Board games are a great way for children to have fun and learn at the same time. They can teach counting, colors, basic cause and effect, strategy, teamwork, coordination…just about any attribute that your child may need in life they will be able to pick up from playing board games!
Board games also promote countless hours of family bonding time, which is a wonderful part of growing up in a close-knit family.
If you are looking for a fun board game to play with your child/children, here are some ideas to get you headed in the right direction:
Story Cubes by Gamewright
How to play: Roll the 9 cubes and then begin telling a story based on what you see. The first person speaks while everyone else listens, then the next person continues the story by adding to it.
Why kids like it: This game is extremely open-ended for storytelling (and imagination) without any directions or instructions. Story Cubes is great for kids who are just starting to use their imagination when playing games.
Why parents like it: It encourages creativity, artistic expression, speaking skills, and storytelling abilities without any help or directions from adults! Parents can also learn a lot about their child’s story-telling capabilities by seeing the creative tales that they come up with using familiar objects on the cubes.
Perfection by Milton Bradley
How to play: Place all of the colorful pieces into a plastic tray and then flip it over…now you have Perfection! Assemble your puzzle by matching up the similar sides to make a solid picture.
Why kids like it: It is challenging enough for older kids, but also very simple enough for younger children to understand. Matching up the sides is a fun way for kids to develop their hand-eye coordination skills without even realizing it!
Why parents like it: It encourages problem solving, organizational skills and patience in young children. Kids can learn how to follow directions by listening carefully while you assemble the pieces for them. Parents can also sit down and play with their child to encourage teamwork, playing together and sharing ideas.
Monopoly Junior by Hasbro
How to play: The object of this game is to be the first player to pull four tokens around the board without landing on another player’s token or you must pay a fine.
Why kids like it: The colors and simple design of the board makes it fun to play for younger children as well as older ones. Kids learn about money, counting, math skills and taking turns without even realizing they are doing so!
Why parents like it: It is a great way to teach your child or children about the importance of money and how to handle it. As they get older, you can also incorporate math skills into your Monopoly Junior games by counting up their moves as they go around the board.
Connect 4 by Milton Bradley
How to play: Each player has their own game that consists of seven colored discs which are stacked in a vertical alignment. Players take turns dropping discs from the top down, with the goal of getting four discs in a row (either horizontally, vertically or diagonally) before their opponent does the same.
After your turn is over you can choose to keep any of your opponents pieces that are now on their side and add them to your own collection if it helps you get four in a row.
Why kids like it: It is challenging enough for most children to understand how the game works, but simple enough that they will not become frustrated or tired of playing early on. Kids learn strategy skills with this game through trial and error as they try different ways to win each time they play.
Why parents like it: It encourages problem solving, strategy and planning skills without any help from adults. Parents can also sit down and play alongside their child to encourage teamwork, playing together and sharing ideas.
Hopefully, you found some of these top board games for kids interesting enough to give them a try with your children. By choosing a game that most children enjoy, you can help strengthen the bond between you and your child while teaching them valuable skills.