The Best Board Games For Kindergarteners

It’s never too early to get them started!

This is part of our series on Board Games by age. Check out the full guide for more recommendations.

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Kids that are about to start school have a huge challenge ahead of them. Up until now, they may have interacted with similar aged children for short periods of time at nurseries or daycares, but when they enter kindergarten that all changes.

Sure, kindergarten eases them into schooling but it’s their first exposure to spending prolonged periods of time away from their parents in an environment where learning takes centre stage. They’ll learn more about shapes, patterns, reading, writing, spelling, and drawing, all while trying to navigate the early stages of social interactions with other kids. That’s a lot of pressure for a five-year-old!

In order to help prepare your kids for all of this and more, there’s one surprising source that will provide a great help: board games!

There is a hugely diverse mix for board games available nowadays, catering to all kinds of people and all sorts of ages too. Modern board games have evolved to include thoughtfully designed adult board games that offer deeper interactions and strategic challenges. The great thing with board games aimed at younger children around kindergarten age, is they tend to incorporate a lot of skills into the gameplay that will serve them greatly for when they go to school.

Board games can also be excellent family games, offering a way for families to bond and spend quality time together. They provide a mix of complexity and challenge that can engage both adults and children, making them enjoyable for everyone.

Even if we discount educational games, board games in general for 3-6-year-olds put a massive emphasis on a number of things that will help with children’s developmental skills without them even realizing. All without sacrificing any of the fun.

Playing games with children can deepen connections between family members and promote quality time and fun interactions, which are beneficial for their development.

So, what should you look for in a board game aimed at kindergartners?

What Makes A Good Game For Kindergarteners? Consider Fine Motor Skills

A quality board game for kindergarteners should always include some specific things. Focusing on gross and fine motor skills helps with all sorts of tasks in day-to-day life, from holding a pencil to lifting something and coordinating with both hands.

Most kids will have at least a basic understanding of colors and patterns by this age, but board games expand on this by using patterns and sequences in their mechanics. Games that involve problem-solving are a great way to introduce ideas like critical thinking skills to youngsters. Instances where an adult or older child can ask questions like ‘What do you think will happen if we do that?’ help children understand the rationale behind decision-making. Additionally, some board games help develop math skills by teaching foundational math concepts such as addition, subtraction, and strategic thinking in a fun and engaging way.

All quality games for younger children should focus on cooperative over competitive gameplay. Creating positive social interactions and learning to work as a team is critical for young children to understand how to build long-lasting relationships. There will always be time for competition later in life, but learning how to share and cooperate (or even tolerate) with each other is deeply important.

Lastly, since we’re talking about young children, their attention will wane at times. Therefore, it’s a good idea for the game to be short and sweet. We don’t want it to drag on forever, as this keeps their attention and makes them more likely to want to play it again in the future.

So that’s what makes a good game for kindergarteners, but what are some good examples of games that encompass some, if not all of these qualities? Below are some modern board games For kindergarteners aimed at children between four and six years old that we would strongly recommend:

What are the Best Board Games for Kindergarteners?

Hoot Owl Hoot

Players: 2-4       Time: 15 minutes       Age: 4+

A cooperative board game where players work together to help little owlets find their way back to their nest before sunrise. Everyone has a small hand of colour cards that match the spaces on the board. When a card is played, one of the baby owls moves to the corresponding board space.

The game play involves strategically playing cards in the right order to get all the owls to their nest and win the game. If a player has a sun card in their hand, however, this must be played instead of a color. If too many sun cards make an appearance, it’s sun up and the game is over.

Talking through which cards to use and which owl to move is key to victory. The game requires players to implement problem-solving strategies and communicate and compromise with each other in order for them to win.

It’s a great game with simple rules that don’t take long to play, but it offers multiple levels of difficulty to provide more or less of a challenge for youngsters. Playing games like ‘Hoot Owl Hoot‘ can enhance parent-child relationships and provide valuable bonding experiences.

Check out our full review of Hoot Owl Hoot here.

Animal Upon Animal

Players: 2-4       Time: 15 minutes       Age: 4+

Relying on finesse and dexterity, Animal Upon Animal is a game that takes the concept of Jenga but replaces blocks with finely crafted wooden animals instead. Each turn, players will try to stack small wooden animals on top of each other without the pile toppling over.

They’ll also roll a dice on their turn, which will dictate how they go about doing this. They may only have to stack one animal, sometimes two, use their less dominant hand, and sometimes other players will get to choose which animal they have to add to the pile. Whoever manages to stack all their animals without the pile toppling over is the winner.

This game allows children to practice their fine motor skills and coordination while delicately trying to balance the animals on top of each other. Combined with minimal rules and a short playtime, it’s a great choice for animal lovers looking for a fun game.

Race To The Treasure

Players: 1-4       Time: 20 minutes       Age: 5+

Working together as a team, players must create a path that leads to the three keys that unlock the treasure. Once the keys are collected, they must reach the end space before the ogre does!

Players take turns drawing a tile from a facedown pile. If the tile is a path, players decide together where it should be placed on the board to create a continuous path that leads to all three keys. If an ogre tile is drawn, this goes on a tracker that shows its progress to the treasure. If enough ogre tiles are drawn and it gets to the end space first, it’s game over. If the players work together and get to the end space first with the keys, they win!

This is a nice quick-to-grasp game that keeps mechanics to a minimum and strongly relies on players using teamwork to achieve success. Talking through where tiles should be placed and why helps improve social skills and problem-solving strategies.

It also helps players to understand the importance of compromise in a situation where everyone wins or loses together, making ‘Race To The Treasure’ an excellent example of strategy board games for children.

Enchanted Forest

Players: 2-6       Time:30-60 minutes       Age: 4+

Players must venture through an enchanted forest to find three fabled treasures. As a classic kids game, it is perfect for family settings and educational environments, engaging children during playtime or as a management tool in classrooms. If they can make their way through the forest and report the locations of the treasures to the king, they win the game and become the heir to the kingdom.

The game starts with a treasure tile, indicating which treasure players need to seek out, being placed face up on the castle space. Players work their way around the board, peeking under trees to find the matching treasure. Once they think they know where it is, they rush to the castle to make their guess, and if successful, they may claim the treasure. This continues until one player has claimed three treasures in total.

Enchanted Forest is a fun little romp with great artwork on the treasure tile cards. This is a great game to help with improving kids’ memory and recollection, and it offers great replay value with the position of the treasure being mixed up every game. Its timeless appeal and engaging gameplay make it a classic game that continues to bring joy to families.

Sequence For Kids

Players: 2-4       Time: 20 minutes       Ages: 3+

Match cards to the corresponding picture on the game board to lay down a chip. Place four chips in a line to win. Each turn, players will play a card from their hand, each one with an illustration of an animal on it, and place a chip on the matching picture on the game board. A player will always have three cards in their hand, so they will replace the card they play with one from the deck.

Players take turns trying to create a sequence of four chips in any direction to win the game. There are free spaces that players can claim with any card, and some special cards that affect gameplay, adding depth to the strategy.

A really simple concept and easy rules, Sequence For Kids (sometimes called Sequence Junior) is a card game that helps children understand how to match pictures and symbols, as well as learn to plan ahead and strategize to get their chips in a row.

Check out our full review of Sequence For Kids here.

Outfoxed

Players: 2-4       Time: 20 minutes       Age: 5+

Become investigators and solve the case of who stole Mrs. Plumpert’s prized pot pie. Work together with your fellow detectives to search for clues and interrogate suspects.

On their turn, players will either search for clues or reveal suspects. Searching for clues allows players to use the clue decoder to see a piece of clothing the thief is wearing. Revealing suspects lets players turn over suspect cards. As more clues are revealed, it’s easier to whittle down suspects and make guesses about who the perpetrator is. By process of elimination, if the players guess the correct culprit, they win, but if they guess wrong, then the pie pilferer gets away!

Outfoxxed is a unique game that places almost more emphasis on social interaction than the gameplay itself. It provides an opportunity for players to openly and regularly discuss their thoughts and opinions while talking through their plans.

Combining deductive reasoning, memory, and recognition along with cooperation, this game is not only fun but also teaches young kids a lot of useful skills.

My First Castle Panic

Players: 1-4       Time:20 minutes       Age: 4+

Players must defend their castle against the oncoming onslaught of monsters. They must work together to decipher the best strategy and use their units in the best way possible to repel the invaders. Each turn, goblins and orcs advance slowly towards the castle, with more joining them every turn.

Players use a deck of cards, each representing different units, to fend off the attackers. These cards each have a colored symbol that matches a space on the game board. Players must work together and talk through choices to make the best possible play. If the monsters get too close to the castle and break down the walls, the game ends. If they are all defeated, the players win!

This is an excellent strategy game that takes the concept and theme from the original but makes the game more accessible and engaging for younger kids in the preschool and kindergarten age range. It puts a big emphasis on teamwork, so much so that although everyone has their own cards, it’s encouraged that players talk through decisions together.

Not only that, but it also helps players get to grips with color and shape matching too.

Check out our full review of My First Castle Panic here.

Conclusion

So those are just a handful of games we would recommend for kindergartners. They all encompass a handful of aspects that help with a child’s development and should be easy to get to grips with and dive into. There are so many great games out there these days though, it’s hard to cover every single one in a single post. If there are any kids games you’ve played with your little ones that they really enjoyed and they’re not listed here then we would love to hear about them!

Please share your favorite board games for kindergartners that are family-friendly and provide enjoyment for everyone.

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