Our five year old has finally gotten into board games, and it makes playtime much more fun! I love a good game night and love that I’m sharing it with her. At five, Etta Mae hasn’t quite figured out much in the way of strategy, but she has a blast playing. Of course, she hates losing and playing games has given us the opportunity to work on how to lose (and win) gracefully. Board games are a great way to teach kids critical thinking, cooperation and sportsmanship.
Here are a few of our family favorites:
Hoot Owl Hoot
Ages: 4-8
Players: 2-4
We love Peaceable Kingdom games at our house! This is one of their cooperative style games. The players work together to get the owls to the nest before the sun comes up. Have fun strategizing with each other to beat the game. Even better, this award-winning game is made with natural and recycled ingredients and comes in frustration-free packaging! Other Peaceable Kingdom games we like are Race to the Treasure and The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game
Match It! Spelling Memory
Ages: 3+
Players: 2+
Who doesn’t like a game that combines fun with learning? This is not your traditional matching game. Using memory and problem solving, you’ll find matches to complete words. My kindergartner loves this game and I love that it helps her with letter recognition and spelling!
Djeco Mini Nature Game
Ages: 4-7
Players: 2-4
This fun version of the traditional Happy Families game features gorgeous illustrations. It’s a quick fun game. My daughter often asks to play it before school. Djeco makes several styles of this game with different types of illustrations, but they’re all beautiful!
Silly Street
Ages: 4+
Players: 2+
If you like games that will get you up on your feet and make you giggle like crazy, Silly Street is the game for you! Your shy kids will come right out of their shells to get in on the fun. This game can also be played on the go by taking the Silly Street Cards with you!
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For Older Kids and Adults:
Sequence
Ages: 7+
Players: 2-12
I’m very competitive, so games like Sequence are right up my alley. I love games with strategy to keep my mind sharp and fend off mommy-brain! This is also a great game to play as a family. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like it!
Ticket to Ride
Ages: 8+
Players: 2-5
I was introduced to Ticket to Ride after a friend received it for Christmas and invited us over for game night. It was a blast! The objective is to build railway routes across the US and Canada. You can block your competitors’ routes and use several strategies to score the most points. We played with adults only, but This would be a great game for upper elementary or older kids.
