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Best Board Games For Young Children

Last updated on June 29, 2023
Best Board Games For 5 Year Olds

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A great way to help your child improve their focus, while also working on their communication and social skills, is to play board games with them. As an added bonus, board games can be enjoyed by the whole family, bringing together kids and adults of all ages.

When choosing board games for young children, consider whether you want to get a cooperative or competitive game. Some young children have a hard time with the winner/loser concept and prefer a cooperative game where everyone works together to accomplish or defeat something. Other kids are more competitive and prefer to play against other players. Consider which kind of game your preschooler would enjoy.

Be sure to think about playing time as well. Most young children likely can’t sit down and play a board game for two hours or more. Choose a game that takes less than 30 minutes to play from start to finish. If the game is a quick one and your child is still interested, you can always play the game again. However, if it is too long, they may not want to complete it.

Our Picks For The Top Board Games For Young Children

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Product Overview
Our Take
 Top Pick

Hasbro Candy Land Classic

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Hasbro

Candy Land Classic Board Game

This classic board game is a journey filled with encounters with sweet characters and confections. It is a game that every young child should experience. The board game includes a colorful board, four pawns, a card deck and instructions.

Overall Take

Sweet Childhood FavoriteColorful artwork, an easy-to-follow objective and no need for reading skills make this an accessible option for kiddos ages 3 and up.

 Runner Up

Thinkfun Zingo Bingo

Thinkfun

Zingo Bingo With A Zing Board Game For 5-Year-Olds

This parent- and teacher-approved game is like Bingo with educational components. The objective of the game is to be the first to fill your card with tiles, which sport different words and illustrations. The game is best for little ones ages 4 and up.

Overall Take

Vocabulary-Building FunThis fast-paced board game for 5-year-olds helps pre-readers and early readers develop language and matching skills.

 We Also Like

Winning Moves Guess Who? Mystery Board Game

Winning Moves

Guess Who? Mystery Board Game For 5-Year-Olds

With this exciting board game for 5-year-olds, each player picks a person from the deck. Players must then take turns asking questions that will help them determine who their opponent has selected. The first one to guess correctly wins the game!

Overall Take

Increases Deduction SkillsEach of the 24 characters in this board game for 5-year-olds are silly and designed to provoke a giggle out of your little one.

 Best for Early Readers

Gamenote Magnetic Fishing Sight Word Game

Gamenote

Magnetic Fishing Sight Word Game

Overall Take

Fun Way to Teach Sight WordsChildren can build reading skills while developing their hand-eye-coordination.

What to Look For

  • Think about how complex the rules are for the games you’re thinking of buying for a 5-year-old. Ideally, the rules should have no more than two or three instructions so that young children can quickly grasp the details. If the game is too complex, they may become disinterested, and if it is too easy, it may not challenge them enough to proceed.
  • How many players will typically play the board game you’re selecting? Choose a game that fits those parameters. Most board games work well with two or four players, though some can be played with more people.
  • Consider your child’s personality and then find a game that will engage them based on their interests. For example, if they love physical activity, then a game where they get to jump up and down and run around is a good choice. If they love solving problems, go with a game that requires some detective work. For kids who are numbers-oriented, opt for one that requires dice so they can work on their counting and adding skills while playing.

More to Explore

One of the oldest known board games is called The Royal Game of Ur, which was played in 2650 BC. In fact, it may still be played in many parts of the world, such as Iraq, India, Egypt and other countries, which makes it the game that has been played longer than any other in history.

The game involves a geometrical board and two sets of markers each with seven pieces. The markers slightly resemble checkers, and one set of markers is white while the other is black. It is played with tetrahedral (four-sided) dice. The game is named after the Royal Tombs of Ur in Iraq where it was found by researchers.

More to explore