Looking for more ways to have fun together as a family? Here are the best board games for kids and families to play together from our family to yours!
And with the holiday season here, don’t forget to snag your Kid’s 99-Page Holiday Activity Kit, complete with Elf on the Shelf Notes, Letter to Santa templates, Dozens of Festive Themed Activity Sheets, an Exciting Countdown to Christmas Calendar, Holiday Scavenger Hunts, I Spy Game Sheets, and much more!
Best Board Games for Kids and Families to Play Together
Although it would be great for us to stay outside all year round, when the colder months are here, we’re always looking for fun ways to play inside peacefully. Games are a great solution to having fun, acting silly, using those tactile and motor skills, strategizing and of course, laughing together.
I’ve broken the games up by age group to help you narrow down what will fit your family’s range of ages best.
Let this be your guide to the best board games for kids to play together, including games for as young as 2 years old and fun for the entire family to play together.
We’ve tested our share of games over the years but these are simply the best board games for kids and families to play together and have fun!
Be Sure to Check Out All of Our Gift Guides:
- Ultimate Guide: 200+ Practical Non Toy Gifts for Kids That Aren’t Junk
- Best Gifts for Kids Who Love Arts and Crafts (from Toddlers to Teens)
- Best Outdoor Toys for Kids to Promote Active Play & Healthy Habits
- 40+ Unique Stocking Stuffers for Baby – Toddler (Ages 0 – 3)
- Non-Toy Gifts for Giving Children Experiences Not Things
- Gifts for Kids to Receive in the Mail All Year Round
Best Board Games for Kids (& Best Games for Families to Play Together)
Best Starter Games for Toddlers & Preschoolers
Acorn Soup is a fun game for parents to play with their little ones to help with counting, vocabulary and develop hand-eye coordination. The object of the game is to help Squirrel make yummy soups by following the 8 recipe cards that are included in the game, as well as the 24 wooden ingredients. Helps little ones learn to take turns and play with rules. It’s a pretty simple game for adults, but perfect for 2 and 3 year olds.
Hot Potato is a classic game that kids can quickly learn to play. Once the music starts, the object of the game is to pass the potato around and don’t be the one caught holding it when the music stops or you’re out.
Roll and Play is a a great introduction for kids to learn how to follow rules and wait for their turn to come around. With no winners or loser, this is a great game for kids to start with because the premise is to have fun and be silly. The plush dice gets throw and whatever color it lands on, a matching card in the same color is chosen. The card lists the activity a child needs to perform, such as “bark like a dog” or “hop like a bunny.” (the Think Fun and Groove Dance Cube is very smilier to Roll and Play.)
Zoo on the Loose is a fun game for kids 2 – 5 years old and helps children recognize colors, understand spatial relationships and pay attention to detail. With two ways to play, Zoo on the Loose is always the perfect activity whether you want to play quietly or get up and get moving. Includes five cuddly animals who go on an adventure, but at the first sign of a zookeeper, need to get back in place as quickly as possible.
Monkey Around is perfect for 2 and 3 year olds and game with no winners or losers. The premise of the game is to perform silly acts and fill up the board. Each player takes turns picking from the 40 cards and performs the activity listed on the card such as balance on one foot or give a high five.
Best Games for Kids 5-9
Color-Cubed Strategy is very much like dominos, but with colors for kids. The purpose of the game is to recognize color patterns and match as many colors as you can on your turn with one card. This is a fun game to help kids spot patterns and develop strategy with their cards.
Eye Found it Hidden Picture Games are excellent for winter months and can be played with 2 – 6 people at a time. Set the clock to 1:00. Once the game starts the clock is ticking and players must work together to get to Cinderella’s castle before the clock strikes midnight. On your turn, spin the spinner and either move, search, or tick the clock forward. If you spin the golden Mickey Mouse ears, it’s time to search! Flip over a Search Card and everyone starts looking for the time on the card. For each item a player finds that is once step forward for all players. If all players arrive at the castle before the clock strikes midnight, everyone wins! Richard Scarry’s Busy Town Eye Found It, Star Wars Eye Found It and Journey Through Time Eye Found It are played the same.
Math for Love Tiny Polka Dot is perfect for kids as young as 4 years old and learning to build their math skills. The game is just right for teaching counting, recognizing numbers in various forms, arithmetic and logic. Includes 16 easy-to-learn games for kids to build a love for math.
Rory’s Story Cubes is fun for creativity and inspiring imagination with your kids. Each 1″ cube has 6 images or icons, with a total of 54 all-different images that can be mixed in over 10 million ways to create fun, unique stories. Each player rolls the 9 cubes to generate 9 random images and then uses these pictures to invent a story that starts with “Once upon a time…” Each narrative must used all 9 icons and the funny stories kids make up are priceless! This is more advanced so kids ages 8+ are recommended because of the complexities with 9 images that need to be used.
NADA! Are you seeing straight or seeing double? Either way, you have to call it fast to win this high energy dice game. Scoop up two batches of dice and let them roll. Quick. All players scan the array for matching symbols between the orange and white dice. The first to call a match gets to grab all the dice with that symbol. No Matches? No problem. It’s another chance to win. Shout “Nada.” to collect all the remaining dice. Think sharp and act fast to match, snatch and win. If you’re really feeling loco for Nada, mix it up with the additional game variations.
Simon Says is a classic game most parents can remember from their own childhood. With two modes for single or 2-player, you’ll follow the game’s commands to Bop it, Twist it and Pull it in the right sequence.
Outfoxed is a fun family game. Mrs. Plumpert’s prized pot pie has gone missing, and now it’s a chicken chase to crack the case! In Outfoxed, you move around the board to gather clues, then use the special evidence scanner to rule out suspects. You have to work together quickly because the guilty fox is high-tailing it towards the exit!
Wooden Memory Matching Game. What I love most about this game is how timeless it is, and works for kids of a wide range. My three year old plays by herself, and my 7 year olds play it together with each other. As a parent, it’s the perfect size to throw in my purse for when we’re waiting at the doctor’s office or watching one of the kid’s activities.
Rapid Cup Stacking is great for eye-hand coordination and more benefits such as when the child is moving their hands so quickly, their eyes must also track the cups and the movement of their hands as they participate in the activity. The eyes naturally cross the midline to accomplish this task. These skills are very important for reading and writing development. Plus, it’s just plain fun!
Table Topics may not be a game, but can spur conversation around the dinner table between family members and keeping those lines of communication open should always be a priorities for families.
Zingo is perfect for up to 7 players at a time and so, so much fun! Players slide the Zinger and grab one of the tiles if the tile matches a picture on the player’s board. The first to collect all the tiles on their board, yells out “Zinger” to win.
Best Board Games & Activities for Tween and Teens (8+)
Do you Really Know Your Family Game. See who really knows the family best as you answer fun questions about each other while sparking interesting conversations. Create hilarious family memories as you compete and perform silly challenges together. Great family game for kids 8+.
Gravity Maze can be a solo challenge or make it into a dueling family challenge. You’ll play your way through the challenges building spatial reasoning and planning skills. Gravity Maze is a combination logic game, marble run, and STEM toy that’s one of the best gifts you can buy for boys and girls age 8 and up It contains 60 challenges from beginner to expert, a game grid, 9 towers, 1 target piece, and 3 marbles
Exploding Kittens isn’t as violent as the title of this game suggests. The original card game that gave felines a license to kill. This kitty-powered card game is all about turning game night into a blast with lots of chuckling and rib-cracking outbursts. In every 56-card deck you’ll find creative ways to dodge the exploding kittens. Like defuse cards featuring laser pointers, kitty therapy, and catnip sandwiches. And action cards with weaponized back hair, all-seeing goat wizards, and magical pig-a-corns that grant you precognition. Best for 2-5 players, and the last player left alive wins!
Trekking the National Parks is the winner of the Mensa And Parent’s Choice Award. The game isn’t too complex to learn once you get started (despite the rules and information), the board is beautiful and you’ll soon get to know all the different national parks. The game appeals to a wide range of people: outdoor lovers, board game players, and gift givers. A great board games for kids! Ages 10+, 2-5 players.
Apples to Apples. This version of the Apples to Apples Party Box comes in plain brown packaging so the game inside is a surprise until opened! In each round, a new judge draws a Description Card. You’ve got to decide which card in your hand matches the Description in play, and hope the judge thinks your card is the best. And with so many cards in this version, it’ll never be the same game twice!Recommended ages 12+.
Beat That! You better limber up and prepare to bounce, flip, stack, hop, roll, blow, balance, and catapult your way to victory! Win points by betting on your ability to successfully complete a series of ridiculous dexterity-based family games for game night. Includes 160 hilarious challenges for kids and adults allow all players to attempt the same challenges, so get ready for the ultimate showdown. 2-8 players, ages 9+.
Clue is the board game that will never not be fun, and won’t go out of style! This Clue game combines classic Clue gameplay with richly reimagined takes on the original murder mystery storyline, intriguing cast of characters, and glamorous Tudor Mansion. 2-6 players, ages 8+.
Poetry for Neanderthals is the guessing game that needs you to channel your inner caveman. Speak in single syllables and win points with every correct guess. If you start talking fancy, someone from the opposing team gets to bop you with an inflatable club. Looking for a party game for kids and adults that will have the crowd roaring with laughter? You’ve found it! 2+ players for kids 7+.
Azul is a strategic tile-placement game where you plan your moves carefully to outscore opponents and disrupt their plans. As a tile laying artist, you have been challenged to embellish the walls of the royal Palace of Dvora while out maneuvering your competition. 2-4 players, ages 8+. 30-45 minutes per round.
5 Second Rule is a high-intensity and fast-faced, fun game for the whole family.Pick from one of the 576 cards, read the topic, and race against a 5-second timer to name 3 things; laughter and funny answers are assured with our super fun card game. Don’t forget, a twisted timer included in the card game box creates a fun “zoooooop” sound as marbles race down, adding excitement and pressure to every round.
Catan Junior. This is simpler playing style than the adult-version, and designed for players as young as 6, it’s the perfect introduction to the CATAN series of games for kids and families. CATAN Junior is an adventure game that takes place on a ring of tropical isles—including the mysterious Spooky Island, home of the Ghost Captain. Each island generates a specific resource – wood, goats, molasses, or cutlasses. You can also find gold. Just watch out for the dreaded Ghost Captain. 2-4 players, ages 6+.
Sussed is a hilarious game for 2-8 players. Here’s what you do: Ask a question, and challenge your family and friends to guess which hilarious answer you’ve chosen! It’s wacky, simple and packed with laughter and surprises! Includes 200 questions, 650 answers. Combine with other Sussed games for more conversations you’ve never had!
Check Out All of Our Gift Guides:
- Ultimate Guide: 200+ Practical Non Toy Gifts for Kids That Aren’t Junk
- Best Gifts for Kids Who Love Arts and Crafts (for toddlers to teens)
- Best Outdoor Toys for Kids to Promote Active Play & Healthy Habits
- 40+ Unique Stocking Stuffers for Baby – Toddler (Ages 0 – 3)
- Non-Toy Gifts for Giving Children Experiences Not Things
- Gifts for Kids to Receive in the Mail All Year Round
More Holiday Resources:
- 30 Easy Elf Ideas: Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas For Busy Parents
- Elf on the Shelf Printable “I Caught You Being Good” Notecards
- Letter to Santa & Certificate for Making Santa’s Nice List
- Over 285 Easy & Fun Elf on the Shelf Ideas, Activities & Printables
- 45 Elf Letterboard Notes – Fun & Easy Elf on the Shelf Idea
- 5 Gift Rule Christmas: Want, Need, Wear & Read
