Children between the ages of 3 and 5 are working to meet important developmental milestones. They shift from playing by themselves to learning to play with others while developing fine motor control that they’ll need to perform everyday skills. They also get better at visually tracking, processing, and identifying shapes, including letters. Board games are one of the best, fun ways to support their development.
The best board games for preschoolers are cooperative games that encourage them to take turns while developing other skills. Card games like Go Fish and Crazy 8’s are great games for young children, but you’re not limited to just these two choices. There are many other kids board games that are a fun way to help preschoolers learn.
Below you’ll find a list of some of the best board games kids can play to develop essential preschool skills.
Board Games for the Youngest Players
Generally speaking, 2 year olds rarely have the attention span for board games. They are very busy developing their gross motor skills and exploring the world around them. They are improving their verbal communication, naming common items, learning to use words to express themselves, and finding new ways to physically move like jumping and spinning.
Best Board Game for 2 year olds
1. The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel
If you have or know little ones who are interested in simple board games, The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel is a great starting game. It is one of the very few board games 2 year old preschoolers will be able to enjoy and learn from. It will help young preschoolers identify colors while helping them develop motor skills. In this game, players are invited to use tweezers to pick up apples and match colors. It can introduce little ones to the concept of taking turns and is one of the best board games for preschoolers who are just learning to play games for kids.
Best Board Game for 3 year olds
As children turn 3, they begin to show more interest in playing with other preschoolers. They are better equipped to follow rules and play games with family and friends. Because of this, there are many more board games for 3 year olds. Around age 3, children should be getting better at identifying colors. They should be working on developmental milestones such as ability to identify a wide range of shapes ( including some letters) and counting by reciting numbers and by determining the number of objects or items in a group or set.
2. Hi Ho! Cheery-O
Learning to count accurately is an important skill the is easily taught using games 3 year old children find fun. Hi Ho! Cheery-O is a simple board game that focuses on teaching players to count as they pick fruit and try to fill their bucket. This classic game is one of the best games for preschoolers to develop their math and counting skills.
3. Sequence for Kids
Who says that you cannot have fun and learn academic skills such as early literacy and math skills at the same time? Sequence for Kids focuses on early literacy skills by teaching children how to put events in order. It’s one of the best card games for kids to practice sequencing events. Since the cards and events all use pictures, it’s the perfect choice for kids who aren’t reading yet.
4. Busytown, Eye Found It
For fans of Richard Scary, the Busytown, Eye Found It is a great board game to help children look for details. They will develop fine motor skills along with patience and attention to detail as they browse the board looking to find the smallest of sights.
Best Board Games for 4 year olds
By age 4, children are starting to develop an understanding of how taking turns makes games more fun. They are usually developing a sense of fair play while getting better at identifying shapes, like letters and improving their counting skills. This is a great age for a cooperative game that encourages them to work together. It’s also a good time for them to learn how to lose with kindness.
5. Pete the Cat: The Missing Cupcakes
For children who love Pete the Cat, this board game is the perfect chance to bring the story to life! Pete the Cat: The missing Cupcakes is a cooperative game in which players must work together to retrieve cupcakes that have been taken by Grumpy Toad. It will encourage basic reading skills while reinforcing children’s knowledge of animals and food.
During this game, children will be singing, acting, and having fun as they work together to get back the cupcakes. Be sure to have plenty of Pete the Cat books around to go with this fun board game.
6. Chutes and Ladders
There are many classic board games for kids. One of the best is Chutes and Ladders. It doesn’t require reading, has simple rules, and is always fun. Since this game is more luck than strategy, it’s a great board game for 4 year old children to practice winning and losing with grace and kindness. The concept fo the game is simple: just twist the spinner and move your player.
While the game is designed to be simple and easy to play, those players will still learn a lot. Preschoolers will practice counting as they move and continue taking turns fairly. They will need to understand the board and follow the rules of the game. These are great concepts for preschools to learn through board games.
7. Shark Bite
Fishing games are a great way to develop fine motor control and hand-eye coordination, and Shark Bite is one of the most fun fishing games available for preschoolers. It has a bunch of colorful fish swimming inside the mouth of a shark. Players will need to fish carefully, though, since the shark’s mouth could chomp closed at any moment.
This is an action-packed game 4 year old players will laugh about for hours. It is one of many games that will encourage preschoolers to develop patience while try to snag fish without getting chomped. The concentration required is great practice for when they will need to focus on school, but just when it starts to get too serious, the shark’s mouth snaps shut sending everyone into fits of giggles.
Best Board Games for 5 year olds
5 year olds are getting ready to start school. They may be starting to read a few simple words and are likely very interested in playing with friends. This is a great time for faster-paced board games that require a bit of reading, stronger thinking skills, and more advanced hand-eye coordination.
8. Perfection
Perfection is a board game with 25 geometric shapes that requires players to match the shapes to the correct slot before time runs out. There is a constant ticking of time that speeds up as the board gets closer to popping. If all of the pieces aren’t in place before time runs out, the board will launch them into the air!
The speed and intensity of this game can be overwhelming for younger players, but by age 5 most children find this game to be a lot of fun! The rules are simple, and the game can be played solo or with a friend. The speed encourages children to take their hand-eye coordination and visual processing skills to the next level.
9. Connect Four
Connect Four is a more advanced board game that many 5 year old children will enjoy. It’s one of many classic games for kids that continues to be a great kids board game. It requires strategy and thinking ahead. Players will need to predict where their opponent will move next to defensively block that position while still trying to build their own row of four. This is a great game for children who have already mastered tic-tac-toe.
10. Robot Turtles
If you would like to expose your preschooler to computer programming, Robot Turtles is the game for them. It’s a card game that teaches the logic and thinking skills used for computer programming. It’s a fun game that the whole family will enjoy. An adult will need to help out with reading directions and getting the game started, but once children know what they are doing, this game is a great opportunity to develop your child’s logical thinking skills. Children will need to be able to identify a few basic words like “left,” “right,” and “forward” as they play this game.
11. eeBoo: I Never Forget a Face, Memory & Matching Game
Dive into a world of vibrant faces with eeBoo’s memory game. Crafted to enhance recognition and memory skills, this game is the perfect choice if you’re looking to introduce your youngsters to diverse cultures. Engage your students in a round to foster inclusivity while making learning fun!
12. Zingo!
If you thought Bingo! was just for olf folks, think again! Each player gets a pre-made bingo card with images and words on them and waits for the card dispenser to call out one of their images. Kids need to act fast when playing with multiple friends as more than one player will be gunning for the same image. Kids will learn to multi-task and identify words while playing. This is a great way to build some tension and it has a high level of replayability as a classic matching game.
13. Count Your Chickens!
The sneaky fox has let 40 little chickens escape the coup. Mama chicken is trying to get them all back before the fox strikes again! Spin the game spinner to see how far you get to move along the simple game board and if you collect or lose some chickens along the way. It is a cooperative game and players work together to try and collect all the chickens in time. It only lasts around 15 minutes but kids will be begging to try again and again!
14. Feed the Woozle
What’s a Woozle you might ask? Well, it doesn’t matter, all you need to know is he is hungry for some cooky snacks! Load up some moldy macaroni or sugary sardines on the spoon and see if you can wiggle your way to the Woozle without dropping any snacks. The spinner will tell you if you must dance, hop, or hula when approaching the hungry monster to make it more difficult. The Woozle will need 12 snacks to be happy so be extra careful to not drop any along the way because you don’t want to make the Woozle angry! It is a cooperative board game that is a firm family favorite as it can be fun for adults too.
15. Animal Upon Animal
This game is a classic and will teach preschoolers about patience and strategy. Roll the dice to see which animal you can stack and which way you can build the animal tower. Players need to get rid of all their own animals before the other players but being too hasty might make you drop a few and add to your wooden collection. It might be a preschooler game but it would be no surprise if adults beg to join in too as it is a true test of nerve and stealth. This game has a massive age range and is one of the most popular family games out there.
16. Snug as a Bug in a Rug
Spin the daily to find out which bug needs to go under the rug. Check for colors, numbers, and features, and grab a bug to put it safely under the rug. If you can’t find the bug, one of the nasty stink bugs crawl out and stink up the room. Three stink bugs are all it takes to clear out the room so try your luck to see where the spinner lands! Players work together to identify bugs and the game has three levels of difficulty to keep it challenging as children get the hang of it.
17. Travel Tumblin’ Monkeys
Inject a dose of fun into learning with Travel Tumblin’ Monkeys. This game will undoubtedly be your new favorite ally in creating vibrant and engaging learning environments. Use it as a means to develop fine motor skills and teach cause-and-effect concepts in a lively way.
18. Rhino Hero
Players get dealt roof and wall cards and take turns to stack them as indicated on the cards. The game gets harder as the tower grows taller and more unstable. A player wins if they can stack all their roof cards or if another layer knocks over the tower. You must also move the rhino here up the tower when the cards tell you to. This game requires the lightest touch and can become increasingly difficult if you use the higher-level side of the cards. it is great for preschoolers as it is easy to grasp with no reading involved.
19. Risiko Junior
Risiko Junior guarantees classroom sessions that are filled with curiosity and conquests! Simplified for use with younger learners, this game will help you develop the strategic planning and decision-making skills of even your littlest learners.
20. Dinosaur Escape
Set is a classic game of making matching stacks of three cards. The Junior edition is a little easier but still applies all the same rules. It is a great card game for preschoolers as it instills the fundamentals of all card games, rules, and strategies. Kids need to recognize patterns quickly and be able to multitask as they must look and call “set” simultaneously. The board can be flipped over for a more challenging game.
21. Goblet Gobblers
Tired of boring old tic tac toe? This game has reinvented the wheel by adding fabulously colorful game pieces and a whole new level of strategy. The gobblers stack like nesting dolls and allow players to gobble up each other’s pieces. They will need to think ahead and develop a sense of strategy to be victorious. It is great for kids of mixed ages too as everyone has a level playing field. It improves memory and spatial awareness and is a valuable game when trying to teach the concepts of winning and losing.
22. Color Go Fish!
Go Fish is a classic card game that provides hours of fun for the whole family. But if numbers and patterns on a classic deck of cards seem too overwhelming for the little ones, opt for this fun alternative. Each deck contains 48 cards of brightly colored fish that players need to match to create sets of 3. All the cards have the name of the color printed at the bottom but basic color recognition is enough to be able to play the game. It is a great way to get kids used to the concept of card games without the intimidating look of playing cards.
23. What’s The Time Mr Wolf
Tick-tock, learning never stops with “What’s The Time Mr. Wolf”. This engaging game will aid your kiddos in understanding time by inviting them to blend this knowledge with play in a seamless way.
24. Memory match Game- Summer Camp Edition
A good old-fashioned memory match game is always perfect for preschoolers. The 32 colorful round disks are robust and perfect for small hands. Pack out the discs in a grid formation or spill them on the floor randomly to make the game a little more difficult. There are 16 pairs to collect and the fun illustrations will give the kids something to talk about. Memory match games are some of the best preschool board games and their value should never be underestimated.
25. Monkey Around
This is the perfect game if you are first introducing preschoolers to board games. The money cards have various prompts that will get kids moving and shaking and giggling all around. It also comes with a plush banana that is used as a prop on some game cards. The game is complete once you have filled up the tree with completed prompts. There is no winning or losing and the aim of the game is to have fun. It might seem like the simplest game but the benefits for children are great and it allows the whole family to play a quick and easy game together.
25. Candy Land
This game needs the least introduction as most everyone played it themselves as preschoolers and it is a staple at family game nights. It is the classic board game to teach young kids how to maneuver along with a board and follow simple rules. The colorful and yummy-looking illustrations remain a hit even after more than 70 years on the market. It is also easy to set up and can give young players a great sense of independence. It will always remain a favorite game of many!
26. Dominoes
Of course, dominoes provide tons of fun when stacking them vertically and watching them tumble but it is also a great basic game to help young learners recognize and match numbers. Invest in a colorful set of bricks to make the game more vibrant and make matching numbers a little easier.
27. Rat-a-tat-cat
Of course, dominoes provide tons of fun when stacking them vertically and watching them tumble but it is also a great basic game to help young learners recognize and match numbers. Invest in a colorful set of bricks to make the game more vibrant and make matching numbers a little easier.
28. Heads Talk Tails Walk
Memory matching games or fun, but add in some crazy antics and you have a full-blown riot on your hands! Match the head and body of an animal to gain some points but the fun really starts when you mismatch some cards. Kids need to act out the movements of the animal while mimicking the sound of the head, a true test of acting abilities! As far as preschool board games go, this is one of the silliest out there.
29. Banana Blast
Memory matching games or fun, but add in some crazy antics and you have a full-blown riot on your hands! Match the head and body of an animal to gain some points but the fun really starts when you mismatch some cards. Kids need to act out the movements of the animal while mimicking the sound of the head, a true test of acting abilities! As far as preschool board games go, this is one of the silliest out there.
30. Frankie’s Food Truck Fiasco
Hungry little helpers get to fill their menu cards with all sorts of delicious treats in one of the best preschool board games on the market. Help Frankie build a yummy 5-course meal by spinning the spinner to see which shape of food is up next. It is a great way to recognize geometric shapes and connect the concept of shapes with real-life applications like food. The Frankie-shaped “tongs” that children use to grab the food cards is a great way to work little hand muscles and develop fine motor skills.
31. Hoot Owl Hoot
Another cooperative game that will teach valuable teamwork skills and strategic playing. Draw cards to move owls closer to their nest but watch out for the sun cards. Sun cards show that the sun is closer to rising and your owls are running out of time. As a team, players need to move 6 owls back to the nest for a good day’s sleep. They need to use strategy to decide which owls to move to make sure all of them get back safely.
32. Outfoxed!
Invite your pupils to join the detective trail by playing a game of OUTFOXED! This cooperative whodunit game is just the thing if you’re keen on fostering teamwork whilst developing your students’ logical reasoning. To succeed, they’ll need to devise strategies to solve thrilling mysteries.
33. Race to the Treasure
Snail’s sprint combines a whole lot of game elements. Color recognition, board game basics, guessing outcomes, and teamwork. Roll the dice to see which colorful wooden snail gets to move forward. players guess the outcome before the game starts and everyone gets a turn to roll the dice. It encourages teamwork and teaches task completion as the game is not over before the last snail crosses the checkered line.
34. Cootie
Cootie is a fun game to get kids’ creative juices flowing and is perfect for mixed ages as it doesn’t involve reading or numbers. Simply spin the spinner to see which body part you can collect. Add parts to your Cootie bug and be the first to finish a new cooky creation.
35. Don’t Break the Ice
One by one, players take turns to knock out ice blocks with a male. The more ice crumbles, the harder it becomes for Philip the Penguin to stay standing. The player that knocks out the block that lets Philip tumble will lose the game. Assembling the game takes some skill and is a great exercise in fine motor skills. Players will need to think strategically to make sure they keep Philip standing safely on the ice. It is a quick game that will quickly become a favorite board game in your house.
36. Stack with The Cat Game
Stack with The Cat Game promises hours of creativity and balancing fun. It’s an excellent tool to enhance motor skills and focus in your young learners. Its engaging setup is all you need to encourage your kiddos to think, balance, and create; fostering a classroom where learning meets fun.
37. Charades for Kids
Charades always promises heaps of fun for all ages but it can be hard to involve non-reading preschoolers if the concepts aren’t clearly illustrated. Charades for kids solves this problem by adding colorful illustrations to the cards but also giving various word prompts to choose from if some children are able to read.
38. Spot It!
Players are prompted to match animals on their own cards to the animals on a card in the center of the table. It is a game about lightning-quick reflexes and encourages kids to use their vocabulary. There are various ways to play the game giving it a high level of replayability. It is an excellent way to broaden a young one’s vocabulary and promote visual perception. It is a game for kids but can quickly be turned into a family board game providing fun for all.
39. There’s a Yeti In My Spaghetti
Use your noodle to keep the yeti sitting pretty on top of a stack of spaghetti! The game is simple, fast, and fun. The curly noodles make it even more difficult to pull them out from under the yeti but steady hands will win the game. Up to four players can enjoy this game and it seems to never get old as kids get to develop their fine motor skills along with the quirky concept.
40. Lucky Ducks
This colorful game combines memory matching and a classic carnival game for some all-around good times. Players have to match their color and shape to the ducks moving around in the pond. The ducks have matching shapes on their bellies and it gets tricky as they constantly change their positions. It is great for kids with lover fine motor skills as the larger game pieces are much easier to handle than playing cards.
Conclusion
No matter which age your preschooler currently is, board games are a great way to get them learning while having fun. The best ones are those that will teach your child to take turns while helping them develop early literacy and math skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should kids be introduced to board games?
The age of 3 is a great time to introduce kids to board games. Some games are appropriate for kids as young as 2 but at 3 they start to grasp the concepts of rules and teamwork. They are also more verbal and can communicate their ideas and frustrations better. By that age, they are also ready to follow instructions and understand how to complete tasks.
Why are board games good for preschoolers?
The benefits of board games at an early age are unlimited and it is the easiest way to encourage learning at a young age. Kids get to explore shapes, colors, numbers, and letters all while developing fine motor skills, working on reaction times, and developing social skills. It helps with hand-eye coordination and forms building blocks for more complicated gameplay in the future. Boardgames for preschoolers offer healthy early brain development and introduce the concepts of teamwork, winning, and losing.