According to Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, board games provide opportunities for early learning in children. Through board games, children are able to develop critical skills such as, taking turns, following rules, decision making, fine motor skills and hand eye coordination.
Early brain development and the importance of early years of childhood has been researched in detail over the past several decades. These studies have concluded that “the first eight years can build a foundation for future learning, health and life success.”
A clinical psychologist, Beatrice Tauber Prior, states that strategy games help develop frontal lobes of the brain. These frontal lobes are responsible for making good decisions, organizing and planning(Source).
This indicates that stimulating board games for growing children, particularly kindergarteners, is vital for their brain development and learning skills, which impacts them later on in their life.
Furthermore, finding the perfect family board game is one of the ways through which you can promote family bonding time. It is a means through which you can get the whole family together, both older kids and younger kids.
This article will list the best board games for young kindergarteners that you can then choose from in order to help your child develop whilst having fun as a family.
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1. The Family Treasure Hunt Game
This award winning board game will prove to be quite a successful family game as it is for ages 3 to 10 which means you can get the little ones involved too. Most of the Amazon reviews were very pleased that their children from different age ranges were able to play this family game.
Everyone works together to solve scavenger riddles and hunt for treasure. This not only promotes their motor skills, but also keeps kids entertained!
2. Blokus XL
Many parents have rated this as the best family board game out there. With an Amazon rating of 4.8 stars, it’s sure to be a winner on game night.
Players must take turns placing their game pieces on the board, the player with the most pieces on the board wins! If there are no more games pieces around, the game ends.
3. The Game Of Life Junior
This is one of the most popular board games out there, since it is the junior version of a classic game. The whole family can play together this super fun game where you life choices and chance determines who wins!
4. Monopoly Junior
This classic board game has many different variations. Monopoly is the best board game to instil financial responsibility in children from a young age.
The player takes turns to roll two dice, then moves their game piece to the property. They must then make a decision on whether they should buy the property or not. This classic board is challenging enough for children up to 8 years.
5. Rhino Hero: Super Battle
Speil Des Jahres, when translated in German, is ‘Game of the Year’. It is the German critics award which is being awarded since 1979 to the best games. In 2001, separate awards for children’s game of the year was introduced, which are called Kinderspiel des jahres, making Speil Des for adult board games.
This great board game has won 3 awards and been nominated for 5! It is the perfect game for stirring up some excitement in children whilst strengthening their fine motor skills.
This game is made more complex by having the game board have less than 10 build points. As with most kids’ games, this game will last approximately 20 minutes.
6. Rhino Hero
This game definitely deserves spot on this list since it has been nominated for the Spiel Des Jahres Award twice and is on their recommended list for 2022. Each game typically takes 15 minutes to complete between 2-5 players. The game makes great gift for younger kids.
7. First Carcassonne Board
This is one of the most fun board games since the aim of the game is to build a city and bring back home all the animals that have escaped into the streets! This fun game is great for developing decision making skills in children.
8. Sleeping Queens
Playing cards is always a great way to get the whole family together on game night. This game has an Amazon review rate of 4.9 stars and most of the reviewers on Amazon describe it as much fun.
Whilst the suggested age range is for ages 8 and up, many parents reviewing on Amazon have disputed this suggesting the ideal age range for this game is 5 and over.
9. Hungry Hungry Hippos
This is one of the most all time favorite board games out there, with an Amazon review of 4.2 stars. This classic game involves getting your hippo to chomp on as many marbles as you can to win!
10. Ticket to Ride: First Journey (U.S.)
Ride First Journey is an absolute favorite board game which comes in a junior version, for children aged 6 and above. It is one of those educational kids board games which introduce children to geography and cross country train travel.
It is also important to note here, this classic game is the recipient of 2 Spiel Des Jahres Awards. This favorite board game can be played with up to 6 players, which is great for a family game night!
11. Outfoxed
This is a cooperative board game where the players must work together. With a 4.8 stars rating on Amazon, reviewers love that this is a cooperative game instead of a competitive game.
Outfoxed has also won a Spiel Des Jahre award in 2017, which is also an indication of how popular this game is. It develops strategic thinking in children as well as team working skills as players work together in order to win.
12. Go Fish
With a high rating of 4.8 stars on Amazon, this is an educational card game. It is a game that can be played with the whole family, as well as amongst the children only. It promotes skills such as turn taking and patience.
13. Candy Land
Classic Candy Land is a fun game for children aged 3 and above. Games work best when delicious sweets and treats are involved! This is one of those board games kids will love because of the colored cards and sweet destinations.
14. Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It
In this game, players must move their game piece across Richard Scarry’s busytown! This is a cooperative game, which means it promotes team work.
15. Snails Pace Race
This fun game typically takes 15 minutes to complete and is great for a family to play together. Players roll two dice, moving their pieces forward.
16. The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game
This game develops fine motor skills in preschoolers, as well as hand-eye coordination. It is suitable for ages 3 and up which means the whole family can get involved, even the little ones!
17. Hoot Owl Hoot
With a high rating of 4.8 stars and Amazon reviews praising this cooperative board game, it is sure to be a popular gift for your kindergartener. Each game lasts approximately 15 minutes, which is a good time for the younger kids.
18. Five Crowns Junior
Playing cards is a great way to pass time during the holidays. Card games develop memory boosting skills and strategic thinking (Source). With a rating of 4.7 stars on Amazon, this game is suitable for up to 6 players.
19. Sushi Go Party
In this fun card game, you earn points by picking winning sushi combinations. Up to 8 players can play this game, making it a great choice for family game night.
20. Never Forget Face
This memory game sharpens recognition, concentration and memory skills. This game also promotes diversity and different cultures, developing positive familiarity with people from other countries.
21. Outsmarted! The Live Family Quiz Show Board Game
You can play this fun game with up to 24 players. It uses a compatible phone application to run a family quiz board game.
It automatically adjust the difficulty of the questions to meet the age requirements.
22. Catan Junior
This is a strategy game for the whole family. Taking turns, players roll die, and move around the ring of islands.
What makes it interesting is that each island generates a specific resource. This fun game encourages decision making skills.
23. Bugs In The Kitchen
This is a great 3D game where the players have to roll a die, make a path and then catch the bug! Each game lasts approximately 15 minutes.
24. Wildcraft
This herbal adventure game comes with educational benefits! Children can learn about 25 medicinal plants and where they grow. However, this game takes up to 60 minutes to complete.
25. My First Castle Panic
This is a cooperative game, which teaches children about working together. It is easy to learn and no reading is required. Up to 4 players can play and the game lasts approximately 20 minutes.
26. Thankfun Zingo Bingo
This is a fast paced game which encourages competitiveness, critical thinking and motor skills. Up to 7 players can play this fun game.
27. Operation
This classic board game requires battery but is sure to develop fine motor skills and hand eye coordination in your children.
28. The Floor Is Lava
This game promotes physical activity and develops motor skills through improving balance. The players have to use their imagination skills to pretend the floor is lava.
29. Da Vinci’s Room Sums In Space
This STEM game challenges kids, since mental arithmetic is involved. However, it is also a classic game of building blocks and a cooperative game, where children are encouraged to work together.
30. Botley The Coding Action Challenge
This STEM game develops critical thinking and coding skills in children aged 5-7. The players need to create an obstacle challenge for the robot to navigate around.
31. Brain-Freeze
This game challenges kids whilst developing critical thinking skills, communication and various mathematical skills.
32. Popomatic Trouble
This classic game requires players to pop the die and move their playing pegs around the board until they reach their finish line. The player with all 4 of their pegs inside the finish line wins.
33. Sum Swamp Game
This is an educational and fun game to play for little kids, which encourages mathematical skills. A game lasts between 20 minutes to 30 minutes with up to 4 players.
34. Enchanted Forest
This is a good memory game, which strengthens cognitive skills. The aim is to collect 3 treasure cards before anyone else.
35. Scrabble Junior
This letter matching game encourages literacy skills in children. The board has 2 sides, one where players match the letters to complete the word and the other side which is for advanced players who are able to create their own words. The player with the most tokens wins.
36. Dragon’s Breath
This board game is the recipient of 2 Spiel Des Jahres awards and it is on their 2022 recommendation list. This 20 minute game encourages patience and concetration skills.
37. Gamewright Hisss
Players take turns to pick a card, with the aim of creating the longest snake possible. One round of a game takes about 15 minutes to complete and can be played with up to 5 players.
38. Clue Junior
This is the junior version of the popular classic game. It teaches children deductive reasoning and can be played with up to 6 players.
39. Risk Junior
This popular board game develops strategic thinking, where children need to move their game piece around the board competing for treasure.
40. Spot It! Junior
This card matching game encourages observational skills and is a fun game for the whole family to play together on family game night.
41. Rat-A-Tat Cat
This card game is a fast-paced game designed to develop memory and numerical skills. A single round of game takes up to 10 minutes.
42. Gobblet Gobblet
Similar to the classic game, tic tac toe, this requires the player to line up 3 of their game pieces. With an interesting twice, players can gobble up their opponents piece in order to take their place.
43. Qwirkle
This fun game provides an opportunity to develop multiple skills such as problem solving skills and recognition. Up to 4 players can play at a time.
44. Sequence For Kids
You need 20 minutes to play this strategy game. It develops logical thinking skills and can be played with up to 4 players.
45. SET
This family board game is challenging for kids as it promotes logical reasoning skills. It is a game where the whole family can get involved and play together.
46. Rummikub
The best board game is one where the whole family can play together whilst also developing motor skills in children. This STEM game develops planning skills and is aimed at players of different ages.
47. Kingdomino
This 15 minute game can be played by children aged 5 and up. It is a different take on the classic game of dominos. It develops problem solving and strategic skills in children.
48. Dixit
This classic board game is great for children who love to use their imagination and are creative. Up to 6 players can play at a time, which makes it a great option for a family game night. This game is great for developing communication skills.
49. Crossing
This is an interesting take on a card game, where everyone can play at the same time. This game requires players to be attentive at all times.
50. Uno
This classic family card game is great for everyone in the family to play. It is a matching game that develops concentration skills. It has a rating of 4.8 stars on Amazon reviews.
51. Quiddler
This word game will develop your kindergarteners’ literacy skills. It is a family board game which also develops critical thinking skills.
Finally
New board games predictably make great gifts for young excited children. However, not only do board games promote family bonding time together but it also develops numerous social skills in your children. From team work, waiting for your turn, following rules to decision making, children have opportunities to develop life skills through play.
This article provides a wide range of popular board games for pre-school children up to the ages of 10. Every game provides an opportunity for your child to develop and grow.