Are you looking for board games for your kids or younger siblings? Well, we have just the list for you!
Board games are good entertainment for the kids and help their critical thinking strengths. In addition, these board games will provide the kids with something refreshing.
Board games are one of the best ways to increase a child’s creativity.
Hence, keeping all these in consideration, we bring you some of the entertaining and educational board games that will be perfect for your kids.
Although these games targeted audiences are younger kids, there is no reason for older ones not to play these board games. So, without further delay, let us get into the list.
6 Best Board Games for Kids
The list given below has been compiled with the help of various trusted sources from the internet like The Strategist, Underdog Games, etc.
Board Game | Age Range |
6. Ticket to Ride | 8+ years old |
5. Trouble | 5+ years old |
4. Sequence | 7+ years old |
3. Mouse Trap | 6+ years old |
2. Cooties | 3+ years old |
1. Coconuts | 6+ years old |
6. Ticket to Ride
- Players: 2-5
We will start our list with a strategic board game for the kids. Ticket to Ride is a railway-themed German-style board game. The game was published in 2004, and Alan R. Moon is the game designer.
The game is a cross-country train adventure. The players must gather and play matching train cards to claim railway routes throughout North American cities. The longer the route is, the player earns more points.
Similarly, the game contains 1 board map of North American train routes, 225 colored train cars, 144 illustrated cards, 5 wooden scoring markers, and 1 rules booklet.
Each route’s length is different, and only a single player can claim each discrete route marked on the board. The players can get additional points if they can fulfill destination tickets.
These tickets are goal cards that connect distant cities. The game will end when one player has only two or fewer supplies of colored train pieces.
This board game is not only for children; the whole family can play the game. Although it requires some strategic thinking, the game can be learned in under 15 minutes and is quite simple.
The board game has some of the best high-quality illustrations. As a result, the game has some of the best reviews among board games. Furthermore, it also won the Best Board Game of 2004.
5. Trouble
- Players: 2-4
The trouble board game is a classic for kid’s board games. It was released in 1965, more than 57 years ago. Therefore, is a good chance that most of us have played this game growing up.
Frank Kohner, Paul Kohner and Fred Kroll are the designer of the game. The game has 30 – 45 minutes of playing time, making this perfect for the kids. Additionally, the game is very simple to play.
The game has the Pop-O-Matic dice roller. The players do not need any prior knowledge to play this board game. Similarly, it is also quite easy to set up the game. Each player has their color markers or pawns.
The players have to roll the dice using the Pop-O-Matic before choosing which pawn they want to move. Then, the player will move forward starting from the home base. Finally, the players will have to move their pawns based on the dice pop.
The players have to make it around the board and to the finish line. If one player’s pawn bumps into another, then it will have to start from the beginning again. The first pawn to reach the finish line will win the game.
Simple yet, the game is a favorite of many. This board game has stood the test of time. It is perfect for the kids, but it is also perfect for adults who love a fast-paced game.
4. Sequence
- Players: 2-16
Another strategic board game that is perfect for the kids is Sequence. This is also one of the classic board games that have stood the test of time. It is an abstract strategy board and card game first released in 1981.
Doug Reuter invented the board game. The game contains a board, 50 green marker chips, 50 blue marker chips, 35 red marker chips, and 104 sequence cards.
A large group of players can play this board game. If only two players are playing, then only blue and green marker chips are used. In the case of more than three players, the card should be divided evenly into two or three teams.
The game board is placed on the table or floor with enough rooms. However, the Sequence cannot be played with 5, 7, or 11 players. The game continues in a clockwise direction.
If two players or two teams are playing, one player or team must score two sequences before the other. Likewise, if three or three teams are playing, one player or team must score one Sequence before their opponents.
It might sound a bit complex, but the game is pretty easy to learn. It is also fun for the whole family and has the perfect card and board games. This game is perfect for any 7+ age group.
3. Mouse Trap
- Players: 2-4
Mouse Trap is one of the classic and first massed-produced three-dimensional board games. It was released in 1963. Although the gameplay has somewhat changed over the years, the game’s basic premise has remained consistent.
Sid Sackson redesigned the game in 1970. Additionally, the board was added with cheese pieces surrounding the Mouse Trap. Similarly, the new feature included players being able to maneuver opponents onto the trap space.
The game’s main objective is to trap all of the opponent’s mice using the game’s Rube Goldberg-style mousetrap. The mousetrap is also built upon the board during the game.
The players will have to collect cheese-shape tokens during the game. Then, if the player lands on the vacant trunk crank space, the tokens can be redeemed by players for a dice roll to move an opponent.
The players roll the six-sided dice turn-by-turn and move their mouse the number of spaces rolled. The player with the only mouse left in the game wins the game.
The game has not changed into operation in all these years. However, the design and shape of the pieces have slightly been modified. If not built properly or kicked too hard, the mousetrap can lead the marble to fall off the incline.
If your kids love building, then this game is perfect for them. The board game is extremely well-made and gives the kids hands-on interaction.
2. Cooties
- Players: 2-4
On our number 2 is a game designed by William H. Schaper, Cooties. The game was launched in 1949. The game is a children’s dice rolling and set collection tabletop game.
The game’s objective is simple. The players will have to assemble their bugs and the one to do so first wins the game. The game comes with various “cootie” pieces. The pieces include bugs parts like a beehive-like body, head, antennae, eyes, a coiled proboscis, and six legs.
The players will have to roll dice to acquire the body parts. The number on the dice corresponds to one of the body parts. For example, number one corresponds to the body, two to the head, three to the antennas, four to the eye, five to the proboscis, and six to the legs.
The player must first acquire the body in the game, followed by the head. Then, any parts of the body can be acquired by the players in any order. The first player to assemble the cootie completely wins the game.
The game has been popular for more than 73 years now. This game is perfect for smaller kids as it does not need much effort. Due to their popularity, the cooties have become iconic.
Noticing the game’s popularity, the Toy Industry Association included Cooties on its 100 most memorable and most creative toys of the 20th century in 2003. So, why not give your kids a piece of this classic board game?
1. Coconuts
- Players: 2-4
The number one board game on our list is Coconuts. What could be better than throwing and flinging things around? With Coconuts, you can do that. You have a monkey catapult in this game, and you can shoot coconuts.
The players are given two cards in the game, a plastic catapult, and a pile of rubber coconuts. At the start of any player’s turn, players can play one card from their hand. After that, however, the player cannot use the card again.
The players will take turns taking their coconut and attempt to shoot it into the cups on the table. If the player can shoot their coconut in the cup, they will take that cup and place it in front of them.
Similarly, if the player can take the red cup, the player gets to shoot another coconut. Finally, the player to collect six cups wins the game.
But if the players run out of coconuts before getting six cups, the player with the most coconuts in the cups wins the game. The game is not just limited to flinging coconuts and collecting cups; the players can steal cups that another player has collected.
If the player can land their coconut in a cup on another player’s board, they can steal another player’s cup. The player can collect their cups while also stealing the other player’s cup.
The game is fun for kids and adults alike. Therefore, the whole family can have fun playing this game. It is a great dexterity game that is fun to watch and play.
Honorable Mentions
- Richard Scarry’s Busytown, Eye Found It
- Connect 4 Game
- CATAN Junior
- Chutes and Ladders
Conclusion
Which board game did you find the most intriguing? Whichever game it may be, they are guaranteed to give your kids a great time. In addition, you can play the game along with them and have fun yourself.