10 Best Board Games for Kids in 2020
Games for 3, 4, and 5 Year Olds
We have researched endlessly and created this curated list of fun and educational board games. With families at home most of the time right now, any fun and new activities are welcomed in our house! Often we play together, but the kids will also make up games on their own (for example, toy dinosaurs eating the hungry hippo balls) and play by themselves…which gives me a much needed break.
If you are noticing that your kids are getting bored, acting out and asking for more and more tv time, consider that they may be under-stimulated and need more activities. Introducing games, activity boxes and a preschool curriculum has really given my son the stimulation that he was missing from not being in school and not going to his usual activities.
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1. Zingo
Kids love Zingo. This game is a twist on bingo + a matching game. The goal is to be the first player with a full card of pieces. Zingo encourages early reading and my kids love not just playing the game, but for some reason getting the tiles in and out of the dispenser is super fun too. Highly recommend!
2. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game!
The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game was always a customer favorite when I managed a toys business. The goal is to collect 5 different color acorns and place them in your log. The game reinforces color learning, matching skills, strategic thinking and hand-eye coordination with the use of the squirrel tongs. My son uses the tongs for other games he makes up, and giggles hysterically anytime he gets to take away someone else’s acorns – so this game is a big hit in our house! The materials are pretty high quality and I sometimes use the acorns for other math and counting games that we make up.
3. Pengoloo
Pengoloo is a fun memory game for preschoolers with cute penguin characters to play with. Children roll the dice, look for the matching colored eggs underneath the penguins and must collect six penguins on their iceberg to win! This game develops memory, color recognition, strategy, and find motor skills.
The detailed wooden playing pieces are very high quality. I actually purchased this game 10 year ago for my nieces, after I discovered the Blue Orange line of games at a toy trade show. My sister gave Pengoloo back to me a few months ago, and it is in great condition and looks new. Their games will definitely hold up through multiple kids and as a hand me down!
4. Eeboo Create A Story Cards
Eeboo’s Create A Story Cards are a great way to promote creativity and imagination in my kids. These are a set of 36 thematically linked cards that provide the components for children and adults to make up their own stories. We will pick a few cards and each person will alternate telling/continuing the story. I have definitely found my son getting more creative as we play with these.
These cards come in a few themes, so you can pick one that you think your child will prefer: Volcano Island, Fairy Tale, Animal Village, and Mystery in the Fores
Eeboo is a wonderful brand that is woman-owned, mom-founded, and sustainably sourced. Their products are creative with beautiful illustrations and I have more suggestions from them below.
5. Hoot Owl Hoot!
Hoot Owl Hoot is a color-coordinated matching game where players help the owls fly back to their nest before the sun comes up. This cooperative game cultivates emotional development, shared decision making, and creative problem solving as children must work together to win. We played this at a friends house and all the children really enjoyed it.
6. Gobblet Gobblers Game
Gobblet Gobblers is a strategy game for kids that plays like the classic game of tic-tac-toe with some twists – you can gobble up your opponent’s piece if it is smaller than yours. My son loves “eating” the smaller pieces.
As mentioned in my review above for Pengoloo, the detailed wooden playing pieces are very high quality and Blue Orange’s games will hold up.
7. Memory Game
This is the classic memory game where children turn over 2 cards at a time to find a match. This set includes 24 pairs to match, but we usually play with only 6-8 sets since my son is on the younger side.
This particular memory game is from Eeboo, the company mentioned earlier that is woman-owned, mom-founded, and sustainably sourced with good quality and beautifully illustrated products. They also sell a Dinosaur and Things I Know memory set if you prefer those themes.
8. Hungry Hungry Hippos Game
This is the classic game that we played as kids. I have fond memories of playing this game with my family. My kids also love it and find creative ways to play. I don’t think this game needs much explanation. I will warn parents that the game that is sold today is not the game that we grew up with – it is much lower quality. The hippos and plastic “tails” that you chomp with are thin plastic and the hippos often fall off. That said, the game is still very fun with kids, so I just deal with it and sound like an old person when I say “The quality of products has gone down so much since I was a kid!”
9. Rush Hour Jr.
Rush Hour Jr. is a logic game and STEM toy where kids must use critical thinking skills to solve the puzzle. The pieces are placed on the board according to the challenge card, and must use problem solving skills to figure out where to slide the pieces to free the ice cream truck. This is an activity that kids can do on their own, and is great in the car, at restaurants, or just to give you some time to work (or write a blog post).
If you have older children, the original version of this game is great for older children, ages 8+.
10. Spot It!
Spot It Jr. is a fast paced game where 2 cards are selected at a time, and children must find the animal match. This gave develops attention, visual perception, speech and fine motor skills. My kids get so excited when they find the animals. I’ll be honest – it’s not as easy as it sounds! Sometimes my 4 year old finds the match faster than me. This game is very portable and easy to take with you in the car, to the park, or anywhere really.
