Board games are not only a lot of fun to play but are also great for your kid’s mind. They help teach essential critical thinking skills, improve memory functions, and even more social.
This is now the key focus for many board game creators because it has been proven in countless studies.
From teaching children new skills of matching shapes to learning to count objects, and learning new words are just to name a few skills.
There are many new and exciting board games for kids that will have them turning off their electronic devices for some family fun.
Benefits of Playing Board Games with Your Kids
Did you know that the average child in the USA spends 7 hours a day in front of their electronic devices?
We understand how important it is in the modern world that understanding and working with technology is an important skill, says the computer programmer.
It’s important to understand how time away from technology will stimulate our bodies and use our imaginations.
Playing a board game stimulates our brains on a different wavelength. Creating many different benefits.
Here are a few of the benefits of playing board games with kids that inspired us to write this:
- Gets our imaginations soaring.
- Reinforces critical thinking.
- Improves attention skills.
- Encourages cooperation and teamwork.
- Teaches fundamental math skills.
- Gets everyone socializing
- Creates friendly competition
- Pulls us away from electronic devices
- Creates fun-filled family memories
20 Awesome Board Games For Kids:
Robots Turtle Board Game
The Robots Turtle Board Game was the most funded board game ever on Kickstarter.
It’s super fun but also sneakily teaches programming to kids 4 and older. As tech geeks ourselves we had to say that we LOVED IT!
You will need to use the code cards to dictate the movements of their robots with left and right or forward.
It is not only fun for kids but increases in difficulty with added levels. Get the price.
Noah’s Animal Rescue Board Games
Noah’s Animal Rescue is Board Game based on a classic tale that every child loves and teaches kids how to work together to save all the animals.
Noah’s Animal Rescue is for kids ages 4+, but my nephew LOVES this game. After getting this board game, for the first week it didn’t leave his side, he took it to show and tell at preschool.
At the age of 3, he’s still a bit young, but we play a card face-up variation.
Here are the full rules to play here along with a more detailed review.
There are 3 levels to play, beginner, intermediate, and expert. Can your group get 3, 4, or 5 types of animals to the boat before the flood arrives? Check the price here.
Hoot Owl Hoot Kids Board Game
Hoot Owl Hoot is one of the best board games ever played for kids!
It is a cooperative game. So you’re not competing against each other, meaning if you are successful everyone wins.
It is a color-coded matching game with the goal to fly the owl back to its nest before sunrise.
Because this is a “cooperative game” it has all the kids working on all their communication, problem-solving, team building, and problem-solving skills. Check the price here.
Peaceful Kingdom, Race for Treasure Board Game
This is another cooperative, award-winning, board game your kids will love.
In fact, Race to the Treasure has the highest review we have ever seen on Amazon for a children’s game. It’s a game that has you working together to beat the ogre to the treasure.
Keys are placed randomly throughout the game and kids work together to find the best path.
It is a 2-4 player game with frustration-free packing for your kids to set up themselves. Get the Price.
Fat Brains Toys Farm Alarm Game
Fat Brain Toys Farm Game is one that has me smiling before even telling you about it! This is one of the goofiest but strategically thought-out games.
Your kids will have to remember a sequence of silly animal sounds.
In fact, you squeeze the pig to oink when a player makes a mistake. It Includes 42 cards, a soft rubber pig, and a barn storage box.
It reminds me of a hilarious version of Simon Says. Get the price.
Connect 4 Classic Board Game
As fun as all the new games are, I thought that we should include the Classic Connect 4.
It is not only fun but so effective at teaching kids critical thinking and strategy. The trick is planning out your next move.
Connect 4 is a great introduction to strategy games before getting into checkers or chess.
And it also teaches counting and mathematics skills. Get the price.
Labryinth Board Game
Labyrinth is a classic board game that has been around for 30+ years, and for good reason. When we talk about critical thinking and planning, Labyrinth does all of that. It is not as complicated as chess.
Similar to the critical thinking and strategy of Connect 4. However it’s not for too young of children, suggested for kids 8 and older.
The game board consists of fixed tiles, that slide the remaining tiles up and down depending on the board with the extra tile.
After each tile is removed, it becomes the next player’s piece to add to the maze adding a big element of surprise.
Whoever gets the most treasure and returns home first wins! Get the price.
Candy Lane Board Game
Many of us remember Candyland as the first board game we ever played. This is one game designed especially for kids as it is easy to learn.
It’s wonderful for short attention spans as a game spans approx 15 to 20 minutes.
Plus it’s fun!
It has everyone racing their way through a pink frosted board in a race to get home.
It will help children recognize colors, practice counting, and social and teamwork skills such as keeping turns.
This candy-inspired game reminds me of our christmas games for kids. Get the price.
Monopoly Junior Game
Monopoly is one of those games that should not need any introduction.
But if your kids are still a bit young, we are excited to announce the monopoly junior. The new version has simpler rules, is shorter, and is not as complicated at counting money or mortgaging properties.
It also has kid-inspired properties and cute characters they will love. Get the Junior Price.
Zingo Board Game
Normally when you think of Bingo you think of a bunch of old grannies playing in a hall. However, Zingo is a face-paced action “bingo” type game for kids.
It is basically Bingo with pictures and simple words versus long numbers.
There is a plastic container that spits out the tiles, and you need to be the first to call out the tiles that match the images on your card.
The first person to fill out their card yells Zingo and wins. This game focuses on matching, memory, and social. Get the price.
Ticket to Ride board game
Ticket to Ride is based on the popular “Around the World in 80 Days” challenge. It’s a competition with all your friends for the million-dollar prize.
The goal of the game is to see as much of North America as possible, collecting and matching train cards to claim railways.
It does require a larger playing area, and is a bit longer of a game (90+) minutes, but for the right audience it’s amazing!
For the older kids, it’s a great way to teach strategy. Get the price.
Spot it Party Game
One of the highest-rated and fun-filled party games for kids is Spot It. This is a matching game that requires a sharp eye and a quick hand to be the first to Spot It.
Up to 8 kids can play this game and is a very fun and fast game that will have children focused for hours.
This is a great game to play as a birthday party game too. Get the price.
Melissa and Doug Suspend
I am not too sure that Melissa and Doug Suspended is a board game. Let’s call it more of a balancing act.
Players need to balance rods on a wooden base without them falling. It focuses on creating cognitive skills with of course hand-eye coordination.
Each turn you have the chance of adding a piece to the balancing structure, in a race to get rid of all your pieces first. Get the price.
Pirate Vs Pirate Board Game
From the creators of our favorite game, Apples to Apples, Pirates Versus Pirates is an absolute hit. It is a simple game for kids that is quick to learn, with fast game time of about 30 minutes.
Best of all what kid does not love pirates and finding treasures? You will need to position your pirates carefully and conquer your island by eliminating your enemy pirates. Get the Price.
Hedbanz Board Game
Headbandz is one of those goofy fun filled family games that will have everyone laughing for hours. You would think it would make a game paired with wine and adults only.
You basically strap a card to your head with a headband and ask people “What am I?”
It is a little hard to play with younger fans who might accidentally tell you what you are. But it’s a ton of fun!
Through questions and remembering what you have asked, you should be able to guess who you are before time runs out. Get the price.
Sorry
Sorry has always been a fun board game for kids for years, with the most recent edition being released in 2013. This new release of Sorry has added fire/ice power ups, and special tokens giving a new feel to a classic game. It’s so fun to knock the other players off the board while saying “Sorry”! A game that will surely teach your kids competition. Sorry, Get the price.
Beat the Parents Board Game
Just the name, Beat the Parents Board Game, tells me it is going to be a family hit. This involves a head-to-head fun filled trivia game.
The roles reverse as parents need to answer questions about kids’ stuff, and kids answer questions their parents really should know. Be the first to make it across the board and win.
Just make sure to watch out for the boom or bust tokens. Get the price.
Apples to Apples Junior
Apples to Apples is one of the most popular matching card games ever sold. It inspired many other games, that took the categories to an entirely new level (like cards against humanity).
It is like the traditional “apple to apples” with 550+ matching cards to delight kids with crazy comparisons.
Great for expanding their vocabulary and thinking skills for getting to know each other. Get the price.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
A fun and simple game for preschool aged children to help teach social skills. The name of the game pretty much says it all.
The pigeon is trying to take control of the school bus to drive it, but you need to stop him. If you land on the same space as the pigeon you will have to go back.
It is created by university games with the goal of learning new things while having fun. Get the price.
Guess Who Board Game
Guess Who is a fun guessing game that has you trying to solve the mystery of who is on your opponent’s card.
By asking the right questions and remembering the clues, you will be able to eliminate the wrong faces. Does this person have a hat?
What color is there eyes? Once you start guessing who your opponents are will be able to remove people from the crowd.
Be the first to guess your opponent’s mystery person to win. Get the price.
Count your Chickens Board Game
This board game for kids teaches you an important life lesson, not to count your chickens before they hatch.
Well maybe not exactly, but is a cooperative game that has all the players working together to help Mother Hen collect all her chicks.
You are going to need to get them all back to the coop and win or lose as a team. Get the price.
These board games can be played on all kinds of occasions.
A birthday party, family night, or just an ordinary day. If you are looking to get the kids outsider, here’s our list of 25 backyard games for kids.
