The Best Board Games For Kids (2021 Reviews)
Sarah Cribari Updated: June 9, 2020 Kids' Stuff
Introducing kids to board games is a great way for them to have fun without screens as well as secretly teach them life skills. From strategy games where they have to figure out how to defeat the other players, to cooperative games where everyone works together, board games are a great way for kids to spend a few hours having fun and playing together. And with the variety of games on the market, there are sure to be several that your kids will love.
We reviewed dozens of board games for kids to identify the best of the best. We looked at age appropriateness, difficulty level, and how complicated it was to learn the directions. All of our top 5 choices can be purchased online at Amazon.
Best Board Game for Young Kids
The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game
This best selling preschool aged game is great for kids 3 and up.
Great for preschool aged kids, The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game is a fun game that teaches colors, matching, and motor skills while helping cute forest friends collect acorns.
The 5 Top-Rated Board Games for Kids
Best Board Game for Young Kids: The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game
Best Cooperative Board Game for Kids: Castle Panic
Best Strategy Board Game for Kids: Sequence
Best Card Based Board Game for Kids: SKYJO
Best Classic Board Game for Kids: Candyland
Best Board Game for Young Kids The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game 4.8
Best Cooperative Board Game for Kids Castle Panic 4.7
Best Strategy Board Game for Kids Sequence 4.5
Best Card Based Board Game for Kids Skyjo 4.8
Best Classic Board Game for Kids Candyland 4.8
The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game is a perfect game for young preschool age children who are still working on developing their fine motor skills. Kids can help their forest friends find acorns in this easy to set up game. To play, simply spin the spinner, pick up the correct colored acorn using the Squirrel Squeezer, and put it in your log. But watch out, there are also options to steal an acorn, pick an acorn, or lose an acorn! The first person to gather 5 different colored acorns wins the game.
A fantastic game for toddlers and younger kids, it's easy to understand and no reading is required to play. This game helps kids learn counting, colors, and matching, as well as strategic thinking, hand eye coordination, and fine motor skills. The Squirrel Squeezer is a large tweezers that is good for tiny hands, and the entire game is very easy to clean up after kids are done playing. It's best for 2-4 players, and is great for ages 3+, especially those in the Pre-K age. Reviewers love that this game is educational and teaches kids motor skills while being so fun to play that kids don't even notice they're learning.
The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game Key Features:
Great for young children ages 3-6
Easy game designed to teach young kids about colors and matching
Develops hand eye coordination in a fun way
Best Cooperative Board Game for Kids
Players must work together as a team to protect their castle from monsters and invasions.
If you're looking for a game where your kids can play on the same team instead of against each other, check out Castle Panic. This cooperative game is great for people who want a less competitive playing experience or that haven't played many tabletop or board games. In Castle Panic, all players work together to defend the castle in the center of the board from invading monsters. Trade cards with other players, defeat the monsters that are coming in from the forest at the edge of the board, and keep a castle tower standing in order to win.
Gameplay includes picking cards and strategizing with the group on how to best defend the castle. All the players win or lose together, so it's a great way for your kids to work and play together. This game is challenging without being overly complicated, so kids are able to quickly grasp the rules and enjoy playing it. It can be played by 1-6 players and offers different rule variations that lets you adjust the difficulty of the game when you're playing with older kids or more experienced players. It can also be played as a single person, solitaire style game.
While it says the game is for ages 10 and up, several reviewers say that kids as young as 6 love playing this game, as well as adults. And if your kids can't get enough, there are expansion packs available to purchase that expands the gameplay with more depth and added strategy. Reviewers like how this game forces their kids to work together and cuts down on fights over who's winning.
Castle Panic Key Features:
Fun, non competitive play encourages working together and problem solving
Box says ages 10+, but reviewers say younger kids also enjoy the game
1-6 players, and can be played by a single player
Best Strategy Board Game for Kids
Players try to get 5 chips in a row before anyone else.
A classic strategy game for all ages, Sequence keeps players on their toes if they want to win. The game is easy to learn and set up. On a player's turn, they play a card from their hand and put it face up in a discard pile. Then they put a chip on the corresponding space on the board. 5 chips in a row gets a sequence, and the first to get the required number sequences wins (the number of sequences needed differs if playing with individuals or teams).
It sounds simple, but it takes some strategizing to win! Each card is shown on the board twice, so you'll need to decide the best place to lay your chips. You can also block other players and remove their chips before they can get 5 in a row.
While Sequence teaches kids STEM skills like strategy, they'll be having so much fun that they won't even know they're learning. And it's not just fun for kids, this game is great for adults as well, and an excellent game to play with the whole family. Anywhere from 2-12 people can play at once, and it's recommended for ages 7+. Reviewers like how easy the game is for kids to pick up, and how it's fun for both kids and adults to play. Other reviewers like that 2 players can easily play this game and that it's a great option for grandparents to play with their grandkids where everyone will have fun.
Sequence Key Features:
Includes instructions, playing mat, playing cards, and playing chips
Great for ages 7 and up
Easy enough for kids to play but still challenging enough for adults
2-12 players
Best Card Based Board Game for Kids
SKYJO Card Game
In this card based game, the person with the lowest amount of points wins.
SKYJO is a card-based game where the goal is to get as few points as possible. To play, numbered cards ranging from -2 to 12 are placed face down in front of each of the players. On their turn, each player can decide to collect, swap, or flip their cards, always trying to get cards with lower numbers. Everyone takes turns changing out their cards until a player has revealed all of their cards and the round ends. At the end of each round, everyone counts the number of points on their cards. As soon as a player reaches 100 points, the game is over and the person with the fewest points wins. A game typically runs about 30 minutes.
This game is easy to set up and simple to both learn and play. And while it does teach kids concentration and adding, there's a good bit of luck involved with picking the cards. It's best for 2-8 players and is fun for both kids and adults. The box says the game is for ages 8 and up, but reviewers mention that kids as young as 6 are able to follow along and play. Reviewers like that it is simple to learn and that the whole family can enjoy it together, from young kids to grandparents. They say that it's a nice alternative to card games like Uno, and that it's an excellent multigenerational game for parties or camping trips.
SKYJO Key Features:
Easy to learn instructions
Best Classic Board Game for Kids
An easy, classic game full of bright colors and candy themed characters.
Do you remember playing Candyland as a child? If you're looking for a dose of nostalgia, this simple game is still around, and remains an excellent choice for younger kids. Players follow the colored squares in a race to get to the candy castle, but they can be sent all over the board if they draw a character card. Great for ages 3 and up, no reading is required to play this game. The pieces are brightly colored and the cards feature fun illustrations of candy related characters and places. The game includes a game board, four gingerbread men movers, an illustrated card deck, and instructions on how to play.
For 2-4 players, this classic beginners' board game is perfect for younger kids who might not grasp a more complicated game yet. Kids learn about matching colors and symbols, taking turns, and following the rules. Reviewers love that this game is simple for kids to understand and like that it's a classic game that they also played as kids.
Candyland Key Features:
Great for ages 3+
No reading required to play
All of these board games provide hours of fun for kids (and many for adults as well!) They're great for rainy days, family game nights, or when you're kids are bored and need something besides screen time to occupy them. If you need more ideas for fun things your kids can do, check out our list of The Best Craft Ideas for Kids.
Sarah Cribari