Board games are a great, inexpensive way for families to spend quality time together, especially on cold or rainy days. Check out our favorite classic board games for kids, plus the top games of this year. From rainy days to family vacations, breaking out a board game is an excellent way to engage your children while hitting pause on electronics. More: The 7 Best Kids’ Skateboards According to Real Parents Whether you’re looking for some of the best games that are new and different or would rather throw it back to the classics, there are many options. Board games aren’t just fun for the kids; they’re entertaining for the whole family.
The Best Classic Board Games for Kids
Ages 3 and Up
1. Candy Land
Candy Land was invented in 1948 by a schoolteacher stricken by polio. She created the game for children suffering from the same illness. Since then, it’s been a staple of playrooms everywhere. No reading is required, and preschoolers can match their colored cards to the game board. So when you’re ready to introduce young children to a board game, this is a delicious option. Purchase it here.
2. Chutes and Ladders
The simple rules, along with no reading required, make Chutes and Ladders a longtime favorite for game-loving families with little children. The always-fun spinner helps little ones learn their numbers, and sliding the game pieces up and down is entertaining for everyone. Purchase it here.
Ages 4 and Up
3. Twister
If you’re ready to get up and move, Twister is a great way to balance, twist and turn, but make sure you don’t fall down! Twister is a fun and challenging way for the whole family to burn a little energy for those days you’re stuck inside. With a colorful spinner and large game board, even little ones will enjoy getting twisted. Purchase it here.
Ages 5 and Up
4. Scrabble
Everyone knows Scrabble, with its familiar tan tiles and their pleasant clicking sound, and triple-word score squares that you want to use with a high-point Q, Z, or J. Scrabble is an educational and strategic family board game. Keep a dictionary close by if you really want to challenge each other! Purchase it here.
5. Trouble
With a built-in pop-o-matic die roller, you don’t have to worry about small dice rolling away. Trouble has an exciting game board and surprising twists and turns. It’s a perfect game of luck and chance, and your whole family will be on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens with each irresistible “pop” of the dice. Purchase it here.
Ages 6 and Up
6. Connect 4
Connect 4 is a classic grid with two colors. Players race to connect 4. Connect 4 is simple and fast and one of the best games for short attention spans. The more you play, the more strategy children learn, which means they’ll keep wanting to come back for more! Purchase it here.
7. Guess Who?
Guess Who? is the original guessing game. There are two game boards and cards that are easy to interchange, so this game can be played repeatedly without becoming predictable. Whether it’s your 10-year-old or 5-year-old, your child is sure to get excited each time they get close to figuring out who’s left standing. Purchase it here.
8. Mancala
Perfect for traveling, this is a great addition to your vacation entertainment. Mancala is a game of strategy and patience for the whole family. Mancala is fast-moving, so it can be a little challenging for younger kids to keep up at first, but after a little while, they’ll love this strategy board game and want to play all the time. Purchase it here.
9. Operation
Fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination are a must in the operating room and this classic board game. Even the most careful younger players will get a kick out of trying to operate without setting off the buzzer. Operation is a fun family board game, but it’s entertaining for solo players, too. Entertaining for everyone from six-year-olds to 40 year-olds and beyond. Hint: make sure your younger kids don’t lose the little pieces! Purchase it here.
10. Sorry
Easy for beginners to learn for your next game night, Sorry! is a Hasbro classic board game. An unpredictable board game of mostly chance and luck, your children are sure to delight in sending their opponents sliding backward. Everyone will have fun yelling “sorry!” on game nights. Purchase it here.
Ages 7 and Up
11. Chinese Checkers
Up to six teams of players can join in the fun for this family board game. Older players can teach younger ones about strategy when they play a cooperative game in teams of two. Despite the name “Chinese Checkers,” it was invented in Germany in 1892. Purchase it here.
Ages 8 and Up
12. Clue
With a bit of murder and some curious mystery, Clue is a great board game for family game night. Keep players guessing as you work to determine who, what and where. If your kids like problem-solving and puzzles, then this game of questions and answers in search of the killer’s identity is an excellent game for them. Purchase it here.
13. Game of Life
For longer games that will keep everyone busy for a few hours, the Game of Life is one of the best board games you can find. There’s a fun spinner, and players get to choose which adventure their characters will go on. Game of Life is better for older kids, but the whole family can play with a bit of patience. The real-life choices, including careers, vacations, and family size, make this a family game night favorite. Purchase it here.
14. Monopoly
Monopoly is the classic real estate game with many skills to master that can sometimes mimic reality. There are junior editions, city editions, expansion packs, and speed cards. Learn all about buying, saving, selling, and negotiating, critical skills when dealing with money and business. Because players have to interact with each other and not just the board, it’s a cooperative game that teaches good sportsmanship and a little bit of self-preservation. Special editions available for younger kids. Purchase it here.
Ages 10 and up
15. Chess
Chess is a game of strategy, patience, and lots of thinking. From pawns to kings, there are many different game pieces. Recommended for children ages 10 years old and above (though younger kids have been known to play it), Chess is difficult for beginners. Still, for those who get hooked, it’s a neverending form of entertainment and something they can do with people wherever they go, from home to halfway around the world. Purchase it here.
Best New Board Games of 2021 and 2022
Game fans are always on the lookout for the best board games to add to their collections. Whether it’s a card game or a dice game or an adventure-themed build-a-city game, finding a fun game for a family game night can be challenging. These are some of the highest recommended and sure-to-be favorites for 2021 and beyond.
Ages 4 and Up
16. Funko Disney Mickey and Beanstalk Game
The visual appeal of this game will draw in your younger players and keep them engaged as they try to steal food from the giant and keep from getting captured. Characters go spinning down the vine on the three-dimensional board for hours of family game night fun. Purchase it here.
Ages 8 and Up
17. Cat and Mouth
Simple, portable, and family-friendly, Cat and Mouth is old-fashioned, finger-flicking fun. Each player tries to get balls through the cat’s mouth in a competition reminiscent of old-fashioned pinball games. The box is the gameboard, so it’s a great game to take along on vacations, family visits, or other gatherings. Purchase it here.
18. The Initiative
Part escape room, part Jumanji-type adventure, The Initiative is a clue-solving, code-cracking board game the whole family will enjoy. The Initiative is a great game for encouraging teamwork and it keeps everyone thinking and talking about how to find the answers to the puzzles to cross the finish line. Purchase it here.
Ages 10 and Up
19. Spaceteam
Fast, loud, and lots of fun, Spaceteam is a card-tossing, word-yelling fun game that doesn’t take long to play–the perfect game for fast-moving families with packed schedules. The family-friendly chaos means lots of laughs for everyone. Purchase it here.
20. What Next?
Part adventure and part skill challenges, What Next is a cooperative and team-based board game that involves a giant koala, danger at every corner, and a few tasks to make the whole family giggle. What Next has so many different components that it will never get boring, which makes it a great choice for older kids who may be reluctant to join in the fun. Purchase it here.
Newer Games Everyone Will Love
Ages 3 and Up
21. Clack!
Great for younger children, this game comes with two dice and magnetic discs that snap together with a satisfying “clack!” Match the right shape and color and see who can get the tallest stack. Clack teaches visual reinforcement and hand-eye coordination for young children. Purchase it here.
22. Richard Scarry’s Busy Town - Eye Found It
This game board is a cooperative game geared towards younger children, and it’s 6 feet long. There’s a colorful spinner and four game pieces. Two to four players work as a team while they take turns using object identification and matching skills. This is one of the best games for young children to learn how to play cooperatively. Purchase it here.
23. Zingo
Perfect for younger children who want to participate in game night, Zingo is non-stop fun with easy cleanup. Zingo is a fun spin on the classic game of Bingo, where you race to be the first to fill your card. Zingo is a great way to reinforce language and matching skills. Used in classrooms for many younger kids, including preschoolers, Zingo is great for family fun and for children to play independently. Purchase it here.
Ages 4 and Up
24. Hoot Owl Hoot
Rather than having players compete against each other, this game is cooperative and requires teamwork. This is an excellent game for little ones who can practice problem-solving skills while working together to beat the rising sun. Players have to get the owls back to their nest, and everybody wins. Purchase it here.
Ages 5 and Up
25. Blokus
Sure to be a game night favorite, Blokus received a Mensa award as one of the best games promoting brain activity. Blokus is fun for all ages, and it’s sure to make you think as you strategize how to place your colored pieces on the game board, which becomes more challenging as the board fills up. Blokus is like Tetris, but for two to four players. Each round of Blokus typically lasts 30-minutes, which is quick enough to keep the attention span of younger players. Purchase it here.
26. Heist
Heist is a fast-paced cooperative team challenge game, perfect for your next family game night. With five progressive game levels, Heist grows more challenging the more you play. Be ready for a lot of quick thinking during short 5-minute games. Ages 5 and up Purchase it here.
Ages 6 and Up
27. Qwirkle
If you’re looking for an educational game geared towards children ages 6 years old and up, Qwirkle is for you. With simple rules, Qwirkle is a mix between Scramble and Dominos. Qwirkle will help your child work on spatial recognition, planning, and problem-solving. Using simple concepts that are easy to understand, you can reinforce colors, shapes, and numbers with this award-winning game. Qwirkle has won numerous awards, including the Major Fun Award, Mensa Select Award, National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval, and Parent’s Choice Gold Award. Purchase it here.
28. Sequence
Get ready to use your brain when you play Sequence. It’s a strategy game that’s easy enough for younger players but still challenging for adults. A mixture of card games and board games, Sequence is a race to get a five-card sequence while using your chips to block other players. It’s an easy-to-learn board game that the whole family will enjoy anytime. Purchase it here.
29. Spot It
This is a great game to toss in your bag and take with you as you travel. Spot It is a good option for involving younger children who are beginners at playing board games. Your younger players’ observation skills are put to the test as they try and spot the one matching symbol between two cards. It’s an excellent game for developing young children’s focus, speech, and language skills. The faster you are, the better! Get in on the frenzy of fun as everyone scrambles to quickly spot it! Purchase it here.
30. Tenzi
A fast dice game, Tenzi was named one of ASTRA’s best toys for younger kids. Ther are 10 dice, and the object of Tenzi is to be the first to get all your dice showing the same number. The fast pace and flurry of excitement mean this family-friendly game will have everyone enjoying the race against themselves. You can buy additional cards for over 77 ways to play, so every fun game will be a new experience. Purchase it here.
Ages 8 and Up
31. Pandemic
Pandemic is a great cooperative game where everyone wins or everyone loses. Collaboration and teamwork are needed as you race against the clock to wipe out four diseases before they take over mankind. Work together to save the world! Endless expansion packs mean you’ll never be bored during a family game night. Purchase it here.
32. Sushi Go Party
Promoting learning for strategy and probability, Sushi Go Party is fun for up to 8 players. This is a card game with a game board to keep track of players’ scores, and each round typically lasts 20 minutes, so there’s plenty of time for lots of play. Sushi Go will become everyone’s favorite game at your next family game night. Purchase it here.
33. Ticket to Ride
Ages 8 and up Purchase it here.
Ages 10 and Up
34. Catan
Purchase it here.
35. Codenames
You need at least four people to play Codenames, but if you have a bigger number of players, even better. Typically a quick 15-minute word game, Codenames involves some strategy and a whole lot of mystery. Teams are required, but it’s fast and fun. This is a perfect game for parties. Purchase it here.
