Summer vacation is just around the corner, and while it’s exciting for kids to have extended breaks from school, it’s not always easy to keep them entertained as they settle into a routine of being home 24/7, boredom can quickly set in. That’s why it’s essential to have some fun and engaging activities up your sleeve. One great way to do this is by introducing them to the world of board games.
Not only are they a fantastic way to spend quality time together, but they also help develop important skills like strategic thinking, problem-solving, and social interaction. If you’re looking for some great options to play with kids aged 5-6, here are some top picks that are sure to be a hit.
Perfection
Perfection, a high-energy game, can captivate your kids and leave them craving more. The thrill of racing against the clock to fit puzzle pieces into place before time runs out is an unbeatable combination. This fast-paced game excels at developing young children’s fine motor skills, making it an ideal activity for their cognitive development. As the timer counts down, the anticipation builds – will they fit all the pieces together in time?
The rush of excitement peaks when the clock strikes zero and the puzzle pieces are ejected, a thrilling conclusion that leaves kids eager to play again.
Ticket to Ride
Board games have evolved significantly from the traditional snakes and ladders. If you’re seeking an engaging and thrilling experience for your young children, we recommend Ticket to Ride, a standalone game that offers a unique adventure. Unlike its predecessor, Ticket to Ride doesn’t require the original version to play; instead, claim six tickets to emerge victorious. Embark on a thrilling train journey across America, and discover the excitement of this iconic board game.
Pretty Princesses
For young princesses, Pretty Princesses is an ideal gift that offers hours of fun and excitement. The game’s objective is straightforward: collect all the jewelry pieces in the various Disney princess colors until one player has gathered them all. This entertaining board game can be enjoyed by 2 to 4 players who take turns racing to win. Players can choose from four beloved characters – Aurora, Belle, Tiana, and Jasmine – each with their unique charm.
However, beware of the mischievous cursed ring that can hinder a player’s chances of winning if they’re not careful. Will your little princess emerge victorious and claim the title of ultimate Pretty Princesses champion?
Zingo
Developing young minds is the primary goal of Zingo, a brain-stimulating game designed to challenge and hone cognitive skills in children. As kids play Zingo, they’ll cultivate their linguistic abilities and become word whizzes. What’s more, this engaging game is incredibly easy to grasp, making it accessible for multiple players – up to seven can participate simultaneously.
Invite some friends over and give your child a day filled with fun, social learning, as they cooperate and compete in this thrilling experience.
Candy Land
Embark on a nostalgic adventure through the whimsical world of CandyLand, where vibrant illustrations and adorable pawns bring childhood magic to life. As you navigate the kingdom’s winding path, guide your chosen pawns towards the majestic castle, unlocking sweet victories along the way. With its timeless charm, Candy Land is an ideal bonding experience for families to share with their little ones, fostering imagination and playful moments that will be treasured forever.
Hedbanz
For younger players, HedBanz Junior Family Board Game stands out as a thrilling experience for family gatherings. With its unique approach, this game is perfect for sparking excitement during family nights in. What’s more, the game is inclusive and engaging for kids aged five and up, making it an ideal choice for intergenerational play.
Unlike traditional board games, HedBanz Junior doesn’t rely on a physical board; instead, players wear a band with cards featuring animals and ask YES or NO questions to guess which creature is depicted on their opponent’s card.
Yeti in My Spaghetti
Imagine the laughter and excitement of your kids when they discover ‘Yeti in my Spaghetti’ – a game that’s sure to become this summer’s go-to activity. The charm lies in its simplicity, yet it’s incredibly engaging. As you play, you’ll find yourself unable to stop once you’ve started. nThe gameplay is reminiscent of Jenga, where players carefully balance the noodles provided with the game to keep the Yeti from taking an unplanned dip.
This delightful game is perfect for younger children, encouraging social interaction and gentle competition.
Game of Life
The Game of Life is a timeless favorite that’s easy to learn and enjoyable for kids of all ages. Players navigate their 3D car-shaped pawns across the board, relying on the roll of dice to determine their journey, which might take them to exciting destinations like museums, zoos, or beaches. As players complete simple tasks indicated on action cards, they earn stars. The first player to collect 10 stars wins, making it a game that’s accessible and fun for everyone, regardless of skill level.
This classic board game is perfect for family game nights, parties with teenagers, or any social gathering where you want to have some friendly competition and quality time together.
Enchanted Forest
While Monopoly and Snakes and Ladders are indeed popular choices among board games for kids, there’s a hidden gem that will transport your little ones on a thrilling adventure through an enchanted realm. Imagine joining them on a magical treasure hunt, weaving tales of old, and creating unforgettable memories together. The Enchanted Forest game is more than just a fun way to spend quality time with your kids – it’s an immersive experience that sparks their imagination and encourages creativity.
By working together to uncover the treasure’s hiding spots and being the first to reveal its location, you’ll be crafting a special bonding moment that will stay with them for years to come.
The Floor is Lava
Imagine a board game that not only brings people together but also gets you moving. Enter The Floor is Lava, an exciting game that challenges players to jump from one safe zone to another while navigating the treacherous landscape of molten lava. This thrilling experience is perfect for family game nights, as it encourages physical activity and laughter among loved ones.
Mermaid Island
In today’s era, family night board games have evolved from mere entertainment to a valuable learning experience. Games like Mermaid Island not only provide endless hours of fun but also offer an excellent opportunity to teach kids essential skills such as strategy and social interaction. The game’s unique blend of simplicity and engagement makes it accessible to young players, while its awards and recognition ensure that it remains a top choice among families.
Specifically, Mermaid Island has earned the prestigious Good Housekeeping’s Best Toy Award, further solidifying its reputation as a must-have for family game nights.
Charades for Kids
Charades is a beloved game that transcends borders and demographics, allowing anyone to participate regardless of their location or social circle. What makes Charades so special? Its adaptability! You can start a game at any time, anywhere, and involve as many people as you like. It’s the perfect way to kill time or create lasting memories with family and friends. The same charm applies to Charades for Kids, an inclusive and entertaining experience suitable for families of all ages.
With three levels of difficulty on each card, younger and older kids can play together, fostering a sense of unity and friendly competition. What’s more, the game is accessible even for those who aren’t yet readers, thanks to the visual aids that come with easy-to-understand picture clues.
Sequence
For young minds, the temptation to interact with a sequence game can be overwhelming. In fact, my own kids become easily frustrated when they’re told not to touch our go-to sequence board. It’s precisely this demand for hands-on involvement that makes this exceptional kid-friendly sequence board an ideal solution. Not only does it allow your little ones to join in on the fun while you play with friends, but the engaging animal theme and cards ensure a seamless learning experience.
Monopoly Junior
While I have a special affinity for Monopoly, I acknowledge that its original rules can be daunting for younger players. This is where Monopoly Junior shines – it’s an excellent way to introduce kids to cooperative board gaming while nurturing their math skills. What sets this version apart is its unique blend of fun and educational value. Players can navigate the game using 3D tokens featuring endearing characters like Scottie, Hazel, a toy car, and even Mr Monopoly’s iconic top hat.
As they move around the board, kids can build exciting places such as a zoo, a theater, or gaming arcade, all while developing essential math skills in a collaborative environment.
Wild Kratts
If you’re looking for a game that’s perfect for kids aged five and above, Wild Kratts might be the way to go. This high-energy game is designed to be competitive, so be prepared for some lively noises as the players work together to collect Creature Power Suit cards. These special cards are essential to winning the game, so it’s no surprise that you’ll hear loud cheers and excited chatter as the boys in the game strive to collect them all.
Mousetrap
In the iconic board game Mousetrap, players take on the challenge of navigating their mouse character safely across the finish line while simultaneously attempting to thwart their opponent’s progress. The ultimate objective is to successfully guide your mouse through the course without getting caught in one of the many cleverly designed traps, all while working to impede the other player’s efforts and emerge victorious.
Outfoxed
Unleash your child’s inner sleuth by embarking on a thrilling adventure of clues, deduction, and strategy. Outfoxed is an engaging game that challenges young minds to think critically and make quick decisions, narrowing down the list of suspects until the culprit is caught. This stimulating activity is perfect for fostering strategic thinking in children aged 5 and above, making it an essential addition to any parent’s collection.
Robot Turtles
Robot Turtles is an innovative brain and logic-based game specifically crafted for future coding enthusiasts. By leveraging critical thinking skills, this engaging game fosters a deeper understanding of programming concepts in a manner that’s both enjoyable and accessible. With its unique design, Robot Turtles empowers children aged four and above to create their own programming rules using cards, providing a sense of accomplishment as they progress and develop their coding abilities.
Risk Junior
Risk Junior’s Pirate theme is an engaging way to keep your little ones entertained for hours on end. By incorporating strategic gameplay, this edition of Risk is ideal for fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills in children as players navigate the board, they’ll have the opportunity to utilize 3D ship tokens to claim treasure and compete against one another.
The game’s unique press, launch, and roll dice mechanic adds an extra layer of excitement, allowing kids to get fully immersed in the swashbuckling adventure.
Clue Junior
For kids with an insatiable thirst for solving mysteries, clue games are a fantastic way to keep them engaged. The ‘Broken Toy Mystery’ is a unique twist on traditional clue-solving, as players must work together to uncover which toy has been broken, who was responsible, and at what time it happened. This multiplayer game is perfect for family game nights, encouraging collaboration and problem-solving skills while having fun.
Stone Soup
Stone Soup, a captivating matching memory game for 5-year-olds, is sure to spark joy and excitement. To get started, set up the game with your little ones and engage in a playful experience that fosters understanding and teamwork. As you play together, they’ll soon develop the skills and confidence to take on their friends, creating unforgettable moments of laughter and fun.
As they master the game’s unique mechanics, teach them the crucial strategies: using fire out cards to extinguish flames and introducing magic stones to remove these cards. The ultimate goal is to successfully match cards and create a delectable soup – a true victory in this delightful game.
Don’t Break The Ice
Assembling Don’t Break The Ice requires a level of maturity, but once you’ve set up the game for kids, they’ll become completely absorbed; it’s incredibly captivating. The objective is to protect the ice block containing the penguin and prevent the penguin from taking an unfortunate tumble down. If a player allows their penguin to fall, they’ll be eliminated from the game.
Chutes and Ladders
Transforming the classic Chutes and Ladders into an electrifying experience with the Marvel Universe as its backdrop – who wouldn’t be thrilled? Imagine racing to the 100th square, guided by iconic superheroes like Spiderman, White Tiger, Power Man, Black Cat, Green Goblin, and Rhino. The opportunity to embody your favorite superhero and outdo your friends in a high-stakes game of skill and strategy is undoubtedly an exhilarating prospect.
And what’s more – this beloved board game is universally recognized, making it the perfect addition to any family game night gathering.
Scrabble Junior
Unlike its adult counterpart, Scrabble Junior is a more lighthearted and entertaining experience that’s designed for 2-4 players. The gameplay revolves around letter-matching crosswords and adorable 3D tokens, providing a fun and engaging experience for children. As your child grows and develops their vocabulary skills, the game can be adapted to move them up to an advanced level, making it an excellent choice for kids as they progress in their linguistic abilities.
Bug’s in the kitchen
In the fast-paced world of kitchen bugs, children are challenged to think strategically under pressure to trap these pesky insects. The objective of the game is to roll the die and create a path towards the trap, showcasing problem-solving skills. One of the unique aspects of this game is that kids can develop an attachment to the bug, making it an engaging toy outside of game time.
Moreover, the high-quality components ensure that the bug remains durable, lasting over a hundred games and providing countless hours of entertainment.
Blokus
Blokus is a game that puts your cognitive abilities and rapid decision-making skills to the test. Its simplicity makes it accessible to everyone, making it an ideal choice for family gatherings or friendly get-togethers. The objective is straightforward: secure as many blocks of your designated color on the board as possible. As you strategically place each block, you’ll be working to safeguard your territory from potential encroachment by opponents.
Ultimately, having a diverse array of colors on the board will prove crucial in protecting your claimed space.
Rhino Hero
Rhino Hero lets kids unleash their creativity by building towering skyscrapers that can wobble precariously or even battle superheroes in an epic quest for dominance. But beware – a roll of the die with a -1 value could send your structure tumbling down, setting you back a floor or two from the top. This clever game not only entertains kids for hours on end but also fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Ultimately, board games like Rhino Hero offer a wealth of benefits for young minds, including enhanced cognitive development, social skills, and emotional intelligence. To ensure your child has a blast with any given game, it’s essential to consider their unique interests, themes, likes, and dislikes when selecting the perfect match.