolutely gorgeous, but you’ll also get to marvel at your teen’s creativity as you play. But to do well at this game, you must be good at keeping secrets, so bring your poker face.

Each round, one player picks a card (without showing anyone else!) and makes up a one-sentence story based on the picture on that card. Then all the other players pick a card that best fits with that story, and everyone puts their cards facedown. The storyteller shuffles the cards and turns them all over, and everyone votes on which was the “correct” card that inspired the original story. The only clues you get are the illustrations on the cards everyone submitted. Then after everyone votes, the mystery is revealed.

I never get tired of seeing what my teen comes up with. It’s like a window into how her brain works!

137 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$34 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Dixit

    
“My family’s favorite game EVER is Dixit. It’s perfect for a wide range of ages!” – Kristen

Want More?

For even more awesome game ideas, check out:

• All ages: The Best Board Games for All Ages
• Family game night: The Best 30 Games for Family Game Night, According to Kids and Parents

Your Turn

What are your favorite board games for teens? Share in a comment below!

The post 23 Best Board Games for Teens: From Cooperative to Cutthroat appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

The right game for family game night can bring your family moments of pure delight, shared giggles, and an even stronger connection. But the wrong game can leave you scratching your heads and feeling disappointed.

Whether it’s a new-to-you game with confusing directions, one that doesn’t work for your family’s age range, or one that turns out to be a total dud, some games can make your game night fizzle out faster than you can say “Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick.”

If you want your family game night to nurture your bond as a family and create moments that will turn into treasured memories, you need this list of the best games for game night.

What Makes This List Different

When you search for the best games for family game night, you’ll find no shortage of lists recommending certain board games. But spend a few minutes browsing those lists, and you’ll quickly discover they seem to have been put together by people whose bosses told them: “Yeahhh, I’m gonna need you to write an article about the best game night games. Just search Amazon for a few board games and slap a list together.”

In other words, very few of the lists you’ll find were compiled by actual real-life families with a weekly family game night tradition.

But this list is different. My family has been testing board games with our crew of six for more than 10 years, then roping friends and neighbors into testing our favorites too. Over the years, we’ve uncovered the absolute gems—and rooted out the total clunkers.

In fact, we’re such big board game aficionados that a couple years ago, we opened our own family-owned game shop.

Every game we recommend has been kid-tested and parent-tested. Not just tested and approved by our own family but by thousands of other families who’ve added to their own game collections based on our recommendations over the years.

The Best 30 Games for Family Game Night

Getting all geared up for the perfect family game night is no small feat—you need to clear your schedule, whip up your favorite game night snacks, and wrangle your crew to gather around the coffee table. So if you’re going to all that effort, you’ll want to make sure the night will deliver maximum fun by picking one of the best family game night games.

The list below grew out of my family’s experience of being on the hunt for the best board games for family game night for more than a decade. For this list, we researched for hours and hours to find all the top suggestions of board games for family night, then market-tested them with our own family, neighbors, friends, and the families who are patrons of our family-owned game shop.

Not only will your kids have a blast with these family game night games, but you will too.

A Quick Note About Suggested Ages

Each game below includes a suggested age range. But keep in mind that as with anything when it comes to kids and suggested ages, your mileage may vary. For example, some 6-year-olds might be able to play and enjoy some games for 7-year-olds, whereas some 7-year-olds might need help playing them.

If you try a game and your child doesn’t seem ready for it, put it away for a couple weeks or a month, then try again. Your child’s brain is growing constantly, so they might surprise you sooner rather than later!

Note: indicates my family’s absolute favorite family games for game night. These are the games my whole family can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

Quick Games for Game Night: Play in 20 Minutes or Less

Many families like to kick off family game night with a quick game. Here’s why: Everyone in your family will likely have a different favorite game, so starting your night with a fast round of an extra game gives you another chance to incorporate someone’s favorite.

This strategy also works well when you have a younger child who will need help with the primary game you’ll be playing during game night. That way, you can kick off with a game they feel confident playing without help, which will build their confidence moving forward and make the night more fun for them.

Quick games also work great as fillers in between longer games, such as if someone gets up to prepare more game night snacks while everyone else plays something quick.

Here are the best family game night games that you can play in 20 minutes or less.

1. Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

Time to Play: 15 minutes for original; 20-30 minutes for party edition
Number of Players: 2–5 for original; 2-8 for party edition
Age Range: 5 and up for original; 6 and up for party edition
Get It: Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

This fun card game is one of our favorite picks for family game night because it’s quick.

To play, you pick one card from your hand to keep for yourself, then pass your cards to the next person. Everyone keeps doing this until all cards are picked. Then you score points based on which cards you picked to keep: Did you get the most maki rolls? Did you dip your nigiri in wasabi to triple its value?

The Sushi Go Party edition is perfect when you want a quick game for a large group because you can play with up to 8 people. You also get fun new cards that aren’t in the original edition, plus you can customize each game to change up the strategy and keep it fresh.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 5- and 6-year-olds are ready for this game, especially if you help them out a bit at first until they learn the different cards.

Black Friday’s back: Get 30% off all games with the code HAPPY30. Plus, free shipping for orders $49+.

1,822 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

    
“I can confirm the power of board games. It’s our bonding time where we all have fun together. Sushi Go is one of our favorites when we are short on time!” – Olivia

2. Rhino Hero

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Age Range: 5 and up
Get It: Rhino Hero

In this card-stacking game, you take turns adding more levels to a skyscraper and try to avoid knocking the whole building down. It’s kind of like Jenga in reverse, but you don’t have to preemptively cringe every turn because instead of a loud crash from dozens of wooden blocks falling all at once—it’s just a few playing cards falling.

This game is simple, quick, and fun, but it’s also educational. While you play, you’ll help develop your child’s fine motor skills and spatial intelligence, plus encourage patience and strategic thinking as they plan ahead to keep the tower from tumbling down. The best kind of practice for budding young engineers and scientists!

But don’t worry—the game is still challenging enough to keep you engaged and having fun, too.

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Rhino Hero

    
“Rhino Hero is a lot of fun and works well for kids of varying ages!” – Kristen

3. Rat-a-Tat Cat

Time to Play: 10 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Age Range: 5 and up
Get It: Rat-a-Tat Cat

In this fast-paced card game, your goal is to collect cards so that you’ll have the lowest possible point value. That means getting rid of the high cards (rats) and going for the low cards (cats). When you think you’ve got the lowest score, you call out “Rat-a-Tat Cat!”

This quick game builds your child’s memory skills and number sense, plus you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes, which is great for kicking off family game night.

This game is in our regular rotation because it’s the perfect mix of silly, challenging, and fun!

274 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$13 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Rat-a-Tat Cat

    
“My 5 year old’s current favorite is Rat a Tat Cat by Gamewright. I really like how the rules can be adapted for an ‘easy’ and ‘hard’ version of the game, giving the game more longevity!” – Patricia

4. Dragonwood

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Age Range: 7 and up
Get It: Dragonwood

Of the quick family board games in this section, this one is my personal favorite.

In this card and dice game, you recruit adventurers to go off on quests and battle magical creatures including trolls, wolves, and dragons. Your child will build their strategic thinking skills and get lots of math practice, but they won’t even realize it because they’ll be having so much fun. An excellent game for the whole family!

For an extra dose of fun, when one of us captures a creature, we celebrate with a “Huzzah!” or “Take that!” or “A plague upon thee!”

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 7-year-olds who can read are ready for this game.

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Dragonwood

    
“I have 3 boys ages 9, 12 & 16. Dragonwood is always a hit with all 3 of them. The 16 yr old helps the youngest figure his mathematical odds of rolling a high enough number with a certain number of cards. They all love the names of the creatures. Great family game that doesn’t take too long (30 min).” – Lisa

5. Spot It! Classic

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Age Range: 5 and up
Get It: Spot It! Classic (also called Dobble in some areas)

This matching game is deceptively simple, so it’s perfect for all ages from young kids to adults. Don’t be surprised if your child regularly beats you to a match in this game! Plus, you can finish a game in as little as 10 minutes, so it’s a quick option for kicking off or wrapping up your family game night.

And the best part? It’s small and portable. You can throw it in your purse or your luggage before a trip and bring family game night with you.

The small tin holding the cards also makes this game a great fit as a stocking stuffer for kids.

For kids ages 3 to 4, the junior edition of this game is a better fit because it features larger images and fewer images on each card. Also, some editions of the regular version require some reading, but the junior edition doesn’t require any reading.

By the way, out of all the family board games in this list, this one is the most frequently recommended by readers!

$13 from Amazon* $11 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Spot It! Classic or 123

    
“A must have game for every home perfect for ALL ages…Spot It! It’s a matching game on a whole new level. My husband and I love this game as much as the kids!” – Cristy

6. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Age Range: 4 and up
Get It: Outfoxed!

This cooperative whodunnit game is like Clue but for younger kids—and yet still fun for adults too. A fox stole a pot pie, and you have to work together as a team to figure out which fox it was before they escape into the foxhole.

When you have younger kids who want to participate in your family game night, this game is a fantastic way to include them. And as your child tries to solve the mystery, they’ll also grow their logic and deductive reasoning skills!

1,129 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$16 from Amazon* $16 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Outfoxed

    
“Outfoxed is cooperative so it’s fun for everyone and easy enough for even preschoolers to participate!” – Elizabeth

7. Quiddler or Quiddler Junior

Time to Play: 20-40 minutes
Number of Players: 1-8 for original; 1-6 for junior
Age Range: 8 and up for original; 6 and up for junior
Get It: Quiddler or Quiddler Junior

This is one of those rare educational games that’s actually fun for kids and adults. Case in point: I love this game just as much as my kids do!

Each card in your hand features a different letter, and the goal of the game is to use those letters to create words. Creating words scores points, and the person with the most points at the end wins.

Teachers and homeschoolers rave about this card game because not only will your child improve their spelling and build their vocabulary, but they’ll also practice math skills when adding up their points.

As a bonus, this game also includes instructions for playing a solitaire version—an excellent option for when your child announces, “I’m bored!”

Note: The manufacturer says this game takes 40 minutes to play, but that’s for a full seven rounds. If you’d like a shorter game for your family game night, you can just play fewer rounds and then add up everyone’s points.

$13 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Quiddler

    
“This has been a go-to game for our family for years, and my teens love it! It’s quick and easy, and you can play it anywhere. We even throw it in a suitcase so we can play when we’re traveling. If you like Scrabble, it’s similar, but this game is easier and allows more people to play.” – Cassie

8. Sleeping Queens

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Age Range: 4 and up
Get It: Sleeping Queens

If you get nothing else from this list, you must play this game. Promise me! Because of all our favorite family night board games, this is our number one go-to. The rules are simple enough for young kids to understand, but the game still keeps everyone on their toes.

We never get tired of this one! Plus, you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes. Perfect for a quick dose of fun before kicking off a longer family game night game.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 4-year-olds are ready for this game, especially if you help them out a bit with the number cards.

4,687 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$18 from Amazon* $18 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sleeping Queens

    
“My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought ‘How did you know that…?’ Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.” – Ann

Silly Games for Game Night: Giggles Guaranteed

You know your family game night has been a success when everyone’s cracking up together.  Here are the best family games for game night that will get you laughing.

Related: The Best Family Board Games for All Ages (No Candyland!)

9. Crossing

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 3-6
Age Range: 6 and up
Get It: Crossing

This quick game of strategy is perfect for a small pocket of time in between other games during your family game night. Kids love trying to collect as many gemstones as possible, and the strategy aspect of the game is enough to captivate adult players, too.

On each turn, all players make their moves at the same time. You can choose to go after a new batch of gemstones, protect your current stash, or steal from another player. But if two players both go after the same gemstones, no one gets them. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after.

Plus, your child will get bonus math practice when adding up the points for their gemstones at the end.

Good, quick fun for a wide range of ages!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds are ready for this game.

Out of stock on Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Crossing

    
“This game is fun, quick to learn, and super easy to teach your child. My 6-year-old loves playing with her grandparents!” – Micah

10. Trash Pandas

Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Age Range: 6 and up
Get It: Trash Pandas

This quick card game has a “press your luck” element that most kids love.

The setup of the game is delightfully silly—every player is a raccoon who’s tipping over trash cans to find food and shiny objects. You roll dice to determine whether you get to dig through the trash (i.e. draw a card), take something from someone else’s trash (i.e. steal a card), stash your goodies so they stay safe until the end of the game (i.e. stash a card), and more. The more cards you stash, the more points you get. But if you push your luck and keep rolling the dice, you could lose all your goodies from that turn.

Trash Pandas is easy to learn, quick to play, and perfect for kicking off or wrapping up your family game night. Plus, your child will learn about probability without even realizing it!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds are ready for this game.

$11 from Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Trash Pandas

    
“Our whole family loves this game! We play with our 10-year-old and 7-year-old, and everyone gets a kick out of the silly card names. It’s easy to learn, quick to set up, and small enough to take along on family trips.” – Tracy

11. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Time to Play: 10-30 minutes
Number of Players: 3-8
Age Range: 6 and up
Get It: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

This twist on Slapjack is more fun the more players you have, so it’s an excellent choice for family game night.

Each person takes turns placing a card from their hand face up into a community pile while saying the next word in the sequence of taco/cat/goat/cheese/pizza. For example, suppose it’s your turn to say “goat” and as you lay the card down, you see that the card matches what you just said. Then everyone slaps! The last person to slap picks up the pile and adds it to the bottom of their hand. The person to get rid of all their cards first wins.

The deck also has a few special cards where you have to act something out before you slap the deck, like with the gorilla card where you have to beat your chest like a gorilla before slapping. This game is great silly fun!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds are ready for this game.

$10 from Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

    
“We went camping and packed this new game we’d gotten for Christmas, and I’m so glad we did. Everyone had a BLAST, even my teenager and my 65-year-old mom. I love that you can play with a big group, and it’s easy to learn.” – Kristin

12. Yeti in My Spaghetti

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Age Range: 3 and up
Get It: Yeti in My Spaghetti

This game is similar to Ker-Plunk, but it’s a better fit for younger kids because Ker-Plunk’s marbles are choking hazards.

To play this fun little game, you lay the spaghetti pieces across the bowl then put the yeti on top. (No logical backstory behind this—just go with it.) Then each player takes turns pulling out one piece of spaghetti. If the yeti falls to the bottom of the bowl on your turn, you lose. This is usually the point at which kids collapse into giggles, which can be contagious!

This game is perfect for younger kids because it helps develop their executive functioning skills when they learn (the hard way) to be patient and pull the spaghetti pieces out slowly. But because it’s so quick and silly, even tweens and teens get into it too!

162 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$14 from Amazon* $14 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Yeti in My Spaghetti

    
“We love Yeti in My Spaghetti. :) Low competition and just a fun game!” – Jane

13. Go Nuts for Donuts

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Age Range: 6 and up
Get It: Go Nuts for Donuts

This is a quick card game that always makes us laugh. The goal of the game is to get as many points-scoring donuts as you can and end up with the highest score, and kids definitely love the donut theme.

But what really makes this game worth it is what happens when you go after the same donut as someone else. Because if you both go after the same donut, no one gets the donut. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after—so you can avoid going after the same donut. But then…are the other players predicting the same thing about you and therefore picking a different donut than you’d expect, so now you’re actually going after the same donut after all?!

My husband and I always end up picking the same darn donut turn after turn, so our kids tend to beat us handily.

Most families who enjoy Sushi Go end up loving this quick card game too.

116 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$30 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Go Nuts for Donuts

    
“So many great games here! Castle Panic and Go Nuts for Donuts are AWESOME.” – Kayla

14. Here, Kitty, Kitty!

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 3-6
Age Range: 7 and up
Get It: Here, Kitty, Kitty!

In this game, your neighborhood is overrun with stray kittens, and your goal is to collect as many as possible before your neighbors claim the adorable kitties for themselves. You can lure cats to your yard, move cats into your house, and even steal cats from your neighbors with cards like the cat burglar.

This is a fun (and funny!) game for the whole family. The kitty theme in this game is adorable, and kids love the backstory and pretend play aspect of the game especially. In fact, my 7-year-old will regularly pull out the game to play by herself just because it’s so much fun for her to pretend she’s a cat collector giving a loving home to stray kitties.

While the game does have a strong element of chance, it also has enough strategy for it to be fun for older kids and adults, too. And the cards in this game are an absolute hoot!

By the way, this game is not just for kids who love cats, but if your child does happen to love cats, they’ll adore this game.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 10 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 7-year-olds who can read are ready for this game.

$31 from Amazon* $29 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Here, Kitty, Kitty!

    
“Our family loves this game, and it’s small enough to take with us on trips. There is some strategy to it, but it’s not too difficult for younger kids. Even the kids’ grandma loves it! After the game is over, my kids like to pretend play with the kittens. They play vet shop, rescue shelter, neighborhood cat detective agency…you name it. Great for all ages!” – Taylor

Exciting Game Night Games That Will Make Your Heart Race

These family games for game night will get you working towards a common goal against a shared enemy—or desperately trying to out-maneuver your opponents so you’re not left in the dust.

Related: Be a Close-Knit Family: The Best 35 Family Tradition Examples

15. Forbidden Island or Forbidden Desert

Time to Play: 30 minutes for Island; 45 minutes for Desert
Number of Players: 2-4 for Island; 2-5 for Desert
Age Range: 7 and up
Get It: Forbidden Island or Forbidden Desert

Both of these games are so fun you’ll enjoy playing them even without your kids. My husband and I regularly play these after the kids are in bed!

These are cooperative games, which is always a plus when playing with a wide range of ages during family game night. In Forbidden Island, you work together to collect treasure before the ancient island you’re on sinks into the ocean—plus you have to rescue your whole team off the island with a helicopter before you sink with the island.

Forbidden Desert is the sequel to Forbidden Island, and now your team of adventurers is trying to recover a legendary flying machine buried in the ruins of an ancient desert city. You have to survive the lack of water and sandstorms, retrieve all the pieces of the flying machine, and escape before the desert claims you forever.

Even though I know it’s not real, my heart races every time we get to the end of these games!

Note: The manufacturer says these games are for ages 10 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 7-year-olds are ready for this game. If your kids are still a bit young for these, check out My First Castle Panic or Castle Panic (also included in this list) for another awesome cooperative game for family game night.

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Forbidden Island

    
“Forbidden Island is great because unlike most games it teaches cooperation instead of competition – all the players must work together, using their different player skills, in order to get all the treasures before the island sinks. Either everyone wins or everyone loses. It is my new favorite game to play with my 9-year-old daughter!” – Mark

$25 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Forbidden Desert

    
“Family games should be fun for everyone! We have five kids, and that is one of the rules of our Friday Family Fun Night. We play a lot of co-op games with our kids [like] Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert and Castle Panic. Co-op games are great for teaching kids slowly, as open hands and working together are good.” – Michelle

16. 7 Wonders

Time to Play: 30-40 minutes
Number of Players: 2-7
Age Range: 8 and up
Get It: 7 Wonders

This is my personal all-time favorite game for family game night. In fact, if we’re halfway through a game night and we still haven’t played 7 Wonders yet, I’ve been known to whine about it until we do. Luckily for me, my husband and my kids share my obsession with this game, so I never have to twist anyone’s arm into it.

In the game, each player is the leader of one of the seven great cities of the Ancient World, and your goal is to build your city and erect an architectural wonder that will stand the test of time. You collect cards to accumulate resources for your city, develop commercial routes, advance scientific discoveries, and build your military.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 10 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 8-year-olds are ready for this game. Younger kids will need help with thinking through their strategy the first couple times you play, but the payoff is well worth the slight stretch at first. When my 8-year-old reigns supreme at this game, she beams the rest of the night.

I never get tired of playing this game!

$48 from Amazon* $48 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

7 Wonders

    
“My teenager played this at a friend’s house and came home raving about it, so I surprised him with a copy for his birthday. Now our whole family is HOOKED. The genius of this game is that every time you play it, your strategy has to shift based on the hand you’re dealt. So it never gets boring. It’s a family favorite for us!” – Gabriela

17. My First Castle Panic or Castle Panic

Time to Play: 20 minutes for the kids’ edition; 45-60 minutes for the regular version
Number of Players: 1-4 for the kids’ edition; 1-6 for the regular version
Age Range: 3 and up for the kids’ edition; 7 and up for the regular version
Get It: My First Castle Panic or Castle Panic

This is another favorite board game for family game night. Because it’s a cooperative game, you work together to fight off a horde of monsters who are trying to tear down your castle walls and destroy your towers. It sure is fun to work together as a family towards a common goal that doesn’t involve loading the dishwasher!

If you’re not sure which edition is right for your child, the regular version’s printed rules include a few variants for younger kids. The manufacturer says the regular version is for ages 10 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 7-year-olds who can read are ready for the regular version.

$28 from Amazon* $28 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Castle Panic or My First Castle Panic

    
“So many great games here! Castle Panic and Go Nuts for Donuts are AWESOME.” – Kayla

18. Catan

Time to Play: 60+ minutes
Number of Players: 3-4 or 5-6 with this extension set
Age Range: 8 and up
Get It: Catan and Catan Extension: 5-6 Player

This is one of the most popular board games for family game night, and for good reason. The gameplay is challenging enough that adults don’t get bored but still straightforward enough that kids can figure it out.

Your child will learn strategic thinking and negotiation skills, all while having a blast. Forget Monopoly and play Catan instead!

If you’ll be playing with more than 4 family members, you can add on the Catan 5-6 Player Extension here.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 10 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 8-year-olds are ready for this game. For younger kids, grab the Catan Junior edition here.

$44 from Amazon* $44 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Catan

    
“We LOVE Catan! Best game for the whole family.” – Janet

19. Pandemic

Time to Play: 45 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Age Range: 7 and up
Get It: Pandemic

In this game, you work together to stop deadly diseases from running rampant across the world. This has always been one of our all-time favorite family game night board games, and playing it right now has also felt a bit cathartic. It even helped my kids understand more of what’s going on in the world, and the pretend aspect helped them work through some of their anxieties about a real-life pandemic situation.

If you’re playing with a wide range of ages, the rules include variations so you can increase or decrease the difficulty level to fit who you’re playing with.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 10 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) many 7-year-olds who can read are ready for this game, especially if you help them with figuring out the strategy the first few times you play. And because it’s a cooperative game, helping each other is encouraged.

$36 from Amazon* $36 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Pandemic

    
“This is a favorite co-operative game of our teen! It’s his choice every time. It is fast paced, full of suspense and challenge too! We usually win about 75% of the time. It’s for a good amount of people, so families can play. Each game is different depending on what character you get, how the epidemic cards are pulled and you can increase the difficulty by adding more epidemic cards. Always fun and we recommend!” – Stephanie

Smart Game Night Games That Will Keep Your Mind Sharp

If you enjoy a clever game that keeps you on your toes, here are the best games for family game night that will do just that.

20. Splendor

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Age Range: 8 and up
Get It: Splendor

This game is one of my family’s all-time favorites and a particular favorite for my husband and me. It’s easy to set up and fairly quick to play, and it will make your brain hurt—in a good way! In my family, we’ve been known to finish this game and then immediately kick off another round right after that. In fact, if you forced me to choose the single best game for family game night, I would be hard-pressed to choose between Splendor and 7 Wonders. (And if you read the section about 7 Wonders above, you know that’s saying something!)

Here’s the setup: Each player is a merchant from the Renaissance, and your life’s goal is to build your prestige. You do that by purchasing gem mines, modes of transportation for your wares, and artisans who can turn your raw gems into jewelry you can sell in a storefront. Collect enough gems and cards to do all that, and you might even receive a visit from a noble, which gives you a mega prestige boost.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 10 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 8-year-olds are ready for this game.

When playing with a younger child, you’ll want to help them think through their strategy the first couple times you play, but then they’ll be off to the races. Even my 6-year-old loves to join an adult’s team to play this one! When I’m playing with my younger kids, I try to keep an eye out for when they might need help thinking ahead, plus I intentionally hit the “off” switch on my own cutthroat mode before we start playing—I save that mode for playing against my husband and teenager instead.

$32 from Amazon* $32 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Splendor

    
“This game is deceptively easy, but it requires you to think ahead and build a strategy. With every game we played, I could see my kids learn how to plan ahead better so they could have a chance at winning. These days, they routinely beat me!” – Laura

21. Dixit

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 3–6
Age Range: 5 and up
Get It: Dixit

Our oldest used her 10th birthday money to get this game, and we all fell in love with it right from the start. (The artwork is absolutely gorgeous!)

If you want to nurture your child’s creativity, you need this storytelling game. Each round, one player picks a card (without showing anyone else!) and makes up a one-sentence story based on the picture on that card. Then all the other players pick a card that best fits with that story, and everyone puts their cards facedown. The storyteller shuffles the cards and turns them all over, and everyone has to vote on which was the “correct” card that inspired the original story.

The best part of this game is watching how your child pieces a story together and literally seeing their imagination at work. I never get tired of seeing what my kids come up with. Sometimes their clues are more literal, and sometimes they completely surprise me.

137 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$34 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Dixit

    
“My family’s favorite game EVER is Dixit. It’s perfect for a wide range of ages!” – Kristen

22. Azul

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Age Range: 8 and up
Get It: Azul

This tile-laying game is the perfect choice for a cozy weekend afternoon. In our family, we like to brew up a batch of tea for grown-ups and hot chocolate for kids, then gather around the dining room table for this quick brain puzzle of a game.

The game has gorgeous art, and the colorful, chunky tiles look like candy. But the gameplay is where Azul shines: You’re a tile-laying artist, and you’re hired to build a mosaic fit to decorate the king’s palace. As you build your mosaic, you get points for linking tiles together, laying a whole row of tiles, and for using a variety of tile colors. A fun way to build your child’s strategic thinking skills while also giving your mind a workout!

When you’re playing with younger kids, you can choose to take a more laidback approach and be considerate when choosing tiles so that you don’t leave your kids high-and-dry—and vice versa. But when you’re playing with tweens, teens, and adults, the gloves can come off. Every artist for themselves.

Playing this game with my kids always wakes up my overtired parent brain, and that feels good.

Note: If your family game night has more than 4 players, we’ve paired up kids and adults on teams to play Azul, and that added a fun collaborative feel on top of the mind-bending vibe.

$32 from Amazon* $32 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Azul

    
“We love Ticket to Ride. Brilliant board game. Also, Azul is suprisingly brilliant!” – Ian

23. Kingdomino or Queendomino

Time to Play: 15-20 minutes for Kingdomino; 25-30 minutes for Queendomino
Number of Players: 2-4; combine both games for up to 6 players
Age Range: 6 and up
Get It: Kingdomino or Queendomino

In this fun twist on the classic game of dominoes, you’re royalty in search of new lands so you can expand your kingdom. But you’ll need to hurry to snag the best spots before other royalty gets there first.

Kingdomino is simple to learn, quick to play, and challenging enough to keep both kids and adults coming back for more. And when you play this tile-laying game with your child, you’ll build their strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, all while having a great time together during your family game night.

Queendomino adds some fun details on top of the original Kingdomino game, with buildings you can build on your land to earn more points, knights you can send out to collect taxes, and a dragon you can bribe to burn buildings down. Plus, if your lands boast the most towers, you can host the queen, which means you can purchase buildings for one coin less while you’re hosting her.

Queendomino is a standalone game and does not require Kingdomino. However, both games are in our regular rotation for family game night, depending on how much time we have and whether we want something super simple or a little more involved. Whether you decide on Kingdomino or Queendomino—or both so you can play the “Royal Wedding” variation with up to 6 players—you can’t go wrong.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds are ready for this game.

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Kingdomino or Queendomino

    
“Our family loves this game! It incorporates patterns, multiplication, and strategy, and with several variations on the rules, this works well for two players, and adds different objectives to games with more players.” – Christina

24. Ticket to Ride First Journey or Ticket to Ride

Time to Play: 15-30 minutes for the kids’ edition; 30-60 minutes for the regular version
Number of Players: 2-4 for the kids’ edition; 2–5 for the regular version
Age Range: 6 and up for the kids’ edition; 8 and up for the regular version
Get It: Ticket to Ride First Journey or Ticket to Ride

In this game, your goal is to figure out the best train routes to travel across America. Not only will your child learn strategy and geography, but they’ll have a blast too.

The kids’ edition is simple enough for younger kids but still challenging enough for the whole family to enjoy. In fact, because the games are quicker with the kids’ edition, most game nights, my family prefers to play that one over the full edition!

When your child is ready, move up to the regular version for even more of a fun challenge. The full edition of Ticket to Ride is so much fun that my husband and I love to play it after the kids are in bed, just the two of us.

350 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$28 from Amazon* $30 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Ticket to Ride or Ticket to Ride: First Journey

    
“For Christmas based on your recommendations, I gave the kids Sleeping Queens and Ticket to Ride First Journey, and we’ve been playing them ALL YEAR! Can’t wait to add a few more of your recommendations this Christmas!” – Jess

25. My First Carcassonne or Carcassonne

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes for the kids’ edition; 30-45 minutes for the regular version
Number of Players: 2–4 for the kids’ edition; 2-5 for the regular version
Age Range: 4 and up for the kids’ edition; 7 and up for the regular version
Get It: My First Carcassonne or Carcassonne

Whereas some family board games for all ages are all luck and no strategy, this game gives kids a fun introduction to thinking strategically. To play, you place tiles to build streets in the city of Carcassonne, so the road-building aspect is fantastic for growing spatial intelligence.

This game is fun for kids and parents!

$35 from Amazon* $34 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Carcassonne or My First Carcassonne

    
“We have three kids: 10, 8, and 4. We like the game Carcassonne a lot! We skip the keeping score part when playing with our preschooler, but not with our other two.” – Stephanie

26. Word on the Street Junior

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-8
Age Range: 6 and up
Get It: Word on the Street Junior

Some board games touted as “educational” are so focused on the learning aspects that they’ve sucked all the fun out of the game. But not Word on the Street Junior.

Even though the game is marketed as educational for kids with many teachers using it in their classrooms, as an adult I love this game. If you enjoy word games like Scrabble but your child isn’t yet ready for those games, you need Word on the Street Junior.

This game is like tug-of-war—but with letters. On your team’s turn, you get a prompt like “something with a shell” and you have to think of a word that fits that prompt, like “snail.” Then you get to move all the letters in your word one lane closer to your side of the “street” board. The first team to move eight letters all the way off the board wins.

Pro tip: When playing with younger kids, many families find it helpful to play with a small dry-erase board or scratch paper. After your child comes up with a word on their turn, you can help them spell it on the board or paper. Not only will that help them complete their turn, they’ll get some bonus spelling and handwriting practice.

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Word on the Street Junior

    
“I’m a mom of three, ages 5, 8, and 10. This game is awesome for all ages! It requires creativity, and the back and forth keeps it exciting. Definitely worth it!” – Michelle

27. Qwirkle

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Age Range: 5 and up
Get It: Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

This game is simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for adults, so it’s the perfect fit when you need a game that will work for a wide variety of ages during your family game night. Your child will have fun while practicing math and building strategy skills at the same time.

To speed up the game for younger kids, we skip keeping score and put the focus on matching the colors and patterns. You can play a whole game in about 30-45 minutes, and then after the game our younger kids will extend the fun by building towers with the tiles.

This game also comes in a compact travel version, so we keep it in our suitcase and take it with us wherever we go.

365 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

    
“This game is so much fun for the family! We have played it several days in a row, and it’s a fun and challenging way to spend time together. The youngest in our home is 15 and we are all competitive. But this game would be great for a wide range of ages. The game is designed to suit any skill level. This may be the best $25 I ever spent…This game is compelling enough to get teenagers off their phones.” – Sheila

28. Rummikub

Time to Play: 45-60 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Age Range: 5 and up
Get It: Rummikub

This classic board game will build your child’s math skills, but they’ll have so much fun they won’t even realize they’re growing their brain at the same time. As a bonus, Rummikub is challenging enough to keep even adults on their toes. When grandparents come to visit, this is the game both kids and grandparents love to play!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 5-year-olds—and even some preschoolers—are ready for this game.

258 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$24 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Rummikub

    
“This is a great QUICK game for all ages! Some family games like Monopoly can take FOREVER, but this one is fast enough that you can even play more than one round if you want. Plus, it’s not way easy like some games for kids, so it’s actually a challenge for me as an adult too! Keeps my brain active. :)” – Rose

29. SET

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Age Range: 5 and up
Get It: SET

This game will give your child’s brain a workout—and yours too. To play, you compare patterns on the cards and find a SET of three cards before anyone else does.

Confession: At first, I thought this game looked too simple and that it wouldn’t keep my interest as an adult, but it came highly recommended so I gave it a chance. As it turns out, I was dead wrong. The shapes are deceptively simple, and finding a SET is challenging enough to keep adults on their toes too.

Another plus for this game: Your child can play the game alone. So when they come to you saying, “I’m bored,” don’t say a word. Just put this game in their hands, and they’ll be all set.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 6 and up, but because the game requires no reading, most 5-year-olds and even some 4-year-olds are ready for this game.

$13 from Amazon* $13 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

SET

    
“So good for including all ages together, getting them to think mathematically without telling them so. The spatial awareness this develops is fun, competitive and beautifully repetitive. Finish a game and you want to start another!” – Karen

30. Sequence for Kids, Sequence Letters, or Sequence

Time to Play: 20 minutes for Kids and Letters; 10-30 minutes for regular
Number of Players: 2-4 for Kids and Letters; 2-12 for regular
Age Range: 3-6 for Kids; 4-7 for Letters; 7 and up for regular
Get It: Sequence for Kids, Sequence Letters, or Sequence

This classic strategy game is easy enough for kids but still challenging for adults. Kids can build their number sense and strategic thinking skills while adults get a workout for their brains—all while having fun!

Plus, you can play a game in 30 minutes or less. And because you can play with up to 12 people, Sequence makes the perfect choice for a family game night.

For kids who aren’t yet ready for the classic Sequence game, the Sequence for Kids version is a great way to get them familiar with the game before they’re ready to graduate. For a fun alternative with similar gameplay, Sequence Letters will help your child with recognizing letters and the sounds they make.

1,202 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

    
“The one we have enjoyed playing most with our 4-yr-old daughter is Sequence for Kids. We loved it so much that she wanted to purchase one for her friend for Christmas. :)” – Kim

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence or Deluxe Sequence

    
“I bought this when my kids were little. It was a hit from day one! Even though they are 13 and 17 now, Sequence remains in our rotation of games which makes me happy. It’s truly a game for all ages.” – Milain

Want More?

For even more games that are perfect for different age groups, check out:

• Ages 18 months to 3 years: The Best Toddler Board Games
• Ages 3 to 5 years: The Best Preschool Board Games and The Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds
• Ages 5 to 6 years: The Best Board Games for Kindergartners
• Ages 13 and up: The Best Board Games for Teens

Your Turn

What would you add to this list of the best games for family game night? Share in a comment below!

The post The Best 30 Games for Family Game Night, According to Kids and Parents appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

Any time my kindergartner catches me sitting on the couch for more than a few minutes, she walks up to me with anticipation lighting up her face and asks, “Can we play a game?”

And when she zips off to our game closet to pick out a game, I send out a silent note of gratitude to my former self.

Here’s why: A few years ago, I’d had it with the likes of Candyland and Hungry Hungry Hippos. Those typical board games for kindergartners require little to no strategy, so they’re not exactly stretching your child’s brain.

Plus, kids are more perceptive than we sometimes give them credit for. When your face falls – even just a little – at the sight of which game your child picked out or when you’re anxious for the game to be done, your child will pick up on that.

But they won’t know your reaction is because of the game. They’ll think you don’t want to play with them.

Here’s the Fix: Play Games You’ll Both Love

Playing a board game with your child is a quick and fun way to connect with each other and nurture a loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond. But that won’t happen if you’re bored by the game or can’t wait for it to be over.

So a while back, I culled the ho-hum games from our family board game collection to make room for games that are fun for both kids and adults.

Then I went on the hunt for the best board games for families so we could restock our game closet with the cream of the crop.

25 Board Games for Kindergartners Your Whole Family Will Love

Forget those typical board games for kindergartners that leave you checking your watch, anxious for the game to be done. Why rush that moment with your child when you could be giggling together and deepening your connection?

The list below grew out of my family’s experience of being on the hunt for the best family board games and card games for several years. For this list, we researched for hours and hours to find all the top suggestions of board games for 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds, then market-tested them with our own crew, neighbors, friends, and the families who are patrons of our family-owned game shop.

Not only will your kindergartner love these board games and card games, but you will too. If you want more ideas after you check out this list, head over to Forget Candyland! This Is the Best List of Board Games for All Ages because most games on that list are great for 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds, too.

A Quick Note About Suggested Ages

The sections below are organized by age. But keep in mind that as with anything when it comes to kids and suggested ages, your mileage may vary. For example, some 5-year-olds might be able to play and enjoy some board games for 6-year-olds, whereas some 6-year-olds might need help playing a few of the board games for 5-year-olds.

If you try a game and your child doesn’t seem ready for it, put it away for a couple weeks or a month, then try again. Your child’s brain is growing constantly, so they might surprise you sooner rather than later!

Note: indicates my family’s absolute favorite board games for kindergartners. These are the games my whole family can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

Card Games for 5-Year-Olds

When you need a quick way to connect and have fun with your child like after school or before bedtime, these card games for 5-year-olds are the perfect fit. You can play most of the card games in this list in just 10 to 15 minutes, plus you and your child will both look forward to playing these games.

1. Sleeping Queens

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Get It: Sleeping Queens

Of all the board games for kindergartners in this list, this is our number one go-to as a family and the top seller in our family-owned game shop. The rules are simple enough for kindergartners to understand, but the game still keeps older kids and adults engaged and having fun, too.

We never get tired of this game! Plus, you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes, which is perfect for squeezing in a dose of family connection before sending your child off to bed.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds are ready for this game, especially if you help them out a bit with the number cards.

Black Friday’s back: Get 30% off all games with the code HAPPY30. Plus, free shipping for orders $49+.

4,687 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$18 from Amazon* $18 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sleeping Queens

    
“My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought ‘How did you know that…?’ Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.” – Ann

By the way, when you’re playing card games with your child, this card holder is a must have for their smaller hands. Your child can hold it to see their cards, or they can set the holder down on the table for a break. (This particular card holder has stood the test of time, as opposed to other card holders we’ve tried.)

Readers who bought Sleeping Queens also bought

$9 from Amazon* $7 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Little Hands Playing Card Holder
    
“I love the card holder, plus your suggestions for how to play with little kids!” – Linda

2. Rat-a-Tat Cat

Time to Play: 10 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Get It: Rat-a-Tat Cat

In this fast-paced card game, your goal is to collect cards so that you’ll have the lowest possible point value. That means getting rid of the high cards (rats) and going for the low cards (cats). When you think you’ve got the lowest score, you call out “Rat-a-Tat Cat!”

This quick game builds your child’s memory skills and number sense, plus you can play a game start to finish in about 10 minutes.

This game is in our regular rotation, and we also like to play it in between rounds of Sleeping Queens for a change of pace. It’s the perfect mix of silly, challenging, and fun!

274 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$13 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Rat-a-Tat Cat

    
“My 5 year old’s current favorite is Rat a Tat Cat by Gamewright. I really like how the rules can be adapted for an ‘easy’ and ‘hard’ version of the game, giving the game more longevity!” – Patricia

3. Spot It! Classic or 123

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Get It: Spot It! Classic or 123 (also called Dobble in some areas)

My favorite part of this matching game is that it’s so portable. When we’re heading somewhere the kids will have to wait a bit, like the doctor’s office or to a restaurant, I can throw this little game in my purse and keep all the kids entertained and relatively quiet. (Side note: The small tin holding the cards also makes this game a great fit as a stocking stuffer for kids!)

By the way, out of all the board games for kindergartners included in this list, this one is the most frequently recommended by readers!

$13 from Amazon* $11 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Spot It! Classic or 123

    
“A must have game for every home perfect for ALL ages…Spot It! It’s a matching game on a whole new level. My husband and I love this game as much as the kids!” – Cristy

4. SET

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Get It: SET

This game will give your child’s brain a workout – and yours too. To play, you compare patterns on the cards and find a SET of three cards before anyone else does.

Confession: At first, I thought this game looked too simple and that it wouldn’t keep my interest as an adult, but it came highly recommended so I gave it a chance. As it turns out, I was dead wrong. The shapes are deceptively simple, and finding a SET is challenging enough to keep adults on their toes too.

Another plus for this game: Your child can play the game alone. So when they come to you saying, “I’m bored,” don’t say a word. Just put this game in their hands, and they’ll be all set.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 6 and up, but because the game requires no reading, most 5-year-olds and even some 4-year-olds are ready for this game.

$13 from Amazon* $13 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

SET

    
“So good for including all ages together, getting them to think mathematically without telling them so. The spatial awareness this develops is fun, competitive and beautifully repetitive. Finish a game and you want to start another!” – Karen

5. Five Crowns Junior

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Get It: Five Crowns Junior

This rummy-style card game is great for the whole family, plus the game helps your kindergartner practice their math skills in a fun way. Based on the uber-popular Five Crowns card game for adults, this kid-friendly version also introduces your child to the basic concepts of rummy so they’ll be ready to play that when they’re older.

A quick heads up if your child tends to be sensitive to losing: When you don’t have a full 5-card run during a turn, you get stuck with something called a Robbie chip. Then at the end of the game if there’s a tie, the person who has the most Robbie chips ends up getting their treasure “stolen” by the Robbies and therefore loses.

Because of the negative connotation of the Robbie chips, some kids don’t like that aspect of the game, so you can just leave that part out entirely until your child is ready for more of a challenge. My family plays without the Robbie chip component, and everyone still has a blast with this game.

Out of stock on Amazon

Five Crowns Junior

    
“We have a 9, 8, and 5 year old, and this has become a family favorite! It’s a simple game but still good for their brains, and the whole game takes less than 30 minutes.” – Ally

6. Sushi Go

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Get It: Sushi Go

This is one of our favorite board games for kindergartners (and the whole family!) because you can play it quickly. My kids will happily sit and play this one for an hour or more – round after round after round.

To play, you pick one card from your hand to keep for yourself, then pass your cards to the next person. Everyone keeps doing this until all cards are picked. Then you score points based on which cards you picked to keep: Did you get the most maki rolls? Did you dip your nigiri in wasabi to triple its value?

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 5-year-olds are ready for this game, especially if you help them out a bit at first until they learn the different cards.

1,822 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

    
“I can confirm the power of board games. It’s our bonding time where we all have fun together. Sushi Go is one of our favorites when we are short on time!” – Olivia

7. Create a Story Cards

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2 or more
Get It: Create a Story Cards

This simple card game is a great way to foster your child’s imagination and build literacy skills.

The game has several variations, but our favorite is this one: Each player takes turns picking a random card. The first person starts a story with “Once upon a time…” and finishes the sentence. Then on the next turn, the next person uses their card as inspiration to add to the story.

The stories we come up with as a family always leave us giggling. Even my toddler loves to play!

What’s especially great about this game is you have several versions to choose from, so to make it even more fun, you can mix different sets together:

• Fairy Tale Mix-Up
• Animal Village
• Mystery in the Forest
• Volcano Island

This one also makes for a fun travel game to take along on road trips or plane rides.

1,208 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Create a Story Cards

    
“This little game is quick, easy, and fun! You pick a card, say “Once upon a time…”, and let your child fill in the details. Then you can ask follow-up questions like “and then what happened?” until they peter out. I love that this requires minimal brainpower from me when I’m tired (which is always) and my daughter LOVES coming up with the stories. Great for her imagination!” – Fiona

Board Games for 5-Year-Olds

Here are the best board games for 5-year-olds that parents and older siblings enjoy playing, too. So long, Candyland!

8. My First Carcassonne

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: My First Carcassonne

Whereas some board games for kindergartners are all luck and no strategy, this game gives younger kids a fun introduction to thinking strategically. And of all the games in this list, this game is on my own personal short list of my favorite games to play with my kids – along with Sleeping Queens (see above).

To play, you place tiles to build streets in the city of Carcassonne, so the road-building aspect is fantastic for growing your child’s spatial intelligence.

If this game is your first introduction to the world of Carcassonne, be sure to check out the main version of Carcassonne for ages 7 and up when your family is ready to graduate.

381 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$33 from Amazon* $31 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

My First Carcassonne

    
“I play games with my 6-year-old, and Carcassonne and Forbidden Island are GREAT games!” – Michelle

9. Dixit

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 3–6
Get It: Dixit

Everyone in my family fell in love with this game right from the start.

If you want to nurture your child’s creativity, you need this storytelling game. Each round, one player picks a card (without showing anyone else!) and makes up a one-sentence story based on the picture on that card. Then all the other players pick a card that best fits with that story, and everyone puts their cards facedown. The storyteller shuffles the cards and turns them all over, and everyone has to vote on which was the “correct” card that inspired the original story.

The best part of this game is watching how your child pieces a story together and literally seeing their imagination at work. I never get tired of seeing what my kids come up with. Sometimes their clues are more literal, and sometimes they completely surprise me. Plus, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous!

A few ideas for when you’re playing with a younger child:

• The first time you play, do a few practice rounds to help your kiddo get comfortable with the rules and strategy. You might even start with a practice run every time you sit down to play this game as a family. For example, it was a challenge for our youngest player at first to not give away which card was hers when it came time to guess the right answer. But after a couple games, she got it.
• Make a house rule that clues can be just one word. This will help younger kids avoid giving away too much about their cards.
• Or as an alternative, you can have a rule that kids’ clues must be feelings. Ask the kids to describe how the card makes them feel, and they’ll avoid being too literal.
• Try playing without keeping score so you keep the focus on the best part of the game – getting your creative juices flowing.

137 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$34 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Dixit

    
“My family’s favorite game EVER is Dixit. It’s perfect for a wide range of ages!” – Kristen

10. My First Castle Panic

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Get It: My First Castle Panic

Castle Panic is one of my favorite cooperative board games for the whole family, so I was excited to discover they had a kids’ edition. When it comes to board games for 5-year-olds, you can’t beat the fun factor of this game.

This is a cooperative game, so you work together to fight off a horde of monsters who are trying to tear down your castle walls and destroy your castle. It sure is fun to work together as a family towards a common goal that doesn’t involve loading the dishwasher!

$28 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

My First Castle Panic

    
“We play Castle Panic and Carcassonne with our boys, and they LOVE them both. They are 3 and 6. Sometimes, our 3 year old is on a team, but he can usually play by himself for both games.” – Autumn

11. Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

Many kindergarteners aren’t yet ready for the classic Sequence game, so the Sequence for Kids version is a great way to get them familiar with that fun game before they’re ready to graduate.

What I love about this game is that after you play a few times, you’ll notice your child start thinking ahead a couple turns instead of just playing the second they find a match, which is excellent for developing their strategic thinking skills.

For a fun alternative with similar gameplay, Sequence Letters will help your kindergartner with recognizing letters and the sounds they make.

1,202 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

    
“The one we have enjoyed playing most with our 4-yr-old daughter is Sequence for Kids. We loved it so much that she wanted to purchase one for her friend for Christmas. :)” – Kim

12. Gobblet Gobblers

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2
Get It: Gobblet Gobblers

This game is like tic-tac-toe with a twist, and it’s one of our go-to board games for kindergartners. Just like in tic-tac-toe, you line up three of your pieces to win. But in this game, your piece can also gobble up another person’s piece (or even your own piece) because the game pieces are like nesting dolls. You can also move any pieces you already placed on the board.

While it can get boring to play tic-tac-toe with your kindergartner over and over again, this game shakes things up enough to make it fun for all ages in the family. The game is over quickly, which is a plus for a young child’s attention span. When my two oldest kids were nine and four, they’d sit and play game after game together because they were having so much fun. (And they still play it regularly, several years later!)

The kids don’t even realize they’re building critical thinking, memory skills, and spatial awareness skills while having fun!

One quick warning though: Be sure to get this wooden version of this game, not the newer plastic version. The families who accidentally ordered the plastic version while on another site were bummed because the plastic edition isn’t nearly as sturdy. (We stock only the wooden version in our shop!)

1,109 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Gobblet Gobblers

    
“Far and away our family’s favorite game!” – A boy mom

13. Qwirkle

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

This game is simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for adults, so it’s the perfect fit for playing with your kindergartner. Your child will have fun while practicing math and building strategy skills, and you’ll get a mental workout of your own.

To speed up the game, we skip keeping score and put the focus on matching the colors and patterns. You can play a whole game in about 30-45 minutes, and then after the game our younger kids will extend the fun by building towers with the tiles.

This game also comes in a compact travel version, so we keep it in our suitcase and take it with us wherever we travel as a family.

365 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

    
“This game is so much fun for the family! We have played it several days in a row, and it’s a fun and challenging way to spend time together. The youngest in our home is 15 and we are all competitive. But this game would be great for a wide range of ages. The game is designed to suit any skill level. This may be the best $25 I ever spent…This game is compelling enough to get teenagers off their phones.” – Sheila

14. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Outfoxed!

This game is like Clue but for younger kids – and yet still fun for adults too. A fox stole a pot pie, and you have to figure out which fox it was before they escape into the foxhole.

My kids regularly play this cooperative whodunnit game independently, and I love watching them work together as a team to solve the mystery. This fun game will build your child’s logic and deductive reasoning skills, and it’s one of the best board games for kindergartners around!

1,129 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$16 from Amazon* $16 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Outfoxed

    
“Outfoxed is cooperative so it’s fun for everyone and easy enough for even preschoolers to participate!” – Elizabeth

15. Yeti in My Spaghetti

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Get It: Yeti in My Spaghetti

This game is similar to Ker-Plunk, but it’s a better fit for younger kids because Ker-Plunk’s marbles are choking hazards.

To play this fun little game, you lay the spaghetti pieces across the bowl then put the yeti on top. (No logical backstory behind this – just go with it.) Then each player takes turns pulling out one piece of spaghetti. If the yeti falls to the bottom of the bowl on your turn, you lose. This is usually the point at which kids collapse into giggles, which can be contagious!

This game is perfect for younger kids because it helps develop their executive functioning skills when they learn (the hard way) to be patient and pull the spaghetti pieces out slowly. But because it’s so quick and silly, even tweens and teens get into it too!

162 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$14 from Amazon* $14 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Yeti in My Spaghetti

    
“We love Yeti in My Spaghetti. :) Low competition and just a fun game!” – Jane

16. Rummikub

Time to Play: 45-60 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: Rummikub

This classic family game will build your child’s math skills, but they’ll have so much fun they won’t even realize they’re growing their brain at the same time. As a bonus, Rummikub is challenging enough to make even adults bring their A-game. When grandparents come to visit, this is the game both kids and grandparents love to play!

This is supposed to be for ages 8 and up, but we’ve had three preschoolers who were still able to understand the rules after one practice game. Several reviewers have said their younger kids get into this game as well. Plus, it’s great reinforcement for kids who are learning to recognize numbers.

258 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$24 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Rummikub

    
“This is a great QUICK game for all ages! Some family games like Monopoly can take FOREVER, but this one is fast enough that you can even play more than one round if you want. Plus, it’s not way easy like some games for kids, so it’s actually a challenge for me as an adult too! Keeps my brain active. :)” – Rose

17. Life on Earth Memory Game

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Get It: Life on Earth Memory Game

It took us three tries to find the best memory matching game for kids: the Life on Earth game by eeBoo.

The original Memory game was fine, but the artwork is babyish so our older kids weren’t as interested in playing, not to mention the cardboard pieces were flimsy and easy to bend. Another edition was a little too “creative” for some younger kids to figure out, and we couldn’t seem to find the memory game that was the perfect fit.

Then we found the Life on Earth edition: The artwork is gorgeous, and the thick, sturdy pieces are perfect to prevent bending or ripping by curious little hands. Plus, with younger kids, each piece gives you an opportunity to talk through different types of animals and share fun tidbits you know about them. Great for building your child’s vocabulary!

$17 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Life on Earth Memory Game

    
“I’ve gone through a few different memory games over the years as my kids have grown, and I wish I’d just started with this one. The pieces are durable, the illustrations are beautiful, and I love watching my 3-year-old play with her grandparents!” – Jenny

18. Rhino Hero

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Rhino Hero

In this card-stacking game, you take turns adding more levels to a skyscraper and try to avoid knocking the whole building down. It’s kind of like Jenga in reverse, but you don’t have to preemptively cringe every turn because instead of a loud crash from dozens of wooden blocks falling all at once – it’s just a few playing cards falling.

This game is simple, quick, and fun, but it’s also educational. While you play, you’ll help develop your child’s fine motor skills and spatial intelligence, plus encourage patience and strategic thinking as they plan ahead to keep the tower from tumbling down. The best kind of practice for budding young engineers and scientists!

But don’t worry – the game is still challenging enough to keep you engaged and having fun, too.

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Rhino Hero

    
“Rhino Hero is a lot of fun and works well for kids of varying ages!” – Kristen

Card Games + Board Games for 6-Year-Olds

Below, you’ll find the best card games and board games for 6-year-olds. Some of these games work best for kids who’ve started reading independently because the games might require a small amount reading.

19. Ticket to Ride First Journey

Time to Play: 15-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Ticket to Ride First Journey

When it comes to board games for kindergartners, this one is a must. Your goal in the game is to figure out the best routes to travel across America by train. Not only will your child learn strategy and geography, but they’ll have a blast too.

The kids’ edition is simple enough for younger kids but still challenging enough for the whole family to enjoy. In fact, because the games are quicker with the kids’ edition, my family prefers to play that one over the full edition!

When your child is ready, you can move up to the regular version for even more of a fun challenge. The full edition of Ticket to Ride is so much fun that my husband and I love to play it after the kids are in bed, just the two of us.

350 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$28 from Amazon* $30 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Ticket to Ride or Ticket to Ride: First Journey

    
“For Christmas based on your recommendations, I gave the kids Sleeping Queens and Ticket to Ride First Journey, and we’ve been playing them ALL YEAR! Can’t wait to add a few more of your recommendations this Christmas!” – Jess

20. Go Nuts for Donuts

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6 players
Get It: Go Nuts for Donuts

This is a quick card game that always makes us laugh. The goal of the game is to get as many points-scoring donuts as you can and end up with the highest score, and kids definitely love the donut theme.

But what really makes this game worth it is what happens when you go after the same donut as someone else. Because if you both go after the same donut, no one gets the donut. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after – so you can avoid going after the same donut. But then…are the other players predicting the same thing about you and therefore picking a different donut than you’d expect, so now you’re actually going after the same donut after all?!

My husband and I always end up picking the same darn donut turn after turn, so our kids tend to beat us handily.

Most families who enjoy Sushi Go end up loving this quick card game too.

116 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$30 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Go Nuts for Donuts

    
“So many great games here! Castle Panic and Go Nuts for Donuts are AWESOME.” – Kayla

21. Kingdomino

Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Kingdomino

In this fun twist on the classic game of dominoes, you’re royalty in search of new lands so you can expand your kingdom. But you’ll need to hurry to snag the best spots before other royalty gets there first.

This game is simple to learn, quick to play, and challenging enough to keep both kids and adults coming back for more. And when you play this tile laying game with your child, you’ll build their strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, all while having a great time connecting as a family. In other words, if you’re on the hunt for board games for kindergartners, this game has it all.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds and even some 5-year-olds are ready for this game.

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Kingdomino or Queendomino

    
“Our family loves this game! It incorporates patterns, multiplication, and strategy, and with several variations on the rules, this works well for two players, and adds different objectives to games with more players.” – Christina

22. Catan Junior

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Catan Junior

The regular edition of Catan is one of our all-time favorite board games for the whole family, and this kids’ edition is the one of the best strategy board games for 6-year-olds. The gameplay is challenging enough that adults don’t get bored, but still straightforward enough that kindergartners can figure it out.

Kids love the pirate theme and the talking parrot Coco, and they won’t even notice they’re learning strategic thinking skills while having a blast. Forget Monopoly and play Catan Junior instead!

$32 from Amazon* $28 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Catan Junior

    
“Catan Junior is so much fun! Our kids (6 and 3) love it.” – Kelsey

23. Word on the Street Junior

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-8
Get It: Word on the Street Junior

Some board games for kindergartners touted as “educational” are so focused on the learning aspects that they’ve sucked all the fun out of the game. But not Word on the Street Junior.

Even though the game is marketed as educational for kids with many kindergarten and first grade teachers using it in their classrooms, as an adult I love this game. If you enjoy word games like Scrabble or Boggle but your child isn’t yet ready for those games, you need Word on the Street Junior.

This game is like tug-of-war – but with letters. On your team’s turn, you get a prompt like “something with a shell” and you have to think of a word that fits that prompt, like “snail.” Then you get to move all the letters in your word one lane closer to your side of the “street” board. The first team to move eight letters all the way off the board wins.

Pro tip: When playing with a kindergartner, many families find it helpful to play with a small dry-erase board or scratch paper. After your child comes up with a word on their turn, you can help them spell it on the board or paper. Not only will that help them complete their turn, they’ll get some bonus spelling and handwriting practice.

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Word on the Street Junior

    
“I’m a mom of three, ages 5, 8, and 10. This game is awesome for all ages! It requires creativity, and the back and forth keeps it exciting. Definitely worth it!” – Michelle

24. Quiddler Junior

Time to Play: 20-40 minutes
Number of Players: 1-6
Get It: Quiddler Junior

This is one of those rare educational games for kids that’s actually fun for kids and adults. Case in point: I love this game just as much as my kids do!

Each card in your hand features a different letter, and the goal of the game is to use those letters to create words. Creating words scores points, and the person with the most points at the end wins.

Teachers and homeschoolers rave about this card game because not only will your child improve their spelling and build their vocabulary, but they’ll also practice math skills when adding up their points.

As a bonus, this game also includes instructions for playing a solitaire version – an excellent option for when your child announces, “I’m bored!”

Note: The manufacturer says this game takes 40 minutes to play, but that’s for a full seven rounds. If you’d like a shorter game, you can just play fewer rounds and then add up everyone’s points.

$13 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Quiddler

    
“This has been a go-to game for our family for years, and my teens love it! It’s quick and easy, and you can play it anywhere. We even throw it in a suitcase so we can play when we’re traveling. If you like Scrabble, it’s similar, but this game is easier and allows more people to play.” – Cassie

25. Crossing

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 3-6
Get It: Crossing

This quick game of strategy is perfect for connecting with your child when you have a small pocket of time, like at bedtime or after getting home from school. Kids love trying to collect as many gemstones as possible, and the strategy aspect of the game is enough to captivate adult players, too.

On each turn, all players make their moves at the same time. You can choose to go after a new batch of gemstones, protect your current stash, or steal from another player. But if two players both go after the same gemstones, no one gets them. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after.

Plus, your child will get bonus math practice when adding up the points for their gemstones at the end.

Good, quick fun for a wide range of ages!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds are ready for this game.

Out of stock on Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Crossing

    
“This game is fun, quick to learn, and super easy to teach your child. My 6-year-old loves playing with her grandparents!” – Micah

Want More?

For even more awesome game ideas, check out:

• All ages: The Best Board Games for All Ages
• Ages 18 months to 3 years: The Best Toddler Board Games
• Ages 3 to 5 years: The Best Preschool Board Games and The Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds

Your Turn

What are your family’s favorite board games for kindergartners? Share in a comment below!

The post 25 Board Games for Kindergartners Your Whole Family Will Love appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

We have four kids – a 12-year-old, first grader, preschooler, and toddler – so it’s a little tricky to find fun family board games that everyone can play together.

Because although my toddler tries his hardest to keep up with his big sisters, he just doesn’t have the same attention span, patience for taking turns, or impulse control to stop himself from turning into the Toddler Hulk, flipping over the whole board when the game doesn’t go his way.

With my first toddler many years ago, I asked around about the best board games for toddlers, and I got lots of recommendations for games like Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, and Hungry Hungry Hippos.

But those games happen to have one very big problem. They’re mind-numbing for the adults playing along.

The Problem With Most Board Games for Toddlers

The typical toddler board games require no strategy. They’re all chance and no thought, and at best they prepare your kid to understand the concept of a scratch-off lottery ticket.

Plus, the whole point of playing a game with your toddler is to have fun while connecting. If you’re bored out of your mind, your child will sense that. Kids are more perceptive than we give them credit for.

Your toddler may take your annoyance personally and assume you don’t want to play with them.

Not exactly a recipe for fostering a healthy connection between you and your child.

And yet as much as I’d love to groom my toddler into a Trivial Pursuit prodigy, some of the best family games are way too advanced to be board games for 3-year-olds and 2-year-olds (and definitely 18-month-olds).

But You Don’t Have to Suffer Through Boring Toddler Board Games

Ever since my oldest daughter reached board game maturity years ago, we’ve been on a quest to find the best board games for families. The ones that won’t make you want to gouge out your eyeballs with your toddler’s favorite spork.

Over the years, we’ve curated a well-loved collection of toddler board games that are actually fun for the whole family.

It’s just that you rarely hear about these board games for toddlers because Chutes & Ladders and its ilk became the default choice of board games for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds. And unfortunately, searching online for “board games for toddlers” returns those same ol’ boring toddler board games we dread playing with our kids.

Related: The Best 10-Minute Fix to Spending Quality Time With Kids {Printable}

25 Awesome Toddler Board Games That You’ll Love, Too

Get those boring toddler board games out of your home and play these kid-approved (and parent-approved!) board games for toddlers instead.

Life is too short to be pulling out your hair when you could be giggling with your toddler. Use this list of fun board games for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds to beef up your family game collection, and you won’t be sorry.

This list grew out of my family’s quest for the best family board games and card games over the last several years. Plus, we researched for hours and hours online to find as many suggestions as possible of toddler board games for 3-year-olds, 2-year-olds, and even 18-month-olds, then market-tested them with our own crew and with friends who have toddlers.

Not only will your toddler love these board games and card games, but you will too. If you need more ideas after you check out this list, head over to our list of the best preschool board games for more ideas.

But First, a Warning

When my second child was three, she swallowed a coin that got stuck in her throat. One emergency room visit, one surgery, and one five-figure hospital bill later, trust me that choking hazards are nothing to take lightly. We were lucky that we caught it in time.

Some of these toddler board games – even the games marketed specifically for toddlers – may contain game pieces that are the perfect size to be choking hazards. Please always keep a close eye on your child when they’re playing with a game that has small pieces. And if you have an infant, make sure they’re sleeping or otherwise occupied so they don’t find a fallen game piece and pop it into their mouth.

Now for the list of the best toddler board games!

A Quick Note About Suggested Ages

The sections below are organized by age. But keep in mind that as with anything when it comes to kids and suggested ages, your mileage may vary. For example, some 2-year-olds might be able to play and enjoy some games for 3-year-olds, whereas some 3-year-olds might need help playing a few of the games for 2-year-olds.

If you try a game and your child doesn’t seem ready for it, put it away for a couple weeks or a month, then try again. The toddler brain is growing constantly, so they might surprise you sooner rather than later!

• Board Games for 3-Year-Olds
• Board Games for 2-Year-Olds
• Board Games for 18-Month-Olds
• Need More Ideas? More Toddler Games You’ll Love
• How to Introduce Your Toddler to Board Games

Note: indicates my family’s absolute top favorites on the list. These are the games my whole family can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

The Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds

Here are the best board games for 3-year-olds that parents and older siblings enjoy playing, too. So long, Candyland! For more awesome board games for 3-year-olds, check out 16 Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds (Plus What to Avoid).

1. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Outfoxed!

This toddler-friendly board game is like Clue but for younger kids. Here’s the backstory: A fox stole a pot pie, and you have to figure out which fox did it before they escape into the foxhole.

Younger 3-year-olds may need a parent’s help when playing, but it’s well worth it because it does a fantastic job of building your toddler’s logic and deductive reasoning skills.

My kids will regularly play this cooperative whodunnit game on their own, and I love watching them work together as a team to solve the mystery!

Black Friday’s back: Get 30% off all games with the code HAPPY30. Plus, free shipping for orders $49+.

1,129 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$16 from Amazon* $16 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Outfoxed

    
“Outfoxed is cooperative so it’s fun for everyone and easy enough for even preschoolers to participate!” – Elizabeth

2. Life on Earth Memory Game

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Get It: Life on Earth Memory Game

It took us three tries to find the best memory matching game for toddlers: the Life on Earth game by eeBoo.

The original Memory game was fine, but the artwork is babyish so our older kids weren’t as interested in playing, not to mention the cardboard pieces were flimsy and easy to bend. Another edition was a little too “creative” for toddlers to figure out, and we couldn’t seem to find the memory game that was the perfect fit.

Then we found the Life on Earth edition: The artwork is gorgeous, and the thick, sturdy pieces are perfect to prevent bending or ripping by curious little hands. Plus, with younger kids, each piece gives you an opportunity to talk through different types of animals and share fun tidbits you know about them. Great for building your toddler’s vocabulary!

Here are a few ways you can play this memory game with your toddler:

• Classic game: Flip all the cards upside down and take turns flipping two at a time to find matches.
• Variation for younger toddlers: Flip all the cards right side up and take turns spotting matches. Or as another option, you can set out just a few matching sets at a time like 3 or 4 matching sets face down.
• Sorting game: Flip all the cards up and sort them into groups. For example: Which of these would you find in the ocean? The sky? On land? Or: Find all the purple cards, and so on.

$17 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Life on Earth Memory Game

    
“I’ve gone through a few different memory games over the years as my kids have grown, and I wish I’d just started with this one. The pieces are durable, the illustrations are beautiful, and I love watching my 3-year-old play with her grandparents!” – Jenny

3. Dinosaur Escape

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Dinosaur Escape

This is another of our favorite cooperative board games for toddlers. In this one, all the players work together to get all the dinosaurs safely to the island before the volcano erupts. Working together towards a common goal is perfect for toddlers because they don’t always grasp competitive tactics.

Your child will build memory skills and learn how to work on a team, all while having fun playing in a pretend world with dinosaurs and an erupting volcano. Even my 12-year-old gets into this toddler game!

Because this game is designed for younger kids, you’ll rarely lose to the volcano. But for toddlers and preschoolers just getting their feet wet in the world of board games, that goes in the pro column because it helps build their confidence.

If you’d like to make this game more challenging over time, the game instructions include suggestions for variations. Or you and your kids can come up with your own house rules. Here are a few rules we sometimes play with to make it more challenging for older toddlers:

• Dinosaurs can search only the area they’re in
• Game pieces can move in only one direction
• Add more dinosaur or animal figurines so you have to rescue more before the volcano blows
• Each player can move only one dinosaur
• If you get a T-Rex, shuffle all the fern tiles and redistribute
• If you get a lizard, go back one space

$17 from Amazon* $17 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Dinosaur Escape

    
“We LOVE Dinosaur Escape in our family. It only takes about 10 mins to complete so it holds our 2 year old’s attention span. It’s simple enough for both our 5 year old and 2 year old to grasp. But best of all, it’s a cooperative game that gets them excited to work together…this is a winner!” – Katie

4. Gobblet Gobblers

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2
Get It: Gobblet Gobblers

This toddler board game is like tic-tac-toe with a twist. Just like in tic-tac-toe, you line up three of your pieces to win. But in this version of the game, your piece can also “gobble up” another person’s piece (or even your own piece) because the game pieces are like nesting dolls.

While it can get boring to play tic-tac-toe with a child once they figure out the strategy, this game shakes things up enough to make it fun for all ages. The game is quick, which is a plus for a toddler’s limited attention span.

But your toddler won’t even realize they’re building critical thinking, memory skills, and spatial awareness skills while having fun!

One quick tip though: Be sure to get this wooden version of this game, not the newer plastic version. The reviewers who accidentally ordered the plastic version were disappointed because the plastic edition isn’t nearly as sturdy.

1,109 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Gobblet Gobblers

    
“Far and away our family’s favorite game!” – A boy mom

5. Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

This is the children’s version of the popular board game Sequence, and it’s one of the best educational games for 3-year-olds. Basically, this version for kids is a matching game with a splash of strategy because you need to get four matches in a row to win. But what’s cool is that after you play it a few times, you’ll notice your child start thinking ahead a couple turns instead of just playing the second they find a match.

If you need to keep this game simple at first, try taking out the dragon and unicorn cards. Those are the cards that allow you to remove another person’s chip and that act as a wild card.

To work on letters with your toddler, Sequence Letters is another fun educational game for 3-year-olds.

1,202 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

    
“The one we have enjoyed playing most with our 4-yr-old daughter is Sequence for Kids. We loved it so much that she wanted to purchase one for her friend for Christmas. :)” – Kim

6. Spot It! Jr. Animals

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Get It: Spot It! Jr. Animals

When it comes to toddler board games, this is one of our absolute favorites. The game is similar to the regular version of Spot It! but simplified for toddlers, with larger images and fewer images on each card.

The best part of this matching game is that it’s so portable. Just keep it in your car’s glove compartment, or throw it in your purse when you’re heading somewhere the kids will have to wait a bit, like the doctor’s office or to a restaurant. The small tin holding the cards also makes this game the perfect fit as a stocking stuffer for kids.

If your toddler loves this game, be sure to check out Spot It! 123 too.

1,132 families purchased this game after reading this post…

Out of stock on Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Spot It! Jr Animals or Classic or 123

    
“A must have game for every home perfect for ALL ages…Spot It! It’s a matching game on a whole new level. My husband and I love this game as much as the kids!” – Cristy

7. Yeti in My Spaghetti

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more players
Get It: Yeti in My Spaghetti

This game is similar to Ker-Plunk, but it’s a better fit for younger kids because Ker-Plunk’s marbles are choking hazards.

To play this fun little game, you lay the spaghetti pieces across the bowl then put the yeti on top. (No logic or story behind this setup – just go with it.) Then each player takes turns pulling out one piece of spaghetti. If the yeti falls to the bottom of the bowl on your turn, you lose. This is usually the point where the kids collapse into giggles, which can be contagious!

This game is perfect for toddlers because it helps develop their executive functioning skills when they learn (the hard way) to be patient and pull the spaghetti pieces out slowly.

162 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$14 from Amazon* $14 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Yeti in My Spaghetti

    
“We love Yeti in My Spaghetti. :) Low competition and just a fun game!” – Jane

8. Create a Story Cards

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2 or more
Get It: Create a Story Cards

This simple card game for older toddlers is a great way to foster your child’s imagination and build literacy skills.

The game has several variations, but our favorite is this: Each player takes turns picking a random card. The first person starts a story with “Once upon a time…” and then on the next turn, the next person uses their card as inspiration to add to the story.

The stories we come up with as a family always leave us giggling. You can play this with a 2-year-old too, but just be prepared for their stories not to make much sense quite yet!

Another bonus with this game is that you have several versions to choose from, and to kick it up a notch you can even mix different sets together:

• Fairy Tale Mix-Up
• Animal Village
• Mystery in the Forest
• Volcano Island

This one also makes for a fun travel game to take along on road trips or plane rides.

1,208 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Create a Story Cards

    
“This little game is quick, easy, and fun! You pick a card, say “Once upon a time…”, and let your child fill in the details. Then you can ask follow-up questions like “and then what happened?” until they peter out. I love that this requires minimal brainpower from me when I’m tired (which is always) and my daughter LOVES coming up with the stories. Great for her imagination!” – Fiona

9. Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard by HABA

Time to Play: 15 minutes for Hoot Owl Hoot; 10 minutes for Orchard
Number of Players: 2–4 for Hoot Owl Hoot; 1-8 for Orchard
Get It: Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard

In the category of cooperative board games for toddlers, these are two more favorites. But because the game play for these two games is so similar, I recommend picking up either Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard.

My kids love both games, so you really can’t go wrong. The wooden game pieces for Orchard are super well-made and sturdy, but if that game is a bit outside your price range, Hoot Owl Hoot is just as fun. My kids regularly pull out both games to play together independently!

Warning: If your child tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Orchard edition (see below) because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids.

222 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$36 from Amazon* $36 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Orchard or First Orchard

    
“We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal!” – Richard

Side note: We’ve tested nearly every cooperative game for toddlers and preschoolers made by Peaceable Kingdom, the same folks who make Hoot Owl Hoot. The other games were fun too, but Hoot Owl Hoot and Dinosaur Escape have been the clear winners!

877 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$19 from Amazon* $19 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Hoot Owl Hoot

    
“Family games should be fun for everyone! We have five kids, and that is one of the rules of our Friday Family Fun Night. We play a lot of co-op games with our kids — Hoot Owl Hoot and Outfoxed are really fun! … Co-op games are great for teaching kids slowly, as open hands and working together are good.” – Michelle

10. My First Castle Panic

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Get It: My First Castle Panic

Castle Panic is one of my favorite cooperative board games for the whole family, so I was super excited to discover they had a kids’ edition.

Because this is a cooperative game, you work together to fight off a horde of monsters who are trying to tear down your castle walls and destroy your castle. It sure is fun to work together as a family towards a common goal that doesn’t involve loading the dishwasher!

$28 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

My First Castle Panic

    
“We play Castle Panic and Carcassonne with our boys, and they LOVE them both. They are 3 and 6. Sometimes, our 3 year old is on a team, but he can usually play by himself for both games.” – Autumn

11. Animal Upon Animal

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Get It: Animal Upon Animal

When your child is ready to move from cooperative to competitive toddler board games, this is a fun stacking game for older toddlers. In this game, you stack different wooden animal figurines on top of a large alligator, trying to see how high you can stack them before it all comes crashing down. This game develops your child’s executive functioning skills as they learn they’ll need to be patient and use creative problem-solving in order to get their animals to stack without falling down.

But even when the stack does come crashing down? Giggles all around.

This game is great for developing your toddler’s fine motor skills. But it can also be a fun challenge even for adults because the painted pieces are a bit on the slick side, so it’s harder to stack them than you might imagine.

Then when your toddler beats you fair and square at this game, you won’t even care because they’ll literally glow with pride.

And unlike some other stacking games for kids that are made with low-quality plastic, these sturdy wooden pieces are made to last. Toddlers aren’t always the gentlest with flimsy game pieces, but our copy of this game has lasted through four kids! (Side note: This game is made by the same company who makes Orchard, which my kids also love.)

At first, start by just stacking the pieces like you would with blocks. As your toddler gets more confident and comfortable with the physics of the game, you can follow the game rules.

Warning: If your child still tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Animal Upon Animal edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids, then later you can get this edition that works best for 3-year-olds and up.

139 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Animal Upon Animal

    
“We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal!” – Richard

12. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

This makes a great first board game for toddlers because it doesn’t require a lot of strategy, it’s quick to play, and the game rules are easy to understand. Plus, the artwork is adorable!

But here’s my favorite aspect of this game: Kids can easily play this independently while you sneak a catnap on the couch.

If you have more than one child or your child likes to play board games with friends, you’ll likely want to play this with the kids the first couple of times to help them learn the rules, but after that you can peace out.

563 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

    
“Great fun for little ones and adults!!! We play with my 5 year old who loves it and my 2 year old who is starting to understand. It’s one of the few kids games that is actually fun for me to play as well. I highly recommend this game. It is great quality and great design!” – Dan

The Best Board Games for 2-Year-Olds

When your child isn’t quite ready for the toddler board games in the previous list, here are the best board games for 2-year-olds – that are also fun for the rest of the family.

13. Feed the Woozle

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-5
Get It: Feed the Woozle

In this cooperative game, you work together to feed the Woozle by balancing snacks on a spoon while you deliver them. And as an added challenge, you’ll have to hula dance, bunny hop, or do something else silly at the same time. But watch out because if a snack falls along the way, the Woozle won’t eat it. When you’ve fed the Woozle 12 snacks, your whole team wins.

This game helps develop motor skills, gives practice with counting, and builds frustration tolerance. But most important of all, it’s pure silly fun!

This is a perfect first board game for toddlers to teach turn-taking, foster good sportsmanship as you encourage your teammates, and nurture a sense of collaboration as you work together. And because each game takes around 10 minutes, it’s perfect for short attention spans, too.

Pro tip: When you need a way to keep your kids entertained so you can load the dishwasher (or catch a catnap), this game works great for an older sibling to play with a younger sibling. My kids play this together all on their own at least once a week!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 3 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) many 2-year-olds are ready for this game.

$24 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Feed the Woozle

    
“My 6-year-old and 3-year-old love this goofy little game! Sometimes, we’ll all play together, and it’s fun to see my kids actually get along for 10 consecutive minutes. But if I’m busy, the setup is easy enough that the two of them can play together without me.” – Jackie

14. First Orchard

Time to Play: 10 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Get It: First Orchard

Orchard in the Board Games for 3-Year-Olds section above is one of our all-time favorite board games for toddlers. But if your child tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Orchard edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger toddlers.

In this cooperative game, you work together to pick all the fruit in the orchard before a pesky raven comes to snatch it all up. Young toddlers may not yet understand the rules of this game, but that’s okay. Keep pulling it out every week or so, and they’ll get it! This game clicked at various ages with my kids, ranging from 19 months to 25 months.

Then after your toddler turns three and stops putting small objects in their mouth, you can graduate to the full Orchard edition of this game.

222 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$36 from Amazon* $36 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Orchard or First Orchard

    
“We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal!” – Richard

15. Hisss

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-5
Get It: Hisss

In this game, you build colorful snakes by matching up sturdy cards that feature different snake shapes and colors. When you place the head or tail on a snake to complete it, you say “Hisss!” and slide the snake into your snake pit to claim it. At the end of the game, the person with the most snake cards wins.

This is a cute and simple game that reinforces color identification, matching skills, and the basics of gameplay like taking turns. Then as your child keeps playing and grows with this game, they’ll progress from just matching colors to engaging into strategic thinking about whether to start a new snake or finish one and claim it.

Unlike some games for this age range, the cards are thick and sturdy, so they hold up over time.

And here’s one more big plus for this game: Siblings or friends can easily play this one independently if you need a break.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) many older 2-year-olds are ready for this game.

Out of stock on Amazon

Hisss

    
“This game is a great one for toddlers and preschool age! The kids can actually play this…on their own!! And matching the cards up by color is fun for toddler age even just as a busy quiet time activity. Highly recommend!” – Carolyn

16. Acorn Soup

Time to Play: 5-10 minutes
Number of Players: 2 or more
Get It: Acorn Soup

Toddlers love this simple pretend play game. During the game, your child will mix up different soup recipes for a squirrel who’s preparing extra food to store for winter. The game does a great job of introducing your child to board games and how much fun it can be to play together, plus they’ll learn the basics of gameplay like how to take turns.

The instructions include several different variations of how to play, which helps keep things interesting when you’re playing with your toddler or if they’re playing with an older sibling.

Plus, here’s one more variation our toddlers have all enjoyed: Pull up a chair backwards to the kitchen counter so your toddler can stand on it, then set up their recipe card and ingredients on the counter. Your toddler will love pretending to be like you cooking in the kitchen!

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Acorn Soup

    
“A game full of imagination and secret learning! I find my three year old “playing” this game by himself all the time. Just sitting and mixing up recipes using his counting skills. I love a game that provides this much repeat fun, imaginative play, and skill mastering.” – Becca

17. First Animal Upon Animal

Time to Play: 10 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4 players
Get It: First Animal Upon Animal

This is the toddler-friendly edition of Animal Upon Animal, a stacking game similar to Jenga but way more fun for young kids. In the game, you stack different wooden animal figurines on top of each other, trying to see how high you can stack them before it all comes crashing down. This game develops your child’s executive functioning skills because they learn they’ll need to be patient and use creative problem-solving in order to get their animals to stack without falling down.

But you know toddlers – even when the tower comes crashing down, that’s just as fun!

After your toddler turns three and stops putting small objects in their mouth, you can graduate to the full Animal Upon Animal edition of this game for more of a challenge.

$24 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Animal Upon Animal Junior

    
“Animal Upon Animal is a fun toddler game!” – Karissa

The Best Board Games for 18-Month-Olds

Finding fun board games for 18-month-olds can be tricky because their young toddler brains are still doing so much growing. Below, you’ll find the best first board games for toddlers who are starting to learn the basics of game play.

18. Where’s Bear?

Time to Play: 5-10 minutes
Number of Players: 2+ players
Get It: Where’s Bear?

This is a board game version of hide-and-seek, and it’s one of the best first board games for toddlers. You take turns hiding an adorable wooden bear in the different rooms of the bear’s house, then the other players try to find the bear.

The box says this game is for 2-year-olds, but my kids have all loved this game starting around 18 months. The instructions include five different variations of how to play, which keeps things interesting for parents and older kids. When my older kids are playing with a toddler sibling, they also like to hide the bear around our actual house to keep the fun going.

My youngest toddler loved this game so much that he insisted on carrying the bear around with him even when we weren’t playing!

$23 from Amazon* $23 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Where’s Bear?

    
“Great game for 18 months+. There are so many options for play. The bear is super cute. Was and still is a favorite!” – Kaylyn

19. Seek-a-Boo

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2 or more
Get It: Seek-a-Boo

What I love about this jumbo-sized game of memory for young toddlers is that the pictures are all of real objects as opposed to illustrations. The real-life pictures captured my toddlers’ attention more than the “cute” illustrations on other memory games for toddlers.

Plus, the pictures on the cards gave us lots of opportunities to say different words and grow their vocabulary.

Fair warning that the cards included are just regular card material not cardboard. If your toddler tends to be rough on stuff like that, be prepared for the cards to get a little bent. I’ve heard that some parents laminated the cards to make them extra sturdy!

For more ideas on how to play memory toddler board games especially with younger toddlers, check out the suggestions under the Life on Earth section earlier in this post.

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Seek-a-Boo

    
“This is by far one of the most used games in our house! From the time they can toddle and recognize shapes they can play and find the images. Later on, they can sort them by category or color. One of my favorite parts is that I can facilitate from the couch! We still play with my 4, 5 and 7 year old as it’s now a race to see who can return the correct card. AND now that they are older, they are taking turns facilitating themselves! I give this gift to young parents whenever I can!” – Stephanie

Need More Ideas? 5 More Toddler Board Games You’ll Love

If you’ve already played all the games recommended above and you want more ideas, check out the list of even more toddler board games below. Note: We don’t stock the following board games in our shop, so I’ve included links to Amazon for your convenience.

20. Shopping List

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: Some younger toddlers can play this one, but this is a great pick for kids age 3 and up
Get It: Shopping List

This memory game lets kids pretend play they’re at the grocery store filling their cart with everything on their shopping list. My kids have all absolutely loved this game starting around the age of 3, which is probably an indication that I should put them to work at the grocery store more often. When they were younger, they loved to join in on the game, but their attention span didn’t last for a whole game.

If your child loves this game, you can get expansion packs for extra fruit and veggies and for clothing items.

21. Richard Scarry’s Busytown

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: Younger toddlers can play this game with a little help, but 3-year-olds and up are the best fit
Get It: Richard Scarry’s Busytown

Like many of the toddler board games in this list, this falls into the category of cooperative toddler board games like Outfoxed!, and my kids love playing this one too. But game play takes about twice as long for this game, so it’s not as appealing as the other cooperative games we own.

The part that keeps this game interesting for us as parents is the “I Spy” component of looking for little details on the game board. Still, this game isn’t our first choice to play with the kids. We encourage them to play independently, and they have just as much fun!

22. Go Fish

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–6
Minimum Age: The matching concepts are a good fit for 3-year-olds, but some 2-year-olds may be ready for this one
Get It: Go Fish Alphabet

Playing this classic card game with your kids when you’re exhausted levels out the playing field. I don’t believe in letting my kids win, but when we play right before bedtime, I’m not ashamed to admit that my toddler has beat me and my husband at Go Fish.

Our favorite set of this game is an alphabet set that helps our toddler get familiar with the different letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make.

23. Uno or Uno Moo

Time to Play: 15-30 minutes for Uno; 15 minutes for Uno Moo
Number of Players: 2-10 for Uno; 2-4 for Uno Moo
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can understand the matching part of Uno; some 2-year-olds are ready for Uno Moo
Get It: Uno or Uno Moo

The classic Uno card game is technically for ages 7 and up, but toddlers can pick it up quickly. Uno is mostly a matching game, and toddlers love matching games!

When we first started playing with each of our toddlers, they’ve needed a little help understanding the “special” cards, but after playing it a few times, they learn the meaning of the different symbols. Including how to properly unleash the wrath of the Wild Draw Four card. Womp, womp.

But as another option, you can get Uno Moo, which uses the same concepts as the Uno card game but in a format that’s a great fit for toddlers.

To simplify the original Uno game for your toddler, here are a few variations to try:

• Skip keeping score at the end of each hand.
• Remove the “special” cards like wild, reverse, and so on, and play with just the number cards to start with.
• Deal a fewer number of cards instead of 7 to start. For example, you might try dealing just 3, 4, or 5 cards to keep it simple and make it easier for your toddler to keep up with their cards. (To help them with holding cards, be sure to get this awesome little card holder! We’ve tried a few but this is the best by far.)
• On every turn, remind your child what they can play. For example, if it’s a blue 5 shown, you might say, “Do you have a blue or a 5 to play?”

“We also really like Uno! My 2-yr-old plays with us and loves it.” – Christie

24. Roll and Play

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2 or more
Minimum Age: Toddlers who are 18 months and up can enjoy this game
Get It: Roll and Play

In this game specifically designed for young toddlers, you “roll” a big plush cube to see which color lands face up, then choose a matching color card and do the activity listed on the card. For example, the card might tell you to moo like a cow, spin around, or make a happy face.

This is a simple game to get your toddler used to the idea of taking turns and following directions. Plus, they love rolling the cube, which in our house means throwing it up as high as you can in the air and seeing where it falls.

As with Seek-a-Boo, the cards can be a little flimsy for young toddlers, so some parents laminated the cards to keep them in good condition over many game sessions.

25. Zingo

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Minimum Age: Some 2-year-olds can play this one, and it’s an even better fit for 3-year-olds
Get It: Zingo

At first glance, this is a simple matching game. But what keeps the game interesting for older kids and adults is the competitive twist – you have to be the first one to notice a match and snag it before someone else does.

That sounds like a simple enough task, but you’d be surprised how often our kids snake a match out from under our noses. (I’m blaming chronic parental sleep deprivation.)

“I can’t say enough good things about Zingo! From day one, all three kids loved it and understood the concept.” – Nina

How to Introduce Your Toddler to Board Games: 8 Tried-And-True Tips

If you haven’t played many board games with your toddler yet, this section is for you.

Toddlers aren’t exactly known for their ability to sit still, follow directions, and take turns. So at first, playing board games with your toddler can feel a bit…futile. They toddle off three minutes into the game, they seem determined to destroy as many game components as possible, and trying to bend your toddler’s will to follow the rules can land you in the middle of an epic toddler tantrum wondering when the “fun” is supposed to start.

After introducing my own four toddlers to board games and also playing countless games with the toddlers of our friends and neighbors over the years, I’ve stumbled on a few tricks for how to make playing games with your toddler go more smoothly.

Here are a few tips for introducing your toddler to board games so that you’ll both grow to enjoy the experience of playing games:

• Do a test run. Your toddler has a limited attention span. So if you’re playing a brand-new-to-you game for the first time, you might use up all their patience while you’re reading the rules and figuring out the game. Before you sit down to play a new game with your toddler, play it by yourself after your toddler’s bedtime or during naptime. That way, when you do play the first time with your child, you’ll be able to jump right into the fun part.
• Go for cooperative first. When you’re starting out, play cooperative toddler games like Outfoxed! or First Orchard. Why? Because competitive elements of a game tend to go right over young kids’ heads. Also, competitive games typically leave younger kids feeling less enthusiastic about the game and may even lead to more aggressive behavior and less cooperation after the game. If you do play a competitive game where there’s one winner, you can make a big deal about how much fun it was to play the game together. You can also model good sportsmanship by congratulating the winner, but try to keep the focus on how fun the whole game experience was.
• Make it quick. Because toddlers have short attention spans, you’ll have the best results if you start out with quick 5- or 10-minute games like Yeti in My Spaghetti, rather than games that take 15 to 20 minutes or longer.
• Put fun first. If you’re a stickler for following the rules (that’s me!), you might get especially frustrated when your toddler loses interest in a game you’ve started or refuses to play by the rules. But if at any point you or your toddler are no longer having fun, give yourself permission to hit the pause button on that game and try again later. I am absolutely guilty of turning a game into an unnecessary power struggle with my toddler, and that never ends well!
• Bend the rules. As your toddler gets used to playing games, feel free to bend the rules to simplify a game or make it more fun for your toddler. Some of the toddler board games listed above include rule variations for younger children, but you can make up your own variations too. The ultimate goal is to connect with your child and inspire a love of playing games, so be flexible. For example, when we’re playing the Life on Earth Memory Game with a toddler, we flip all the cards right side up and take turns spotting matches that way.
• Repeat yourself. For a toddler brain to learn, they need repetition. So while it may feel frustrating to keep reminding your toddler of what to do next and what not to do, gentle and kind reminders are exactly what they need to improve their ability to focus, remember instructions, and control their impulses.
• Play on teams. To get your toddler used to the mechanics of game play, play a few rounds with them on your “team” before you let them loose to play on their own. When you’re on a team together, your toddler can be responsible for things like rolling dice, picking a card from the draw pile, moving your pawn, and so on.
• Follow the leader. For example, if your toddler is having fun stacking the animal pieces in Animal Upon Animal, that’s awesome. But if instead they start playing pretend with the animals and doing all the animal noises, that’s awesome too. The overall goal of playing board games with your toddler is to have fun together, so follow your child’s lead and roll with the punches.
• Narrate the game. Pretend you’re a sportscaster, and comment on everything that happens in the game. Narrating the game both helps your toddler understand the game rules and boosts their vocabulary. Also, game strategy may be a foreign concept to your toddler right now, so talking through your own decisions during the game can help build their reasoning skills.

Want More?

For more awesome game ideas, check out The Ultimate List of the Best Board Games for Preschoolers (And Parents) because most games on that list are toddler-friendly too. Or if your toddler is approaching their third birthday, head to 16 Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds (Plus What to Avoid).

Your Turn

What are your favorite toddler board games? Share in a comment below!

The post The Best 25 Toddler Board Games That Will Become Family Favorites appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

My preschooler’s absolute favorite time of day is after her little sister goes to bed at night because that’s when we bust out a board game or card game to play as a family.

There’s just one problem.

The games specifically designed for preschoolers are kind of…soul-sucking.

The people who invented Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, and Hi Ho Cherry-O must have had some deep-seated hatred for parents of the world because playing those preschool board games will slowly kill off every brain cell that sleep deprivation hasn’t already taken care of.

Those typical preschool board games require little to no strategy. They’re all chance and no thought, and at best they prepare your kid to understand the concept of a lottery ticket.

And yet as much as I’d love to groom my preschooler into a ruthless Scrabble whiz, some of the best family games are just too advanced to be board games for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds.

Looking for toddler board games instead? Head to The Best 25 Toddler Board Games That Will Become Family Favorites

Short on Time? Here Are Our Top Picks

If you’re in a rush, here’s a quick run-down of the best preschool board games that have been most popular with the parents and kids in this community:

• Best Overall Preschool Board Game: Outfoxed!, $18†
• Best Cooperative Preschool Game: Orchard or Hoot Owl Hoot, $50 or $19
• Best Educational Preschool Game: Sequence Letters, $16
• Best Memory and Matching Preschool Game: Qwirkle, $27
• Best Card Game for Preschoolers: Spot It! Jr Animals, $10

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices shown are from time of publishing.

You Don’t Have to Suffer Through Candyland

Ever since my oldest daughter reached board game maturity many years ago, we’ve been on the hunt for the best board games for families. The ones that won’t make you want to gouge out your eyeballs with a junky plastic game piece.

Over the years, we’ve discovered that the world has a ton of absolutely delightful preschool board games to offer families. It’s just that Candyland and its ilk have infiltrated the mainstream psyche as the quintessential board games for preschoolers, so you don’t hear about most of the awesome preschool board games that you’ll actually enjoy playing with your kid.

In our family, we play a board game nearly every night, and we even cleared out our pantry in the kitchen to devote to storing our family board games.

Board games and card games are one of the best ways you can connect with your kids after a busy day, but if you play a mind-numbing game like Chutes & Ladders, it can have the opposite effect.

You’ll be bored out of your skull, and your preschooler will pick up on that. Instead of reconnecting and laughing together, you’ll be anxious for the game to end, leaving your kid to wonder why you don’t want to play with her.

Related: Forget Candyland! This Is the Best List of Board Games for All Ages

21 Awesome Preschool Board Games That You’ll Love, Too

Get those boring preschool board games out of your house and play these kid-approved (and parent-approved!) board games for preschoolers instead.

Because life is too short to be pulling out your hair when you could be giggling with your preschooler. Use this list of fun board games for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds to beef up your family game collection, and you won’t be sorry.

This list grew out of our own experience of being on the hunt for the best family board games and card games for many years. Plus, we researched for hours and hours online to find all the top suggestions of preschool board games for 4-year-olds and 3-year-olds, then market-tested them with our own crew.

Not only will your preschooler love these board games and card games, but you will too. If you need more ideas after you check out this list, head over to Forget Candyland! This Is the Best List of Board Games for All Ages because most games on that list are preschooler-friendly too.

But First, a Warning

When my preschooler was three years old, she swallowed a coin that got stuck in her throat. One emergency room visit, one surgery, and one five-figure hospital bill later, I can tell you firsthand that choking hazards are nothing to take lightly. And we were lucky that we caught it in time.

Some of these games – even the games marketed specifically for preschoolers – contain game pieces like dice that are the perfect size to be choking hazards. Please always keep a close eye on your child when they’re playing with a game that has small pieces. And if you have younger kids, make sure they’re sleeping or otherwise occupied so they don’t find a fallen game piece and pop it into their mouths.

Now for the list of the best preschool board games…

Note: indicates my family’s absolute top favorite board games on the list. These are the games my whole family can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

1. Gobblet Gobblers

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can understand the basic concepts in order to play, but 4-year-olds will do better with the strategy
Get It: Gobblet Gobblers

This preschool board game is like tic-tac-toe with a twist. Just like in tic-tac-toe, you line up three of your pieces to win. But in this game, your piece can also gobble up another person’s piece (or even your own piece) because the game pieces are like nesting dolls. You can also move any pieces you already placed on the board.

While it can get boring to play tic-tac-toe with a preschooler over and over again, this game shakes things up enough to make it fun for all ages in the family. The game is over quickly, which is a plus for a preschooler’s attention span. My 9-year-old and 4-year-old will sit and play game after game together because they’re having so much fun.

The kids don’t even realize they’re building critical thinking, memory skills, and spatial awareness skills while having fun!

One quick warning though: Be sure to get this wooden version of this game, not the newer plastic version. The reviewers who accidentally ordered the plastic version were bummed because the plastic edition isn’t nearly as sturdy.

If you like this game, the same company also makes another board game for preschoolers called Pengoloo that our family loves too.

Black Friday’s back: Get 30% off all games with the code HAPPY30. Plus, free shipping for orders $49+.

1,109 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Gobblet Gobblers

    
“Far and away our family’s favorite game!” – A boy mom

2. Feed the Woozle

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Minimum Age: Some 2-year-olds can play this, so it’s a great fit for 3-year-old preschoolers and up
Get It: Feed the Woozle

In this cooperative game, you work together to feed the Woozle by balancing snacks on a spoon while you deliver them. And as an added challenge, you’ll have to hula dance, bunny hop, or do something else silly at the same time. But watch out because if a snack falls along the way, the Woozle won’t eat it. When you’ve fed the Woozle 12 snacks, your whole team wins.

Cooperative games like this are great for building teamwork skills while still getting practice with taking turns. Plus, young children don’t always grasp competitive tactics, so cooperative games are a refreshing change of pace for them.

For that reason, this is a perfect first board game for preschoolers to teach turn-taking, foster good sportsmanship as you encourage your teammates, and nurture a sense of collaboration as you work together. And because each game takes around 10 minutes, it’s perfect for short attention spans, too.

This game also helps develop motor skills, gives practice with counting, and builds frustration tolerance. But most important of all, it’s pure silly fun!

Pro tip: When you need a way to keep your kids entertained so you can load the dishwasher (or catch a catnap), this game works great for an older sibling to play with a younger sibling. My kids play this together all on their own at least once a week!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 3 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) many 2-year-olds are ready for this game.

$24 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Feed the Woozle

    
“My 6-year-old and 3-year-old love this goofy little game! Sometimes, we’ll all play together, and it’s fun to see my kids actually get along for 10 consecutive minutes. But if I’m busy, the setup is easy enough that the two of them can play together without me.” – Jackie

3. Sleeping Queens

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds will need a little help to remember all the rules, so 4-year-old preschoolers and up are an even better fit
Get It: Sleeping Queens

This is another card game that’s technically for older kids, but our preschooler has been playing this game since the age of three. Of all the preschool board games and card games in this list, this one is her absolute favorite and our number one go-to as a family. The rules are simple enough for our preschooler to understand, but the game still keeps everyone on their toes.

We really and truly never get tired of this one. Plus, you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes, which is perfect for getting in a dose of family connection before sending little ones off to bed.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 4-year-olds are ready for this game, especially if you help them out a bit with the number cards.

4,687 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$18 from Amazon* $18 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sleeping Queens

    
“My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought ‘How did you know that…?’ Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.” – Ann

By the way, when you’re playing card games with your child, this card holder is a must have for little hands. Your child can hold it to see their cards, or they can set the holder down on the table for a break. (This particular card holder has stood the test of time, as opposed to other card holders we’ve tried.)

Readers who bought Sleeping Queens also bought

$9 from Amazon* $7 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Little Hands Playing Card Holder
    
“I love the card holder, plus your suggestions for how to play with little kids!” – Linda

4. My First Carcassonne

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can understand the concepts, but 4-year-old preschoolers and up will do best with the strategy
Get It: My First Carcassonne

Whereas some preschool board games are all luck and no strategy, this game gives younger kids a fun introduction to thinking strategically. And of all the games in this list, this game is on my own personal short list of my favorite preschool games to play with my kids – along with Sleeping Queens (see below).

To play, you place tiles to build streets in the city of Carcassonne, so the road-building aspect is fantastic for growing spatial intelligence.

If this preschool board game is your first introduction to the world of Carcassonne, be sure to check out the main version of Carcassonne for ages 7 and up when you’re ready to graduate.

381 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$33 from Amazon* $31 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

My First Carcassonne

    
“I play games with my 6-year-old, and Carcassonne and Forbidden Island are GREAT games!” – Michelle

5. Create a Story Cards

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2 or more
Minimum Age: 2-year-olds can play this one (even if their stories don’t make a lot of sense!), so this is a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Create a Story Cards

This simple card game for preschoolers is a great way to foster your child’s imagination and build literacy skills.

The game has several variations, but our favorite is this: Each player takes turns picking a random card. The first person starts a story with “Once upon a time…” and then on the next turn, the next person uses their card as inspiration to add to the story.

The stories we come up with as a family always leave us giggling. Even my toddler loves to play!

What’s especially great about this game is you have several versions to choose from, and to kick it up a notch you can even mix different sets together:

• Fairy Tale Mix-Up
• Animal Village
• Mystery in the Forest
• Volcano Island

This one also makes for a fun travel game to take along on road trips or plane rides.

1,208 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Create a Story Cards

    
“This little game is quick, easy, and fun! You pick a card, say “Once upon a time…”, and let your child fill in the details. Then you can ask follow-up questions like “and then what happened?” until they peter out. I love that this requires minimal brainpower from me when I’m tired (which is always) and my daughter LOVES coming up with the stories. Great for her imagination!” – Fiona

6. Sequence for Kids

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds and up can understand and enjoy this game
Get It: Sequence for Kids

We started out with the regular Sequence game, but it was a bit of a stretch for preschooler when she was three, so we got the Sequence for Kids version and it’s perfect for now. Sometimes though, we’ll invite her to join mom or dad’s team so we can play the regular version.

What’s cool about this game is that you’ll notice your kids start thinking ahead a couple turns instead of just playing the second they find a match. To work on letters with your preschooler, Sequence Letters is a fun alternative.

1,202 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

    
“The one we have enjoyed playing most with our 4-yr-old daughter is Sequence for Kids. We loved it so much that she wanted to purchase one for her friend for Christmas. :)” – Kim

7. Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard by HABA

Time to Play: 15 minutes for Hoot Owl Hoot; 10 minutes for Orchard
Number of Players: 2–4 for Hoot Owl Hoot; 1-8 for Orchard
Minimum Age: Both games are a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard

When it comes to cooperative games for preschoolers, these two are our favorites aside from Feed the Woozle above. But because the game play for these two games is so similar, I recommend picking up either Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard.

My kids love both games, so you really can’t go wrong. The wooden game pieces and picnic baskets for Orchard are super well-made and sturdy, but if that game is a bit outside your price range, Hoot Owl Hoot is just as fun. My kids regularly pull out both games to play together independently!

Pro tip: With Orchard, if your child still tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Orchard edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids.

222 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$36 from Amazon* $36 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Orchard or First Orchard

    
“We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal!” – Richard

Side note: We’ve tested nearly every cooperative game for preschoolers made by Peaceable Kingdom, the same folks who make Hoot Owl Hoot. The other games were fun too, but Hoot Owl Hoot has been the clear winner!

877 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$19 from Amazon* $19 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Hoot Owl Hoot

    
“Family games should be fun for everyone! We have five kids, and that is one of the rules of our Friday Family Fun Night. We play a lot of co-op games with our kids — Hoot Owl Hoot and Outfoxed are really fun! … Co-op games are great for teaching kids slowly, as open hands and working together are good.” – Michelle

8. Spot It! Jr. Animals

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Minimum Age: Even toddlers can play this one, so it’s an excellent pick for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Spot It! Jr. Animals

This preschool game is similar to the regular version of Spot It! but simplified for younger kids with larger images and fewer images on each card.

My favorite part of this matching game is that it’s so portable. I can throw it in my purse when we’re heading somewhere the kids will have to wait a bit, like the doctor’s office or to a restaurant. The small tin holding the cards also makes this game a great fit as a stocking stuffer for kids.

If your preschooler loves this game, you can also check out Spot It! 123.

1,132 families purchased this game after reading this post…

Out of stock on Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Spot It! Jr Animals or Classic or 123

    
“A must have game for every home perfect for ALL ages…Spot It! It’s a matching game on a whole new level. My husband and I love this game as much as the kids!” – Cristy

9. Qwirkle

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Minimum Age: Best for older preschoolers aged 4 and up
Get It: Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

This game is simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for adults, so it’s the perfect fit when you need a game that will work for all ages. Your child will have fun while practicing math and building strategy skills at the same time.

This game took a little practice for our preschooler at first, so take it slow and end the game early when you’re first teaching young kids. To speed up the game, we skip keeping score and put the focus on matching the colors and patterns. You can play a whole game in about 30-45 minutes, and then after the game our preschooler will extend the fun by building towers with the tiles.

This game also comes in a compact travel version, so we keep it in our suitcase and take it with us wherever we go.

365 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

    
“This game is so much fun for the family! We have played it several days in a row, and it’s a fun and challenging way to spend time together. The youngest in our home is 15 and we are all competitive. But this game would be great for a wide range of ages. The game is designed to suit any skill level. This may be the best $25 I ever spent…This game is compelling enough to get teenagers off their phones.” – Sheila

10. Rummikub

Time to Play: 45-60 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Minimum Age: Some 3-year-olds can understand the concepts of this game, but it’s an even better fit for 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds
Get It: Rummikub

This classic family game will build your child’s math skills, but they’ll have so much fun they won’t even realize they’re growing their brain at the same time. As a bonus, Rummikub is challenging enough to keep even adults on their toes. When grandparents come to visit, this is the game both kids and grandparents love to play!

This is supposed to be for ages 8 and up, but our preschooler was still able to understand the rules after one practice game when she was three. Several reviewers have said their preschoolers get into this game as well. Plus, it’s great reinforcement for kids who are learning to recognize numbers.

258 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$24 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Rummikub

    
“This is a great QUICK game for all ages! Some family games like Monopoly can take FOREVER, but this one is fast enough that you can even play more than one round if you want. Plus, it’s not way easy like some games for kids, so it’s actually a challenge for me as an adult too! Keeps my brain active. :)” – Rose

11. Sushi Go

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-5
Minimum Age: 4-year-olds can understand the basic gameplay, but 5-year-olds are a better fit for the strategy
Get It: Sushi Go

My family’s top go-to card games are Sleeping Queens and this quirky little card game. My kids will happily sit and play this for an hour or more – round after round after round.

To play, you pick one card from your hand to keep, then pass your cards to the next person. Everyone keeps doing this until all the cards are picked. Then you score points based on which cards you picked to keep: Did you get the most maki rolls? Did you dip your nigiri in wasabi to triple its value?

When my preschooler was three, she loved this game, even though she didn’t get the strategy of which cards to keep. In fact, she didn’t care who won because she had so much fun just picking her favorite cards and passing the rest along. Now that she’s older, she’s starting to pick up on the strategy – and her 3-year-old younger sister is now in that “having a blast picking cards” phase.

1,822 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

    
“I can confirm the power of board games. It’s our bonding time where we all have fun together. Sushi Go is one of our favorites when we are short on time!” – Olivia

12. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help, so it’s an even better fit for 4-year-olds and up
Get It: Outfoxed!

This preschool board game is like Clue but for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. A fox stole a pot pie, and you have to figure out which fox it was before they escape into the foxhole.

My kids will regularly play this cooperative whodunnit game independently, and I love watching them work together as a team to solve the mystery.

This is a fun little game to build preschoolers’ logic and deductive reasoning skills.

1,129 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$16 from Amazon* $16 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Outfoxed

    
“Outfoxed is cooperative so it’s fun for everyone and easy enough for even preschoolers to participate!” – Elizabeth

13. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: Even toddlers get into this one, so it’s excellent for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

This makes a great first board game for preschoolers because it doesn’t require a lot of strategic thinking, it’s quick to play, and the game rules are easy to understand. Plus, the artwork is adorable!

But here’s my favorite aspect of this game: Kids can easily play this independently while you sneak a catnap on the couch.

If you have more than one child or your child likes to play board games with friends, you’ll likely want to play this with the kids the first couple of times to help them learn the rules, but after that you can peace out.

Here’s the (adorable) setup: Your forest friends are hungry, and they need your help. Be the first to fill your log with delicious acorns, and you win.

563 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

    
“Great fun for little ones and adults!!! We play with my 5 year old who loves it and my 2 year old who is starting to understand. It’s one of the few kids games that is actually fun for me to play as well. I highly recommend this game. It is great quality and great design!” – Dan

14. Animal Upon Animal

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Minimum Age: Even 2-year-olds can play this one, so it’s a great fit for preschoolers as young as 3
Get It: Animal Upon Animal

When your child is ready to move from cooperative to competitive games, this is another fun stacking game for preschoolers to develop their fine motor skills and practice hand-eye coordination. In this game, you stack different wooden animal figurines on top of a large alligator, trying to see how high you can stack them before it all comes crashing down. This game develops your child’s executive functioning skills as they learn they’ll need to be patient and use creative problem-solving in order to get their animals to stack without falling down.

But even when the stack does come crashing down? Giggles all around.

This game is simple enough for young kids to play independently, which is perfect if you need a few minutes to yourself to make an important phone call, take a bathroom break, or sneak a piece of chocolate from your secret stash (I won’t judge).

And unlike some other stacking games for kids that are made with low-quality plastic, these sturdy wooden pieces are made to last. Our copy of this game has lasted through four kids! (Side note: This game is made by the same company who makes Orchard, which my kids also love.)

Pro tip: If your child still tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Animal Upon Animal edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids.

139 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Animal Upon Animal

    
“We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal!” – Richard

Bonus! 7 More Preschool Board Games You’ll Love

If you’ve already played all the games recommended above and you want more ideas, check out the list of even more preschool board games below. Note: We don’t stock the following board games in our shop, so I’ve included links to Amazon for your convenience.

15. Go Fish^†

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–6
Minimum Age: The matching concepts are a good fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Go Fish Alphabet or Go Fish for Art (cards and companion book)

Playing this classic card game with your kids when you’re exhausted levels out the playing field. I don’t believe in letting my kids win, but our 9-year-old and preschooler beat me and my husband on a regular basis.

We have a couple sets of this game – one alphabet set that helps our preschooler work on letter recognition, and another set featuring the artwork of Van Gogh and other artists. Our kids get exposed to art, and we get to hear our preschooler say “Van Gogh,” which is pretty much the cutest thing ever. (If you like the idea of the art edition of Go Fish, they also have a set with modern artists and another for impressionists.)

16. Uno

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2–10
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can understand the matching part of the game, but this is an even better fit for 4-year-old preschoolers and up
Get It: Uno

The box says this classic game is for ages 7 and up, but our preschooler has been playing it for a while. When you think about it, Uno is mostly a matching game. And preschoolers love matching games!

When we first started playing, she needed a little help understanding the “special” cards, but after playing it a few times, she’s learned the meaning of the different symbols. And she knows exactly how to unleash the wrath of the Wild Draw Four card on her poor mother.

To simplify this game for your little ones, you can skip keeping score at the end of each hand.

17. Zingo

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Minimum Age: Even 2-year-olds can play this one, so it’s a great fit for preschoolers as young as 3
Get It: Zingo

This is a matching skills game like bingo, but what keeps it interesting for older kids and adults is the competitive twist – you have to be the first one to notice a match and snag it before someone else does.

That sounds like a simple enough task, but our kids actually snake a match out from under our noses more often than you’d think. (I’m blaming chronic parental sleep deprivation.)

18. Ruckus

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Minimum Age: 4-year-olds can understand the concepts, but older preschoolers tend to enjoy it more
Get It: Ruckus

The box says this card game is technically for ages 5 and up, but my preschooler can’t get enough of this game. In this matching game, you can steal piles of matches from other players, and that’s when the real fun begins.

If you don’t have 20 minutes for a full game, it’s easy to shorten it up by playing to a smaller number of points instead of the recommended 77 points.

Quick tip: We put a box of tissues in front of our preschooler’s hand so she could lay her cards out on the table without everyone else being able to see them.

19. Aquarius

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Minimum Age: The game includes variations for players as young as 3
Get It: Aquarius

You probably won’t find this game on most lists of preschool board games and card games because the box says ages 6 and up. But because this game is really just a matching game, preschoolers catch on quickly.

Plus, the instructions come with different variations for different ages as young as three, which makes it easy to modify the game to fit the people playing.

You play the cards kind of like dominoes – which can be a fun preschool board game itself! – and match up different patterns to the cards already on the table.

This is a game my husband and I love to play after the kids are in bed (with the most advanced variation on the rules!) so it’s a cost-effective and flexible addition to your family board game collection.

20. Shopping List

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: Some toddlers can play this one, so this is a great pick for preschoolers age 3 and up
Get It: Shopping List

This preschool memory game lets kids pretend play they’re at the grocery store filling their cart with everything on their shopping list. My preschooler absolutely loves this game, which is probably an indication that I should put her to work at the grocery store more often. My toddler loves to join in on this one too, but her attention span doesn’t last for a whole game.

If your child loves this game, you can get expansion packs for extra fruit and veggies and for clothing items.

21. Richard Scarry’s Busytown

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: Toddlers can play this game with a little help, so 3-year-olds and up are a great fit
Get It: Richard Scarry’s Busytown

Like Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard, this falls into the category of cooperative preschool board games, and my preschooler loves playing this one too. But game play takes about twice as long for this game, so it’s not as appealing as the other cooperative games we own.

The part that keeps this game interesting for us as parents is the “I Spy” component of looking for little details on the game board. Still, this game isn’t our first choice to play with the kids. We encourage them to play independently, and they have just as much fun!

Want More?

For even more awesome game ideas, check out:

• All ages: The Best Board Games for All Ages
• Ages 18 months to 3 years: The Best Toddler Board Games
• Age 3: The Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds
• Ages 5 to 6 years: The Best Board Games for Kindergartners

Your Turn

Which are your favorite preschool board games? Share in a comment below!

The post The Best 21 Preschool Board Games You’ll Actually Enjoy, Too appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

Sometimes the daily grind of family life can leave you feeling disconnected as a family.

It could be that you retreated to your individual corners of the world to indulge in separate screen time. Or you got focused on the “list” instead of on each other while you ran a bunch of errands. Or maybe you rushed through the homework/dinner/bathtime routine because your eyes were on the prize at the end of it all: a glass of wine + couch + mindless TV.

When this happens, your patience can run dry or your kids may stop cooperating – usually both.

When our family is feeling that disconnect, one thing seems to have a magical power for bringing us back together with smiles and laughter.

Games.

Short on Time? Here Are Our Top Picks

If you’re in a rush, here’s a quick run-down of the best family games for all ages that have been most popular with the parents and kids in this community. (Note: The ages in this list assume you need to accommodate a child of that age in your group—not that every child in the group is that particular age. In other words, these games are all fun with a range of ages!)

• By Lowest Age in Your Family:
  • Best Card Game for Preschoolers: Spot It! Jr Animals, $10^†
  • Best Board Game for Preschoolers: Outfoxed!, $18
  • Best Card Game for Big Kids: Sleeping Queens, $12
  • Best Board Game for Big Kids: Dixit, $34
  • Best Card Game for Tweens: Sushi Go, $13
  • Best Board Game for Tweens: Forbidden Island, $20
  • Best Card Game for Teens: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, $10
  • Best Board Game for Teens: 7 Wonders, $46
• Best Quick Game for All Ages: Sleeping Queens, $12
• Best Clever Game for All Ages: Dixit, $34
• Best Silly Game for All Ages: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, $10
• Best Exciting Game for All Ages: Forbidden Island, $20

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices shown are from time of publishing.

But Here’s the Problem With Family Board Games

We have a 11-year-old, 6-year-old, 4-year-old, and a toddler. Which means:

• The toddler destroys whatever we’re trying to play, so we have to wait until he’s asleep at night before we can play. This is understandable, and we know it’s temporary.
• We have to play games to the lowest common denominator: our preschooler. If a game is too advanced for her, she gets bored and assumes her baby brother’s role of wreaking havoc on the game in progress.
• Playing “younger” games isn’t the end of the world, except for the fact that…
• Most games designed for younger kids are boring.

Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Hi Ho Cherry-O? MAKE IT STOP.

Call me the Board Game Grinch if you want, but I firmly believe life is too short to play a game so tedious it makes you want to gouge out your eyeballs.

If you do enjoy games like Candyland, you are a more patient soul than I am, and I admire that! But if you have to grit your teeth in order to play a game with your kid, you’re not doing anyone any favors.

Because when you’re actually having fun playing a game with your kids, your kids will notice and have more fun themselves. But if you’re bored out of your mind? They’ll notice that, too.

Related: How to Connect With Your Child: The Magic of the 5:1 Ratio {Printable}

38 Best Board Games for All Ages That Will Make the Whole Family Happy

Thanks to the wide range of ages in our family, we have the perfect testing ground for which board games and card games work well for all different ages.

These are our kids’ absolute favorite card and board games for all ages, but here’s the best part: My husband and I enjoy playing every single one of these games, too. When our preschooler picks one of these games, we don’t roll our eyes or groan because we actually want to play them.

These are also the games we lend to friends and family because we know they won’t be gone long. Within a couple days, friends report back that everyone in their family loved the game, and we can have ours back because they’re getting their own copy.

In other words, this list of board games for the whole family is 100% approved by both kids and parents.

I’d love to add to this list over time (not to mention find awesome new games we’ve never played before!), so before you go, please leave a comment with your favorite card and board games for all ages of kids (and adults).

You’ll be saving parents everywhere from the nightmare that is Hi Ho Cherry-O.

But First: Which Ages Work Best With These Games for the Whole Family?

Below, each game includes a suggested minimum age. Most of the time, this is different than the minimum age you’ll see listed by the game manufacturer on the box.

The minimum ages listed below are based on my own family’s experience of testing family games for all ages with our (very different) kids, plus the minimum ages reported by the thousands of families who posted reviews of these games online. But remember that every child is different, so your specific experience may vary. If your child isn’t ready for a game quite yet, put it away for a month or two then try again!

For even more games that are perfect for different age groups, check out our age-specific game lists:

• Ages 18 months to 3 years: The Best Toddler Board Games
• Ages 3 to 5 years: The Best Preschool Board Games and The Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds
• Ages 5 to 6 years: The Best Board Games for Kindergartners
• Ages 13 and up: The Best Board Games for Teens

Note: indicates my family’s absolute top favorites on the list. These are the games my whole family can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

Quick Board Games for All Ages: Play in 20 Minutes or Less

When you’re short on time and need a quick dose of family connection, these are the best board games for the whole family.

1. Sleeping Queens

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds will need help to remember all the rules; best for ages 4 and up
Get It: Sleeping Queens

If you get nothing else from this, you must play this game. Promise me! Because of all our favorite family games for all ages, this is our number one go-to. The rules are simple enough for our kids to understand at age three, but the game still keeps everyone on their toes.

We never get tired of this one! Plus, you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes. Perfect for getting in a dose of family connection before sending little ones off to bed.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 4-year-olds are ready for this game, especially if you help them out a bit with the number cards.

Black Friday’s back: Get 30% off all games with the code HAPPY30. Plus, free shipping for orders $49+.

4,687 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$18 from Amazon* $18 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sleeping Queens

    
“My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought ‘How did you know that…?’ Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.” – Ann

By the way, when you’re playing card games with your child, this card holder is a must have for little hands. Your child can hold it to see their cards, or they can set the holder down on the table for a break. (This particular card holder has stood the test of time, as opposed to other card holders we’ve tried.)

Readers who bought Sleeping Queens also bought

$9 from Amazon* $7 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Little Hands Playing Card Holder
    
“I love the card holder, plus your suggestions for how to play with little kids!” – Linda

2. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help; best for ages 4 and up
Get It: Outfoxed!

This game is like Clue but for younger kids – and yet still fun for adults too. A fox stole a pot pie, and you have to figure out which fox it was before they escape into the foxhole.

My kids regularly play this cooperative whodunnit game independently, and I love watching them work together as a team to solve the mystery. This is a fun little game to build kids’ logic and deductive reasoning skills!

1,129 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$16 from Amazon* $16 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Outfoxed

    
“Outfoxed is cooperative so it’s fun for everyone and easy enough for even preschoolers to participate!” – Elizabeth

3. Sushi Go

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Minimum Age: 4-year-olds can understand the basic gameplay, but ages 5 and up are a better fit for the strategy
Get It: Sushi Go

This fun card game is one of our favorite games for the whole family because you can play it quickly. My kids will happily sit and play this one for an hour or more – round after round after round.

To play, you pick one card from your hand to keep for yourself, then pass your cards to the next person. Everyone keeps doing this until all cards are picked. Then you score points based on which cards you picked to keep: Did you get the most maki rolls? Did you dip your nigiri in wasabi to triple its value?

When my second child was 3, she loved this game, even though she didn’t get the strategy of which cards to keep. In fact, she didn’t care who won because she had so much fun just picking her favorite cards and passing the rest along. Now that she’s older, she’s starting to pick up on the strategy – and her younger sister is now in that “having a blast picking cards” phase.

1,822 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

    
“I can confirm the power of board games. It’s our bonding time where we all have fun together. Sushi Go is one of our favorites when we are short on time!” – Olivia

4. Spot It! Jr Animals or Spot It! Classic

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Minimum Age: Ages 3 and up do best with the kids’ edition; the regular version is best for ages 5 and up
Get It: Spot It! Jr Animals or Spot It! Classic (also called Dobble in some areas)

My favorite part of this matching game is that it’s so portable. When we’re heading somewhere the kids will have to wait a bit, like the doctor’s office or to a restaurant, I can throw this little game in my purse and keep all the kids entertained and relatively quiet. (Side note: The small tin holding the cards also makes this game a great fit as a stocking stuffer for kids!)

The junior edition of this game is better for younger kids because it features larger images and fewer images on each card. Also, some editions of the regular version require some reading, but the junior edition doesn’t require any reading.

By the way, out of all the family board games for all ages included in this list, this one is the most frequently recommended by readers!

1,132 families purchased this game after reading this post…

Out of stock on Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Spot It! Jr Animals or Classic or 123

    
“A must have game for every home perfect for ALL ages…Spot It! It’s a matching game on a whole new level. My husband and I love this game as much as the kids!” – Cristy

5. Rat-a-Tat Cat

Time to Play: 10 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6 players
Minimum Age: Some 4-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 5 and up
Get It: Rat-a-Tat Cat

In this fast-paced card game, your goal is to collect cards so that you’ll have the lowest possible point value. That means getting rid of the high cards (rats) and going for the low cards (cats). When you think you’ve got the lowest score, you call out “Rat-a-Tat Cat!”

This quick game builds your child’s memory skills and number sense, plus you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes, which is great for an extra dose of connection with your child before bedtime.

This game is in our regular rotation, and we also like to play it in between rounds of Sleeping Queens for a change of pace. It’s the perfect mix of silly, challenging, and fun!

274 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$13 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Rat-a-Tat Cat

    
“My 5 year old’s current favorite is Rat a Tat Cat by Gamewright. I really like how the rules can be adapted for an ‘easy’ and ‘hard’ version of the game, giving the game more longevity!” – Patricia

6. Gobblet Gobblers

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2 players
Minimum Age: 4 and up
Get It: Gobblet Gobblers

This game is like tic-tac-toe with a twist. Just like in tic-tac-toe, you line up three of your pieces to win. But in this game, your piece can also gobble up another person’s piece (or even your own piece) because the game pieces are like nesting dolls. You can also move any pieces you already placed on the board.

While it can get boring to play tic-tac-toe with a young child over and over again, this game shakes things up enough to make it fun for all ages in the family. The game is over quickly, which is a plus for a young child’s attention span. My 11-year-old and 4-year-old will sit and play game after game together because they’re having so much fun. Your child won’t even realize they’re building critical thinking, memory skills, and spatial awareness skills while having fun!

The manufacturer says this is for ages 5 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 4-year-olds are ready for this game.

If you like this game, the same company also makes another game for young kids called Pengoloo, and that one’s a hit with the whole family too.

Note: Be sure to get this wooden version of this game, not the newer plastic version. The families who accidentally ordered the plastic version while on another site were bummed because the plastic edition isn’t nearly as sturdy.

1,109 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Gobblet Gobblers

    
“Far and away our family’s favorite game!” – A boy mom

7. Crossing

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 3-6 players
Minimum Age: 6 and up
Get It: Crossing

This quick game of strategy is perfect for connecting with your child when you have a small pocket of time, like at bedtime or after getting home from school. Kids love trying to collect as many gemstones as possible, and the strategy aspect of the game is enough to keep adult players on their toes too.

On each turn, all players make their moves at the same time. You can choose to go after a new batch of gemstones, protect your current stash, or steal from another player. But if two players both go after the same gemstones, no one gets them. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after.

Plus, your child will get bonus math practice when adding up the points for their gemstones at the end.

Good, quick fun for a wide range of ages!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds are ready for this game.

Out of stock on Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Crossing

    
“This game is fun, quick to learn, and super easy to teach your child. My 6-year-old loves playing with her grandparents!” – Micah

Clever Games for the Whole Family That Will Sharpen Little Minds

Your whole family will have a blast playing these board games for all ages, and your kids won’t even realize they’re growing their brains, too!

8. Ticket to Ride First Journey or Ticket to Ride

Time to Play: 15-30 minutes for the kids’ edition; 30-60 minutes for the regular version
Number of Players: 2-4 for the kids’ edition; 2–5 for the regular version
Minimum Age: 6 and up for the kids’ edition; the regular version is best for 8 and up
Get It: Ticket to Ride First Journey or Ticket to Ride

In this game, your goal is to figure out the best routes to travel across America by train. Not only will your child learn strategy and geography, but they’ll have a blast too.

The kids’ edition is simple enough for younger kids but still challenging enough for the whole family to enjoy. In fact, because the games are quicker with the kids’ edition, my family prefers to play that one over the full edition!

Then when your child is ready, move up to the regular version for even more of a fun challenge. The full edition of Ticket to Ride is so much fun that my husband and I love to play it after the kids are in bed, just the two of us.

350 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$28 from Amazon* $30 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Ticket to Ride or Ticket to Ride: First Journey

    
“For Christmas based on your recommendations, I gave the kids Sleeping Queens and Ticket to Ride First Journey, and we’ve been playing them ALL YEAR! Can’t wait to add a few more of your recommendations this Christmas!” – Jess

9. My First Carcassonne or Carcassonne

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes for the kids’ edition; 30-45 minutes for the regular version
Number of Players: 2–4 for the kids’ edition; 2-5 for the regular version
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can understand the concepts in the kids’ edition, but 4-year-olds and up will do best with the strategy; the regular version works best with ages 7 and up
Get It: My First Carcassonne or Carcassonne

Whereas some family board games for all ages are all luck and no strategy, this game gives kids a fun introduction to thinking strategically. To play, you place tiles to build streets in the city of Carcassonne, so the road-building aspect is fantastic for growing spatial intelligence.

This game is on my own personal short list of my favorite games to play as a family!

$35 from Amazon* $34 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Carcassonne or My First Carcassonne

    
“We have three kids: 10, 8, and 4. We like the game Carcassonne a lot! We skip the keeping score part when playing with our preschooler, but not with our other two.” – Stephanie

10. Qwirkle

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Minimum Age: Some 4-year-olds can play this with some help; best for ages 5 and up
Get It: Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

This game is simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for adults, so it’s the perfect fit when you need a game that will work for all ages. Your child will have fun while practicing math and building strategy skills at the same time.

This game took a little practice for our preschoolers at first, so take it slow and end the game early when you’re first teaching young kids. To speed up the game, we skip keeping score and put the focus on matching the colors and patterns. You can play a whole game in about 30-45 minutes, and then after the game our younger kids will extend the fun by building towers with the tiles.

This game also comes in a compact travel version, so we keep it in our suitcase and take it with us wherever we go.

365 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

    
“This game is so much fun for the family! We have played it several days in a row, and it’s a fun and challenging way to spend time together. The youngest in our home is 15 and we are all competitive. But this game would be great for a wide range of ages. The game is designed to suit any skill level. This may be the best $25 I ever spent…This game is compelling enough to get teenagers off their phones.” – Sheila

11. Rummikub

Time to Play: 45-60 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Minimum Age: Some 3-year-olds can understand the concepts of this game, but it’s an even better fit for 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds
Get It: Rummikub

This classic family game will build your child’s math skills, but they’ll have so much fun they won’t even realize they’re growing their brain at the same time. As a bonus, Rummikub is challenging enough to keep even adults on their toes. When grandparents come to visit, this is the game both kids and grandparents love to play!

This is supposed to be for ages 8 and up, but we’ve had three preschoolers who were still able to understand the rules after one practice game. Several reviewers have said their preschoolers get into this game as well. Plus, it’s great reinforcement for kids who are learning to recognize numbers.

258 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$24 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Rummikub

    
“This is a great QUICK game for all ages! Some family games like Monopoly can take FOREVER, but this one is fast enough that you can even play more than one round if you want. Plus, it’s not way easy like some games for kids, so it’s actually a challenge for me as an adult too! Keeps my brain active. :)” – Rose

12. Sequence for Kids or Sequence

Time to Play: 20 minutes for kids’ edition; 10-30 for regular
Number of Players: 2–4 for kids’ edition; 2-12 for regular
Minimum Age: 3 and up for the kids’ edition; 7 and up for regular
Get It: Sequence for Kids or Sequence

The regular edition of Sequence was a bit of a stretch for our kids at age three, so we got the Sequence for Kids version and it’s perfect for now. Sometimes though, we’ll invite the youngest to join mom or dad’s team so we can play the regular version.

What’s cool about this game is that you’ll notice your kids start thinking ahead a couple turns instead of just playing the second they find a match.

1,202 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

    
“The one we have enjoyed playing most with our 4-yr-old daughter is Sequence for Kids. We loved it so much that she wanted to purchase one for her friend for Christmas. :)” – Kim

13. Dixit

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 3–6
Minimum Age: Some 4-year-olds have been known to beat their parents at this game (!); best for ages 5 and up
Get It: Dixit

Our oldest used her 10th birthday money to get this game, and we all fell in love with it right from the start. (The artwork is absolutely gorgeous!)

If you want to nurture your child’s creativity, you need this storytelling game. Each round, one player picks a card (without showing anyone else!) and makes up a one-sentence story based on the picture on that card. Then all the other players pick a card that best fits with that story, and everyone puts their cards facedown. The storyteller shuffles the cards and turns them all over, and everyone has to vote on which was the “correct” card that inspired the original story.

The best part of this game is watching how your child pieces a story together and literally seeing their imagination at work. I never get tired of seeing what my kids come up with. Sometimes their clues are more literal, and sometimes they completely surprise me.

A few ideas if you’re playing with a younger child:

• The first time you play, do a few practice rounds to help your kiddo get comfortable with the rules and strategy. You might even start with a practice run every time you sit down to play this game as a family. For example, it was a challenge for our preschooler at first to not give away which card was hers when it comes time to guess the right answer. But after a couple games, she got it.
• Make a house rule that clues can be just one word. This will help younger kids avoid giving away too much about their cards.
• Or as an alternative, you can have a rule that kids’ clues must be feelings. Ask the kids to describe how the card makes them feel, and they’ll avoid being too literal.
• Try playing without keeping score so you keep the focus on the best part of the game – getting your creative juices flowing.

137 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$34 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Dixit

    
“My family’s favorite game EVER is Dixit. It’s perfect for a wide range of ages!” – Kristen

14. SET

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Minimum Age: Some 4-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 5 and up
Get It: SET

This fast-paced, fun card game will give your child’s brain a workout – and yours too! To play, you compare patterns on the cards and find a SET of three cards before anyone else does.

At first, I thought this game looked too simple and that it wouldn’t keep my interest as an adult, but it came highly recommended from friends so I gave it a chance. And I couldn’t have been more wrong! The shapes are deceptively simple, and finding a SET is challenging enough to keep adults on their toes too.

Another plus for this game: Your child can play the game alone. So when they come to you saying, “I’m bored,” don’t say a word. Just put this game in their hands, and they’ll be all set.

This is a fun mental workout for the whole family!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 6 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 5-year-olds and even some 4-year-olds are ready for this game.

$13 from Amazon* $13 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

SET

    
“So good for including all ages together, getting them to think mathematically without telling them so. The spatial awareness this develops is fun, competitive and beautifully repetitive. Finish a game and you want to start another!” – Karen

15. Five Crowns Junior

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Minimum Age: 5 and up
Get It: Five Crowns Junior

This rummy-style card game is a fun way to help your child practice math skills and color matching. Based on the uber-popular Five Crowns card game for adults, this kid-friendly version also introduces your child to the basic concepts of rummy so they’ll be ready to play that when they’re older. A simple and fun game for the whole family!

A quick heads up if your child tends to be sensitive to losing: When you don’t have a full 5-card run during a turn, you get stuck with something called a Robbie chip. Then at the end of the game if there’s a tie, the person who has the most Robbie chips ends up getting their treasure “stolen” by the Robbies and therefore loses.

Because of the negative connotation of the Robbie chips, some kids don’t like that aspect of the game, so I recommend just leaving that part out entirely until your child is ready for more of a challenge.

Out of stock on Amazon

Five Crowns Junior

    
“We have a 9, 8, and 5 year old, and this has become a family favorite! It’s a simple game but still good for their brains, and the whole game takes less than 30 minutes.” – Ally

16. Kingdomino

Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: Some 5-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 6 and up
Get It: Kingdomino

This is an incredibly fun twist on the classic game of dominoes. In this game, you’re royalty in search of new lands so you can expand your kingdom. But you’ll need to hurry to snag the best spots before other royalty gets there first.

This game is simple to learn, quick to play, and challenging enough to keep adults coming back for more too. And when you play this tile laying game with your child, you’ll build their strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, all while having a great time connecting as a family.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds and even some 5-year-olds are ready for this game.

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Kingdomino or Queendomino

    
“Our family loves this game! It incorporates patterns, multiplication, and strategy, and with several variations on the rules, this works well for two players, and adds different objectives to games with more players.” – Christina

17. Quiddler Junior

Time to Play: 20-40 minutes
Number of Players: 1-6
Minimum Age: Some 5-year-olds can play this if they’re reading independently; best for ages 6 and up
Get It: Quiddler Junior

This is one of those rare educational games for kids that’s actually fun for kids and adults. If you enjoy word games like Scrabble or Boggle but your child isn’t yet ready for those games, Quiddler Junior is the perfect fit. (Personally, I love this game just as much as my kids do!)

Each card in your hand features a different letter, and the goal of the game is to use those letters to create words. Creating words scores points, and the person with the most points at the end wins.

Teachers and homeschoolers rave about this card game because not only will your child improve their spelling and build their vocabulary, but they’ll also practice math skills when adding up their points.

As a bonus, this game also includes instructions for playing a solitaire version – an excellent option for when your child announces, “I’m bored!”

Note: The manufacturer says this game takes 40 minutes to play, but that’s for a full seven rounds. If you’d like a shorter game, you can just play fewer rounds and then add up everyone’s points.

$13 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Quiddler

    
“This has been a go-to game for our family for years, and my teens love it! It’s quick and easy, and you can play it anywhere. We even throw it in a suitcase so we can play when we’re traveling. If you like Scrabble, it’s similar, but this game is easier and allows more people to play.” – Cassie

18. Word on the Street Junior

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-8
Minimum Age: Some 5-year-olds can play this if they’re reading independently; best for ages 6 and up
Get It: Word on the Street Junior

Some kids’ board games touted as “educational” are so focused on the learning aspects that they’ve sucked all the fun out of the game. But not Word on the Street Junior.

Even though the game is marketed as educational for kids with many teachers using it in their classrooms, adults find that they enjoy this game just as much as the kids do!

This game is like tug-of-war – but with letters. On your team’s turn, you get a prompt like “something with a shell” and you have to think of a word that fits that prompt, like “snail.” Then you get to move all the letters in your word one lane closer to your side of the “street” board. The first team to move eight letters all the way off the board wins.

Pro tip: When playing with a child who’s still learning how to spell various words, many families find it helpful to play with a small dry-erase board or scratch paper. After the child comes up with a word on their turn, you can help them spell it on the board or paper. Not only will that help them complete their turn, they’ll get some bonus spelling and handwriting practice.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 7 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) many 6-year-olds are ready for this game. The game instructions include variations for playing with younger kids, plus because you play on teams, you can pair up younger kids with an adult or older sibling.

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Word on the Street Junior

    
“I’m a mom of three, ages 5, 8, and 10. This game is awesome for all ages! It requires creativity, and the back and forth keeps it exciting. Definitely worth it!” – Michelle

Silly Board Games for All Ages (Dare You Not to Giggle!)

When it comes to silly games for the whole family, these are the best picks. Guaranteed laughs!

19. Go Nuts for Donuts

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6 players
Minimum Age: Some 4- and 5-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 6 and up
Get It: Go Nuts for Donuts

This is a quick card game that always makes us laugh. The goal of the game is to get as many points-scoring donuts as you can and end up with the highest score, and the kids definitely love the donut theme.

But what really makes this game worth it is what happens when you go after the same donut as someone else. Because if you both go after the same donut, no one gets the donut. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after – so you can avoid going after the same donut. But then…are the other players predicting the same thing about you and therefore picking a different donut than you’d expect, so now you’re actually going after the same donut after all?!

My husband and I always end up picking the same darn donut turn after turn, so the kids tend to beat us handily.

Most families who enjoy Sushi Go end up loving this quick card game too.

116 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$30 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Go Nuts for Donuts

    
“So many great games here! Castle Panic and Go Nuts for Donuts are AWESOME.” – Kayla

20. Yeti in My Spaghetti

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more players
Minimum Age: Some 3-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 4 and up
Get It: Yeti in My Spaghetti

This game is similar to Ker-Plunk, but it’s a better fit for younger kids because Ker-Plunk’s marbles are choking hazards.

To play this fun little game, you lay the spaghetti pieces across the bowl then put the yeti on top. (No logic behind this – just go with it.) Then each player takes turns pulling out one piece of spaghetti. If the yeti falls to the bottom of the bowl on your turn, you lose. This is usually the point at which kids collapse into giggles, which can be contagious!

This game is perfect for younger kids because it helps develop their executive functioning skills when they learn (the hard way) to be patient and pull the spaghetti pieces out slowly. But because it’s so quick and silly, even tweens and teens get into it too!

162 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$14 from Amazon* $14 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Yeti in My Spaghetti

    
“We love Yeti in My Spaghetti. :) Low competition and just a fun game!” – Jane

21. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Time to Play: 10-30 minutes
Number of Players: 3-8
Minimum Age: 6 and up
Get It: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

This twist on Slapjack is more fun the more players you have, so it’s an excellent choice for family game night or other family get-togethers.

Each person takes turns placing a card from their hand face up into a community pile while saying the next word in the sequence of taco/cat/goat/cheese/pizza. For example, suppose it’s your turn to say “goat” and as you lay the card down, you see that the card matches what you just said. Then everyone slaps! The last person to slap picks up the pile and adds it to the bottom of their hand. The person to get rid of all their cards first wins.

The deck also has a few special cards where you have to act something out before you slap the deck, like with the gorilla card where you have to beat your chest like a gorilla before slapping. This game is great silly fun!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds are ready for this game.

$10 from Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

    
“We went camping and packed this new game we’d gotten for Christmas, and I’m so glad we did. Everyone had a BLAST, even my teenager and my 65-year-old mom. I love that you can play with a big group, and it’s easy to learn.” – Kristin

22. Trash Pandas

Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 6 and up
Get It: Trash Pandas

This quick card game has a “press your luck” element that most kids love.

The setup of the game is delightfully silly—every player is a raccoon who’s tipping over trash cans to find food and shiny objects. You roll dice to determine whether you get to dig through the trash (i.e. draw a card), take something from someone else’s trash (i.e. steal a card), stash your goodies so they stay safe until the end of the game (i.e. stash a card), and more. The more cards you stash, the more points you get. But if you push your luck and keep rolling the dice, you could lose all your goodies from that turn.

Trash Pandas is easy to learn, quick to play, and perfect for kicking off or wrapping up your family game night. Plus, your child will learn about probability without even realizing it!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds are ready for this game.

$11 from Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Trash Pandas

    
“Our whole family loves this game! We play with our 10-year-old and 7-year-old, and everyone gets a kick out of the silly card names. It’s easy to learn, quick to set up, and small enough to take along on family trips.” – Tracy

Exciting Family Board Games That Will Make Your Heart Race

These board games for all ages will get you working towards a common goal against a shared enemy – or desperately trying to out-maneuver your opponents so you’re not left in the dust.

23. My First Castle Panic or Castle Panic

Time to Play: 20 minutes for the kids’ edition; 45-60 minutes for the regular version
Number of Players: 1-4 for the kids’ edition; 1-6 for the regular version
Minimum Age: Ages 3 and up do best with the kids’ edition; the regular version is best for ages 7 and up
Get It: My First Castle Panic or Castle Panic

This is one of my favorite cooperative board games for the whole family. Because this is a cooperative game, you work together to fight off a horde of monsters who are trying to tear down your castle walls and destroy your towers. It sure is fun to work together as a family towards a common goal that doesn’t involve loading the dishwasher!

If you’re not sure which edition is right for your child, the regular version’s printed rules include a few variants for younger kids. The manufacturer says the regular version is for ages 10 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 7-year-olds who can read are ready for the regular version.

$28 from Amazon* $28 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Castle Panic or My First Castle Panic

    
“So many great games here! Castle Panic and Go Nuts for Donuts are AWESOME.” – Kayla

24. Forbidden Island

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4 players
Minimum Age: Some 5- and 6-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 7 and up
Get It: Forbidden Island

This one’s so fun you’ll enjoy playing it even without your kids. My husband and I regularly play it after the kids are in bed!

This is another cooperative game, which is always a plus when it comes to family board games for all ages. In the game, you work together to collect treasure before the ancient island you’re on sinks into the ocean – plus you have to rescue your whole team off the island with a helicopter before you sink with the island. Even though I know it’s not real, my heart races every time we get to the end of this game!

If your kids are still a bit young for this one, check out My First Castle Panic or Castle Panic (also included in this list) for another awesome cooperative game for the whole family.

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Forbidden Island

    
“Forbidden Island is great because unlike most games it teaches cooperation instead of competition – all the players must work together, using their different player skills, in order to get all the treasures before the island sinks. Either everyone wins or everyone loses. It is my new favorite game to play with my 9-year-old daughter!” – Mark

25. 7 Wonders

Time to Play: 30-40 minutes
Number of Players: 2-7
Minimum Age: 8 and up
Get It: 7 Wonders

This is the ultimate strategy game. Your goal is to develop your city’s civilization and build the Wonders of the World. You can win through military prowess, scientific advancement, or by building the best civilization with the most victory points – so the shifting strategy keeps every game unique.

The game takes just 30 to 40 minutes, it’s incredibly fun for kids and adults, and every game delivers a fresh challenge. My husband and I love this so much, we often play it after the kids are in bed too!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 10 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 8-year-olds are ready for this game. Younger kids will need help with thinking through their strategy the first couple times you play, but the payoff is well worth the slight stretch at first. When my 8-year-old reigns supreme at this game, she beams the rest of the night.

For a slightly faster 2-player version of this game, check out 7 Wonders Duel.

$48 from Amazon* $48 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

7 Wonders

    
“My teenager played this at a friend’s house and came home raving about it, so I surprised him with a copy for his birthday. Now our whole family is HOOKED. The genius of this game is that every time you play it, your strategy has to shift based on the hand you’re dealt. So it never gets boring. It’s a family favorite for us!” – Gabriela

26. Rhino Hero

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 5 and up
Get It: Rhino Hero

In this card-stacking game, you take turns adding more levels to a skyscraper and try to avoid knocking the whole building down. It’s kind of like Jenga in reverse, but you don’t have to preemptively cringe every turn because instead of a loud crash from dozens of wooden blocks falling all at once – it’s just a few playing cards falling.

This game is simple, quick, and fun, but it’s also educational. While you play, you’ll help develop your child’s fine motor skills and spatial intelligence, plus encourage patience and strategic thinking as they plan ahead to keep the tower from tumbling down. The best kind of practice for budding young engineers and scientists!

But don’t worry – if you’re an adult playing with a child, the game is still challenging enough to keep you on your toes, too.

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Rhino Hero

    
“Rhino Hero is a lot of fun and works well for kids of varying ages!” – Kristen

27. Catan Junior or Catan

Time to Play: 30 minutes for the kids’ edition; 60+ minutes for the regular version
Number of Players: 2-4 for the kids’ edition; 3-4 for the regular version
Minimum Age: Ages 5 and up do best with the kids’ edition; the regular version is best for ages 8 and up
Get It: Catan Junior or Catan

This is one of our favorite board games for the whole family. The gameplay is challenging enough that my husband and I don’t get bored, but still straightforward enough that the kids can figure it out.

Your child will learn strategic thinking and negotiation skills, all while having a blast. Forget Monopoly and play Catan instead!

$32 from Amazon* $28 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Catan Junior

    
“Catan Junior is so much fun! Our kids (6 and 3) love it.” – Kelsey

$44 from Amazon* $44 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Catan

    
“We LOVE Catan! Best game for the whole family.” – Janet

Need More Ideas? 11 More Family Board Games for All Ages You’ll Love

If you’ve already played all the games recommended above and you want more ideas, check out the list of even more family board games for all ages below. Note: We don’t stock the following board games in our shop, so I’ve included links to Amazon for your convenience.

28. Uno

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2–10
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can understand the matching part of the game; best for ages 4 and up
Get It: Uno

This is one of those classic family games for all ages, and for good reason. The box says this card game is for ages 7 and up, but we’ve had three preschoolers play it successfully. When you think about it, Uno is mostly a matching game. And preschoolers love matching games!

When each preschooler first started playing, they needed a little help understanding the “special” cards, but after playing it a few times, they learned the meaning of the different symbols. And soon, they knew exactly how to unleash the wrath of the Wild Draw Four card on their poor mother.

To simplify this game for little ones, you can skip keeping score at the end of each hand.

Bonus: If your kids love Uno, be sure to check out Giant Uno for an extra dose of giggles. It’s impossible not to laugh when you’re playing with those giant cards! (Fair warning: This is a popular gift around the holidays, so the price tends to go up as the available stock dwindles.)

“We also really like Uno! My 2-yr-old plays with us and loves it.” – Christie

29. Zingo

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Minimum Age: Even some 2-year-olds can play this one!
Get It: Zingo

At first, this matching game might seem too simple to be one of your go-to games for the whole family. But what keeps it interesting for older kids and adults is the competitive twist – you have to be the first one to notice a match and snag it before someone else does.

That sounds like a simple enough task, but you’d be surprised how often our kids snake a match out from under our noses. (I’m blaming chronic parental sleep deprivation.)

“I can’t say enough good things about Zingo! From day one, all three kids loved it and understood the concept.” – Nina

30. Skip-Bo Junior or Skip-Bo

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes for the kids’ edition; 15-20 minutes for the regular version
Number of Players: 2-4 for the kids’ edition; 2-6 for the regular version
Minimum Age: Ages 4 and up do best with the kids’ edition; the regular version is best for ages 6 and up
Get It: Skip-Bo Junior or Skip-Bo

This fast-moving game is easy to learn and easy to play, plus it helps develop your child’s number sense. My kids will happily sit and play several rounds of this in a row!

If you’re not sure which edition would work best for your kids, some 4-year-olds do just fine with the regular version as long as you help them. With that said, the simpler cards with the junior edition are a great fit for younger kids, so we ended up getting that edition and then playing by the regular version’s rules.

31. Go Fish

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–6
Minimum Age: The matching concepts are a good fit for ages 3 and up
Get It: Go Fish Alphabet or Go Fish for Art (cards and companion book)

Playing this classic card game with your kids when you’re exhausted levels out the playing field. I don’t believe in letting my kids win, but our 11-year-old and 6-year-old beat me and my husband on a regular basis.

We have a couple sets of this game – one alphabet set that helps our preschooler work on letter recognition, and another set featuring the artwork of Van Gogh and other artists. Our kids get exposed to art, and we get to hear our preschooler say “Van Gogh,” which is pretty much the cutest thing ever. (If you like the idea of the art edition of Go Fish, they also have a set with modern artists and another for impressionists.)

32. Dominoes

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2–10
Minimum Age: Some 4-year-olds can play with help; best for ages 5 and up
Get It: Dominoes

When we first started playing dominoes as a family, we would each take turns adding to the same line. This kept the game simple and helped our preschooler focus on the pattern recognition.

But once she got comfortable with that, we graduated to the Mexican Train game. Dominoes is one of those classic board games for all ages that we find ourselves going back to again and again!

33. Labyrinth

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4 players
Minimum Age: Some 4-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 5 and up
Get It: Labyrinth

In this game, you’re in a maze looking for treasure – but the maze pieces move with every turn. The gameplay forces your kids to think ahead about the future impact of their decisions, which is perfect for developing their executive functioning skills.

When it comes to board games for all ages, it’s important that younger kids don’t feel completely hopeless at their chances of winning. And in this game, younger kids get really excited when they outwit their older siblings…or parents!

34. Otrio

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4 players
Minimum Age: Some 5-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 6 and up
Get It: Otrio

If your kids have figured out how to win at tic-tac-toe every time, this is the perfect game for a fresh challenge. It’s like 3D tic-tac-toe on steroids and actually keeps me and my husband on our toes, too.

Gobblet Gobblers uses a similar tic-tac-toe concept and it’s a favorite in our house, but you can only play that with two people. So when two of our kids want to play independently, they pull out Gobblet Gobblers. But when we want to play with more people, we turn to Otrio for a fun family challenge.

We also love the travel edition of Otrio for throwing in our suitcase before a family vacation!

35. Yahtzee

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-10 players
Minimum Age: Some 5-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 6 and up
Get It: Yahtzee

This is a classic dice game that most of us are familiar with from when we were kids. Even with the wide variety of board games for the whole family available today, Yahtzee still makes it into our family’s regular rotation.

Younger kids enjoy making a loud racket when shaking the dice, and the math aspect is a fun challenge for older kids.

“We’ve recently rediscovered Yahtzee! My 1-year-old loves to shake and roll the dice. And my 6-year-old is responsible for the counting and math.” – Erin

36. Exploding Kittens

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-5 players
Minimum Age: Some 5-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 6 and up
Get It: Exploding Kittens

This card game has racked up thousands upon thousands of 5-star reviews online, and it’s well deserved.

The premise is pretty silly to start with. You take turns drawing cards until someone draws an exploding kitten and loses the game. On top of that, many of the cards are off-the-wall ridiculous and a fair number of them rely on gross-out humor like the “rainbow-ralphing cat” card or the “deploy the thousand-year back hair” card. In other words, perfect for kids!

For the best game experience, play this with kids who can read the card descriptions independently.

37. Jenga or Suspend Junior

Time to Play: 20 minutes (Jenga) or 15 minutes (Suspend Junior)
Number of Players: 1–8 (Jenga) or 1-4 (Suspend Junior)
Minimum Age: 5 and up (Jenga) or 4 and up (Suspend Junior)
Get It: Jenga or Suspend Junior

We typically play family games when our youngest is asleep, so Jenga isn’t a great fit because the falling tower would wake him up.

If you’re in the same boat, check out Suspend Junior as a fun alternative to Jenga. In this balancing game, the falling pieces don’t make nearly the same racket as a falling Jenga tower.

The rules are simple, but winning is not. The kids regularly beat us at this one. When you’re ready for more of a challenge, you can get the regular version of Suspend.

38. Dutch Blitz

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4 players
Minimum Age: Some 6-year-olds can play this with help; best for ages 7 and up
Get It: Dutch Blitz

This deceptively simple card game can turn cutthroat fast. It’s kind of like a multi-player version of competitive speed solitaire.

While you don’t need to know how to read to play the game, younger kids may struggle with the speed of game play. If you’re willing to slow it down a bit to accommodate a younger child, any kid who can recognize number sequences can play this game.

But the real adrenaline rush comes when you’re all moving at top speed, trying to get rid of your cards first!

“Dutch Blitz is a family favorite at our house…we’ve been playing this since [our kids] were 6.” – Megan

Want More?

For even more games that are perfect for different age groups, check out:

• Ages 18 months to 3 years: The Best Toddler Board Games
• Ages 3 to 5 years: The Best Preschool Board Games and The Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds
• Ages 5 to 6 years: The Best Board Games for Kindergartners
• Ages 13 and up: The Best Board Games for Teens

If you’re looking for the best games for a big group, here are our top picks for family game night.

Your Turn

What are your favorite card games and board games for all ages? Share in a comment below!

The post Forget Candyland! This Is the Best List of Board Games for All Ages appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.