Board games are a great way to keep kids entertained. They are also your best bet for staying sane on vacations that are mostly spent indoors with limited outdoor activities. Board games don’t have to be just entertainment though. They introduce kids to challenges, help them build skills, nurture a problem-solving mindset, and instill competitiveness and collaboration among them.
Board games also give you and the kids a much-needed break from the endless hours of screen time and blind consumption of digital media. It is a great way to get the family around the table to spend some quality time together.
10 Best Board Games For Kids
Here we have listed the 10 best board games for children. These will keep your kids entertained for hours while also exercising their critical-thinking muscles:
1. Scrabble
Scrabble is one of the classic board games that dates back several years. It is a word game that can be played by two to four players at a time. It has a game board that has a 15×15 grid of squares. Players earn points by placing tiles (each tile having an alphabet on it) onto the game board to form words that are included in the standard dictionary. The words are formed similarly to crossword puzzles, from left to right in rows or downward in columns. The game was invented in 1938, designed by an American architect, Alfred Mosher Butts.
2. Jenga
Jenga is another timeless classic board game that guarantees hours of fun for kids and adults alike. The game consists of wooden blocks that are stacked together to form a tower, and players have to take turns removing one block at a time and place the removed block on top of the tower without disturbing the other blocks. The game ends when the tower collapses.
The name Jenga comes from the Swahili word “kujenga,” which means to build or construct, and it is played with 54 wooden blocks. The player can touch the tower or move a block with only one hand and should do it within 10 seconds.
3. Pictionary
Pictionary is a fun drawing guessing game that is suitable for all ages. Players are divided into teams for the game and have to draw a word, which their team has to guess. The winning team is the one with the most accurate word guesses.
It has a game board that has a sequence of squares, and each square will have a letter or shape according to which the player has to draw a picture on it. Pictionary was invented by Robert Angel, and the gameplay is very similar to charades.
4. Connect 4
Connect 4 (also known as Four Up) is a two-player game that is very simple and addictive. In this game, players choose a color and take turns dropping the colored discs into a grid. The goal is to be the first one to get four of your tokens in a line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Players should focus on getting their discs in line while also preventing their opponents from doing it.
The game was created by Howard Wexler in the year 1974. Connect 4 helps to sharpen critical thinking and strategic planning while being quick to play, which makes it perfect for kids of all ages.
5. Snakes And Ladders
Another timeless classic, Snakes and Ladders has been a form of entertainment for generations. It is a chance-based board game that is played on a numbered grid having 100 squares. Players race to reach the top while dealing with the consequences of each dice roll. When a player lands on a ladder, it helps them climb ahead quickly, while landing on a snake sends them sliding back and diminishing their progress. This game requires no reading skills, which makes it suitable for children as young as 4 years old.
Snakes and Ladders introduces kids to basic counting skills, turn-taking, and the concept of chance. The game is unpredictable, which means every game is different. With colorful boards, the game is sure to keep kids engaged with some lighthearted fun.
6. Cluedo
Cluedo (also known as Clue) is a classic mystery-themed board game in which kids step into the shoes of investigators. The goal of the game is to solve the mystery of who committed the crime, in which room, and with what weapon. Players move around a mansion and collect clues based on which they must deduce who did the crime. The game is suitable for kids aged 8 and above and can be played by three to six players at a time.
Cluedo has strategic gameplay, and players must make calculated suggestions to solve the mystery first. The game enhances social skills, as bluffing and outsmarting opponents makes the game more thrilling.
7. Ticket To Ride
Ticket to Ride is a turn-based board game designed by Alan R. Moon based around strategy, planning, and adventure. In this game, players compete to build railway routes across a map to connect cities and create specific destination tickets. The gameplay is so simple that it can be learned in under 15 minutes.
Players must collect and use matching train cards to claim routes. Longer routes earn more points but are harder to complete, which adds an element of challenge to the game. It is a classic game that kids can enjoy for hours.
8. Mouse Trap
Mouse Trap is a board game published by Ideal in 1963 that revolves around strategy and construction. Players move their tokens around the board with the goal of assembling a complex mouse trap in the style of a Rube Goldberg machine piece by piece. Once it is completed, the trap is used to catch the opponent’s mice. Mouse Trap is suitable for kids aged 6 and above. Players take turns rolling a die to move their mouse piece on a path on the game board.
9. Zingo!
Zingo! is a bingo-style board game designed for young children. There is a Zinger dispenser that dispenses tiles with pictures on them, such as apples, fish, stars, trees, clocks, cake, etc. Players compete to match them to similar spaces on their game boards.
The objective of the game is to cover all the spaces on their Zingo card with matching tiles. The first player to fill their board wins. It is a great tool for kids to learn vocabulary and improve memory with simple rules and quick rounds.
10. Operation
Operation is a dexterity game published by Hasbro in 1965. Players take on the role of a surgeon and remove ailments from a patient using tweezers without triggering the buzzer. The game tests players’ hand-eye coordination and concentration. It is designed for kids aged 6 and up.
The game has lots of fun elements too, like when the goal is to extract items like the “funny bone” or “butterflies in the stomach.” The buzzer goes off if the tweezers touch the edges of the openings.
Also, read: Top Outdoor Party Games For Adults And Kids: Fun Ideas For All Ages
The Verdict:
If you are on the lookout for an activity that engages the whole family, board games are the perfect solution. A lot of my most fond childhood memories are made up of playing board games with my whole family. Investing in quality board games can transform any afternoon into a memorable experience filled with lots of laughter and bonding.
Apart from entertaining, these games also instill valuable life skills like patience, creativity, and problem-solving. So, what are you waiting for? Let the fun and learning start!
