I have always been a fan of board games. They help bring families and friends together to play, laugh, think, explore, and have fun! At my house, I have implemented one “screen-free” day every week where all televisions, tablets, and phones are turned off and put away. Everyone is free to dance, read, play with toys, bake together, or chat, but so far, we always reach for board games. Here are my recommendations for games by age-range. There are some classic and some newer games. Let me know which ones you love or any that I may have missed in the comments below.
Toddlers- ages 18 months to 3 years
Move and Groove by Think Fun
Description- Roll a big plush die and perform the dance move on the corresponding card. This game builds self-confidence, promotes movement and balance, and inspires creativity. Toddlers learn colors, matching the colors with the cards, taking turns, and moving parts of their bodies, without the pressure of competition.
Price- $19.99 on Amazon
Description- Roll a big plush die and perform the dance move on the corresponding card. This game builds self-confidence, promotes movement and balance, and inspires creativity. Toddlers learn colors, matching the colors with the cards, taking turns, and moving parts of their bodies, without the pressure of competition.
Price- $19.99 on Amazon
Seek-a-Boo by MindWare
Description- With multiple ways to play, children can increase vocabulary, associate shapes and colors, and improve memory. This is a great way to introduce basic game play and taking turns, while teaching with vibrant pictures. “Can you find a horse?” “Where is the carrot?” “Find something you can eat.” “What is something else that is red?” There are many possibilities and ways to increase and decrease difficulty.
Price- $19.95 on Amazon
Description- With multiple ways to play, children can increase vocabulary, associate shapes and colors, and improve memory. This is a great way to introduce basic game play and taking turns, while teaching with vibrant pictures. “Can you find a horse?” “Where is the carrot?” “Find something you can eat.” “What is something else that is red?” There are many possibilities and ways to increase and decrease difficulty.
Price- $19.95 on Amazon
My First Match It!, Heads & Tails
Description- Two piece, animal puzzle cards allow children to match an animal’s head and the animal’s tail. This is our favorite because my little one loves animals, but My First Match It! offers other versions including “Things that Go”, “Things I Eat”, “Colors & Shapes”, and more.
Price- $9.99 on Amazon
Description- Two piece, animal puzzle cards allow children to match an animal’s head and the animal’s tail. This is our favorite because my little one loves animals, but My First Match It! offers other versions including “Things that Go”, “Things I Eat”, “Colors & Shapes”, and more.
Price- $9.99 on Amazon
Preschool- ages 3-5 years
The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game by Educational Insights
Description- Spin the spinner and pick up the matching acorn with the squeezy squirrel. Cute and easy to understand, the game reinforces color-learning, matching, taking turns, fine-motor skills, and basic reasoning—as there are also options to “steal an acorn” or “lose an acorn”.
Price- $12.99 on Amazon
Description- Spin the spinner and pick up the matching acorn with the squeezy squirrel. Cute and easy to understand, the game reinforces color-learning, matching, taking turns, fine-motor skills, and basic reasoning—as there are also options to “steal an acorn” or “lose an acorn”.
Price- $12.99 on Amazon
Hoot Owl Hoot! by Peaceable Kingdom
Description- A cooperative game where players work together as a team instead of in competition. Players help the owls fly back to their nest before the sun comes up, and if everyone gets home, everyone wins. This game fosters shared decision-making, positive self-esteem, cooperation, simple decision making, taking turns, and more. This one is a favorite if you have little ones of different ages because of its cooperative nature.
Price- $15.49 on Amazon
Description- A cooperative game where players work together as a team instead of in competition. Players help the owls fly back to their nest before the sun comes up, and if everyone gets home, everyone wins. This game fosters shared decision-making, positive self-esteem, cooperation, simple decision making, taking turns, and more. This one is a favorite if you have little ones of different ages because of its cooperative nature.
Price- $15.49 on Amazon
Snug as a Bug in a Rug by Peaceable Kingdom
Description- A cooperative game where players work together to hide matching bugs under a rug before time runs out. There are 3 levels of play, to grow with your child. Have fun, while children learn colors, numbers, shapes, counting, taking turns, rolling a die, spinning a spinner, and working cooperatively.
Price- $19.99 on Amazon
Description- A cooperative game where players work together to hide matching bugs under a rug before time runs out. There are 3 levels of play, to grow with your child. Have fun, while children learn colors, numbers, shapes, counting, taking turns, rolling a die, spinning a spinner, and working cooperatively.
Price- $19.99 on Amazon
Chutes and Ladders by Hasbro
Description- A classic game that you probably played as a child, Chutes and Ladders challenges players to climb to the top of the game before slip-sliding down. This is an ideal game for younger children still learning to take turns and just beginning to learn numbers. There is no reading necessary to play, and the winner is the first to reach the top.
Price- $5.99 at Target
Description- A classic game that you probably played as a child, Chutes and Ladders challenges players to climb to the top of the game before slip-sliding down. This is an ideal game for younger children still learning to take turns and just beginning to learn numbers. There is no reading necessary to play, and the winner is the first to reach the top.
Price- $5.99 at Target
Young Elementary- Ages 5+
Monopoly Junior by Hasbro
Description- A much faster version of the traditional Monopoly, the Junior version allows you to buy properties and make simple transactions. Players use simple math, follow directions, and get fun bonuses. The player with the most money wins. Game play lasts 30-60 minutes. Monopoly Junior also comes in fun versions like “Disney Princess”, “Star Wars”, “Dig’n Dinos”, and many more.
Price- $14.29 on Amazon
Description- A much faster version of the traditional Monopoly, the Junior version allows you to buy properties and make simple transactions. Players use simple math, follow directions, and get fun bonuses. The player with the most money wins. Game play lasts 30-60 minutes. Monopoly Junior also comes in fun versions like “Disney Princess”, “Star Wars”, “Dig’n Dinos”, and many more.
Price- $14.29 on Amazon
Guess Who? by Hasbro
Description- Guess your opponent’s mystery character by asking yes-or-no questions about the character’s details. The newer version of this game adds more character variety with animals, foods, and people. Teaching reasoning and deductive thinking, Guess Who? is a classic favorite.
Price- $6.99 on Amazon
Description- Guess your opponent’s mystery character by asking yes-or-no questions about the character’s details. The newer version of this game adds more character variety with animals, foods, and people. Teaching reasoning and deductive thinking, Guess Who? is a classic favorite.
Price- $6.99 on Amazon
Race to the Treasure by Peaceable Kingdom
Description- A cooperative game where players work together to create a path from start to finish. Children learn strategy, shared decision-making, math-grid concepts, and cooperation.
Price- $15.99 on Amazon
Description- A cooperative game where players work together to create a path from start to finish. Children learn strategy, shared decision-making, math-grid concepts, and cooperation.
Price- $15.99 on Amazon
Zingo! Bingo with a Zing by Think Fun
Description- Bingo-style game for early readers. Players dispense tiles and must think quickly to match pictures or simple word and fill a bingo card. Zingo builds vocabulary, language, and matching skills with fast-paced play and quick thinking.
Price- $16.29 on Amazon
Description- Bingo-style game for early readers. Players dispense tiles and must think quickly to match pictures or simple word and fill a bingo card. Zingo builds vocabulary, language, and matching skills with fast-paced play and quick thinking.
Price- $16.29 on Amazon
Older Elementary- Ages 8+
Headbanz Act Up! by Spin Master Games
Description- Fun, fast-paced game where players must guess the card on their own headband by watching others act it out. Talking is not allowed while acting, but I guarantee you will be laughing.
Price- $14.98 on Amazon
Description- Fun, fast-paced game where players must guess the card on their own headband by watching others act it out. Talking is not allowed while acting, but I guarantee you will be laughing.
Price- $14.98 on Amazon
Wits & Wagers Family Edition by North Star Games
Description- Family-friendly trivia game where you don’t need to know the real answers to win. Players score points by choosing which guess is closest to the right answer. Parents and kids will enjoy this one.
Price- $15.99 on Amazon
Description- Family-friendly trivia game where you don’t need to know the real answers to win. Players score points by choosing which guess is closest to the right answer. Parents and kids will enjoy this one.
Price- $15.99 on Amazon
Blokus by Mattel
Description- Strategy game where players take turns placing their various pieces on the board and strategically blocking opponents. Blokus is a short, thinking game that encourage sharp thinking and planning.
Price- $19.99 on Amazon
Description- Strategy game where players take turns placing their various pieces on the board and strategically blocking opponents. Blokus is a short, thinking game that encourage sharp thinking and planning.
Price- $19.99 on Amazon
Spontuneous by Spontuneous
Description- Don’t worry. You don’t have to have any singing talent to play this one. Players race to sing a song containing a given word. 4-10 players or teams recommended.
Price- $29.99 on Amazon
Description- Don’t worry. You don’t have to have any singing talent to play this one. Players race to sing a song containing a given word. 4-10 players or teams recommended.
Price- $29.99 on Amazon
Spot It! by Asmodee
Description- Fast-paced race to spot the matching symbol on cards. Fun for adults and children, Spot It helps develop focus, visual perception, speech and language skills, and fine motor skills.
Price- $12.99 on Amazon
Teens- Ages 12+
Description- Fast-paced race to spot the matching symbol on cards. Fun for adults and children, Spot It helps develop focus, visual perception, speech and language skills, and fine motor skills.
Price- $12.99 on Amazon
Teens- Ages 12+
Double Ditto by Inspiration Play
Description- Players draw a card with a category and write down 2 answers they think other players will also write. Fast-paced and fun, players of all ages will laugh at the answers as they are revealed.
Price- $19.95 on Amazon
Description- Players draw a card with a category and write down 2 answers they think other players will also write. Fast-paced and fun, players of all ages will laugh at the answers as they are revealed.
Price- $19.95 on Amazon
Telestrations by USAopoly
Description- This hilarious game is miscommunication at its best! Telestrations is the visual version of the old “telephone game”, only you draw what you see and then guess what others have drawn. Don’t worry. You don’t need to be an artist to play this game. It’s a race again the clock, so the simpler the better.
Price- $24.16 on Amazon
Description- This hilarious game is miscommunication at its best! Telestrations is the visual version of the old “telephone game”, only you draw what you see and then guess what others have drawn. Don’t worry. You don’t need to be an artist to play this game. It’s a race again the clock, so the simpler the better.
Price- $24.16 on Amazon
Scattergories by Hasbro
Description- Players write down words that fit in the categories on the card, but words have to begin with the letter rolled on the die. Players are encouraged to be creative to rack up more points. Challenging and fun for all ages.
Price- $15.99 on Amazon
Description- Players write down words that fit in the categories on the card, but words have to begin with the letter rolled on the die. Players are encouraged to be creative to rack up more points. Challenging and fun for all ages.
Price- $15.99 on Amazon
Taboo by Hasbro
Description- Players take turns trying to get their team to guess a word or phrase on a card, but obvious clues are off-limits. Taboo is a fast-paced game that requires quick-thinking and creative descriptions.
Price- $14.92 on Amazon
Description- Players take turns trying to get their team to guess a word or phrase on a card, but obvious clues are off-limits. Taboo is a fast-paced game that requires quick-thinking and creative descriptions.
Price- $14.92 on Amazon
Apples to Apples by Mattel
Description- Family-friendly card game where players pick a card from their hand that fits with the description card. The judge picks the card he or she feels is the best match. Apples to Apples is a different game every time, creating laughter and fun conversation.
Price- $16.44 on Amazon
Description- Family-friendly card game where players pick a card from their hand that fits with the description card. The judge picks the card he or she feels is the best match. Apples to Apples is a different game every time, creating laughter and fun conversation.
Price- $16.44 on Amazon
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