Board games are a fantastic way to spend quality time with your family, and even young children can join in on the fun. According to Kelsey Demers, cofounder of the Tabletop Family, it’s never too early to start engaging children in games. In fact, children as young as 15 to 24 months can start showing an interest in playing games. To ensure a smooth game night, it’s important to choose games with short play times that match their attention spans. Demers recommends allocating about two to three minutes per year of age so that the games don’t overwhelm them and end in frustration. Additionally, it’s essential to choose games that provide age-appropriate strategy opportunities, as this will help children learn to make decisions and think critically.
When it comes to selecting board games for toddlers and preschoolers, there are plenty of options available. Whether you prefer cooperative or competitive games, there is a game out there that will appeal to every child. Understanding each child’s needs and interests is crucial in choosing the right games for them. To help you navigate the world of board games for young children, we’ve rounded up the 15 best board games for kids aged 5 and under.
One popular game recommended by Demers and Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang is a cooperative game from German company Haba. Designed for ages 2 and up, this game involves gathering fruit from trees and putting them in a basket before a hungry raven enters the orchard and eats them up. The game pieces are big and bright, making them easy for small hands to move. This game teaches children about taking turns, learning to lose, and helps them practice their colors.
For younger gamers, Demers also recommends a fishing game from Haba that involves using a magnetic fishing pole to catch sea creatures and place corresponding puzzle pieces on a board. This game is perfect for developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills in young children.
Another favorite game for preschoolers is a squirrel-themed game that involves gathering fruit from trees and placing them in buckets. Landing on certain spaces means having to return some or all of your fruit, teaching children about risk and reward. This game is easy for preschoolers to grasp and helps them practice counting skills.
If you’re looking to introduce your child to chess in a fun and engaging way, Story Time Chess is a great option. This game incorporates characters, stories, and mini-games to make learning chess accessible to even the youngest players. With colorful characters and a double-sided game board, Story Time Chess is a versatile game that can grow with your child as they develop their chess skills.
For children aged 3 to 6, a classic game of bingo is a great choice. This game offers multiple options for play, including matching animals, letters, sight words, and numbers, making it adaptable to your child’s reading ability. While there are many pieces to keep track of, each card comes with color-coded storage bags for easy cleanup.
For a more advanced matching game, Zingo is a fast-paced bingo-based game that uses a dispenser to shoot out tiles. This game is quick to learn and keeps children engaged and alert as they match images on their cards.
If your child enjoys scavenger hunts, a game set in Richard Scarry’s Busytown universe is sure to delight them. Players move characters along a path to reach Picnic Island before the pigs eat all the food. Along the way, players help Goldbug find hidden objects under a time constraint, adding an exciting challenge to the game.
For children aged 4 and up, a cooperative game involving owls flying back to their nest before sunrise is a great choice. This game requires strategic thinking and planning ahead, as players must choose which owl to move based on its position on the board.
Another favorite game for 4- to 5-year-olds is a game where mice gather cheese while escaping a cat. This game offers a fun risk versus reward strategy for children to explore, making it both entertaining and educational.
For children aged 5 and up, a game involving racing cars on a colored track based on dice rolls is a great introduction to strategy games. This game requires players to think ahead and make strategic decisions, making it an exciting and engaging option for young children.
If you’re looking to introduce math concepts through a game, Sum Swamp is a great choice for kindergarteners. This addition and subtraction game involves rolling dice to create math problems and move swamp creatures through the mire, adding an educational element to the gameplay.
Overall, board games are a fantastic way to engage young children and teach them valuable skills such as critical thinking, strategy, and cooperation. With a wide range of games available for different age groups and interests, there’s sure to be a board game that will appeal to every child. So gather your family, pick a game, and enjoy quality time together playing and learning.