The Best Board Games For Kids

Kids nowadays truly are spoiled for choice as far as entertainment goes. That said, the one thing kids rely on way too much is their screens for said entertainment. Not to sound like ‘that guy’ but back in my day, there were no streaming services where you could watch a whole season of a show in an afternoon, there was no social media of any kind, and although we had video games, multiplayer was solely reliant on having a friend or sibling with you in the room, otherwise you went with single player mode. Not all kids get glued to their screens, but the internet has a way of making digesting content easy and addictive, so time can pass by in a flash without them realizing.

When the kids are indoors and are either bored or stuck on their screens, a great way to keep them entertained and a great alternative is board games for kids. It’s just as easy for kids to get addicted to board games as video games and playing them offers a number of benefits, from enjoying classic games like Chess and Solitaire to exploring new games that introduce them to more complex experiences.

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Want help Choosing the best board games by age? Check out our comprehensive guide.

Reasons To Make Your Kids Board Gamers

Board games these days are in abundance and come in a variety of genres and themes with varying levels of challenge to appeal to all kinds of players. Not only that but there are a ton of benefits to playing board games. Some of these are obvious, some not so much. Either way, playing board games regularly is incredibly beneficial in more ways than people probably realize! Favorite games can teach fundamental skills such as rule-following, decision-making, and problem-solving while keeping children engaged with unique designs and themes.

First and foremost, playing board games is incredibly social. Whether it’s a competitive or cooperative, a strategy or party game, players have unique, entertaining, heated and memorable exchanges with each game. All of which help players develop their communication, negotiation, storytelling, and bluffing skills. Not only that, but it helps with building and strengthening positive relationships. Board games tend to incorporate a lot of important and useful skills around numeracy, critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and problem-solving. A lot of the skills utilized in playing board games will serve kids well both in school and in their future also. Lastly, they’re just plain fun! They’ve become incredibly popular in the last fifteen years or so and their popularity is a testament to just how much people enjoy playing them and how well produced they are. Exploring more games can help you find additional options that cater to different preferences and age groups.

Below are a handful of games of all different shapes and sizes that we believe are great games for both beginners and experienced gamers alike.

What Are the Best Board Games for Kids?

Board games have been a staple of family entertainment for generations. They offer a great way to bond with loved ones, challenge your mind, and have fun all at the same time. Whether you are a fan of strategy games, word games, or classic games, there is something for everyone. In this article, we will explore some of the best board games for kids that you can enjoy with your family and friends. Additionally, many of these classic games have a kids version, featuring simplified gameplay mechanics and age-appropriate strategies, making them perfect for younger players.

Catan

Players: 3-4       Time: 60-120 minutes       Age: 10+

Players fight for dominance on the island of Catan, where they build settlements, cities, and roads. They’ll use resources to build different structures and try and gain the most victory points. These are generated based on dice rolls and where each player’s settlements are placed on the hexagonal tiles. Sometimes gaining the resources needed means negotiating and bargaining with other players, but you won’t always know if you’re helping them more than they’re helping you. There’s an element of risk vs reward within Catan, but even if you can’t convince your opponents to give you the resources you need, there are bonus points at the end for the largest armies and populations that may tip the scale.

A classic game that’s great for both new and experienced gamers. The hexagonal tiles are placed randomly in each game, which creates a great sense of replayability. The rules and mechanics are simple to get to grips with for older kids, but it’s a great game for players of any age. There’s also a kids version: ‘Catan Junior’, which is aimed at a slightly younger crowd. It simplifies the rules just enough to make the game more accessible without taking anything away from the spirit of the original.

Sushi Go

Players: 2-5       Time: 15 minutes       Age: 8+

Try to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by. Make the right combinations and collect enough of the same type of sushi to score big. This is a card drafting game that’s nice and quick and easy to get to grips with. Played over three rounds, players have a starting hand that they’ll play a card from face down, then after their cards are revealed, their hand is traded to the player next to them. After all cards have been played the points are tallied and the player with the most points after all three rounds is the winner.

Sushi Go is a fun and frantic card game where players never know what they’re getting. It’s simple to learn and easy to play with each game only lasting about fifteen minutes. Having a plan is important but so is being adaptable and thinking on the fly. Part of the fun comes from the unpredictability of the game and it’s a great introduction for those new to the world of board games. Similar to classic games like Solitaire and Chess, Sushi Go is accessible and appealing to players of all ages.

Ticket To Ride

Players: 12-5       Time: 30-60 minutes       Age: 8+

Ride the rails and travel from coast to coast of the United States. Claim train lines and complete destination tickets to gain the biggest score and become the winner. In Ticket to Ride, players will use different colored train cards to make connections between different cities across North America. The longer the train line the more points they earn. Players will also have secret destination tickets they’ll try and complete which are extra long train lines, usually going across the majority of the map. If these are completed before the end of the game the player will earn bonus points. If not, they’ll lose just as many. Whoever makes the most and the longest train connections and gains the most points is declared the winner.

Ticket to Ride is one of the best gateway games for new gamers, and an enjoyable one for experienced gamers also. The rules are kept simple but there’s a fair degree of strategy involved in the game also. Not only that, but plenty of adorable mini trains to be used to claim the train routes too. It is also suitable for younger kids, making it a great family-centric game.

Dixit

Players: 3-8       Time:30 minutes       Age: 8+

Craft imaginative stories with beautifully illustrated cards. Dixit puts players’ imagination and communication skills to the test in this unique game. Everyone has a hand of cards with surreal, intriguing, wondrous, and wholesome artwork. Each turn a player picks a card and uses a word or phrase to describe it. The other players then choose one of their cards that they think best fits that description and everyone lays their choice face down. After they’re mixed up and revealed, players must guess which one is the storyteller. The goal is for the storyteller to pick a word or phrase obscure enough that only some players make the correct guess.

Dixit is a unique game where imaginative and expressive descriptions take focus. The game is easy to learn but also tests players by showcasing their storytelling abilities. One that everyone can play, but where the creative types will no doubt excel. Similar to other social deduction games, Dixit can also involve a bit of finger pointing as players try to deduce the storyteller.

Pandemic

Players: 2-4       Time: 45 minutes       Ages: 8+

A classic cooperative game involving fighting and curing various diseases. In Pandemic, there has been an outbreak of four different diseases all across the world and it’s the players goal to try and stop them. Each player will take on a unique role with different abilities and work together to protect the world’s population. Each turn they’ll travel to different cities across the globe and carry out research in order to treat and cure the diseases. This is complicated by the diseases popping up in different cities each turn, along with cards that will accelerate or intensify the diseases activities. Needless to say, if players fail to cure the diseases they lose, but if they can eliminate all four then they win.

An excellent strategy game that relies on players constantly working together and communicating with each other. Using each character’s unique abilities is a must and players must be adaptable in their approach in order to survive and win! Rolling dice is also a key mechanic in cooperative games like Pandemic, enhancing gameplay complexity and promoting collaboration among players.

Colorbrain

Players: 2-20       Time: 20 minutes       Age: 6+

If you know the color of Neptune, the main color on a box of Coco Pops, or the color of the carpet at a film premiere, then you’d probably be an ace at this game. Junior Colorbrain takes the original game and scales the questions down to make them easier for younger players. Each player or team is given eleven color cards that they must use to answer over 100 questions. If their guess is correct and at least one other player is wrong, they’ll receive a point. Being in the lead isn’t all it’s cracked up to be though, as players can use color capture cards at any time to severely limit their opponents’ options. The first player to ten points is the winner.

Junior Colorbrain is a great party game that’s easy to pick up and play, allowing almost anyone to join in. Although it is a trivia game, all the questions are color-based. To narrow options down further, players all have color cards, which makes guessing even easier if you don’t know the answer. A highly recommended game that’s plenty of fun for everyone. There is also a kids version that simplifies gameplay mechanics, making it accessible and enjoyable for younger players.

Castle Panic

Players: 1-6       Time:30-60 minutes       Age: 8+

Players must defend their castle against an oncoming horde of monsters. Everyone must work together to defend each of the sectors and repel the invaders before they reach the castle and break down its walls. 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 represent one of the three colored sectors and can only be played in those areas. Players must talk through choices and strategize in order to utilize their units properly in order to defend their castle. If the monsters get too close to the castle and break down the walls the game ends. If all the monsters are defeated, the players win!

A great strategic game that puts a big focus on teamwork. Not only is planning ahead and communicating with the other players crucial but so is being able to predict what the next enemy or allied unit might be. There’s a good mixture of luck and skill needed in order to win, and it’s an excellent game for players new and old. Castle Panic is also suitable for younger kids, making it a great choice for family game nights.

Conclusion: Try These Great Kids Games

These are just a handful of the great games out there that all kids should try. There are so many great games out there these days though, we can only cover so many in one post, so this is by no means a definitive list. To discover more games, explore various platforms and reviewers that can help you find additional options catering to different preferences and age groups. If there are any games we’ve left off that you or your kids enjoy playing then please let us know!

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