The best board games for kids to add to your next family night

Who says family game nights can’t be educational too? There are tons of kids' board games that can be fun and help your kiddos learn important skills like strategizing and decision-making. Our editors have searched high and low to find some of the best board games for kids in the market.

No matter your child's age, we have options from games for 6-year-olds where they can build entire settlements, to board games for kindergarten kids where they can learn counting. Your kids will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize they’re learning.

Take a look at our editors' top picks. You’ll find your next family game night favorite that will have everyone enjoying themselves.

Read more: Shop our list of kid's cameras

Browse the top children's board games

Best card game for kids

Sushi Go Card Game

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$9.99 at Target

Best for developing motor skills

Pressman Let's Go Fishin' Deluxe Game

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$7.97 at Amazon

Best for 5 year olds and up

Monopoly Junior Game

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$22.97 at Walmart

Best for kids aged 6 and up

Asmodee Catan Junior Family Strategy Board Game

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$22.97 at Walmart

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Best card game for kids

Sushi Go Card Game

$11.99

$9.99 at Target

$11.33 at Amazon

Specifications

• Number of players: 2-5 (Age 8+)

• Learning area: creative thinking, probability, strategy

Pros & Cons

• Easy to travel with

• Fast-paced

• Easy to learn

• Can be repetitive

• Some complaints about vague rules

Sushi Go is a fast-paced card game that’s great for elementary students. It is a pick-and-pass game that requires strategy and memory. The goal is to be a sushi master by picking the perfect combos of sushi and scoring as many points as you can with your combos.

The game itself is easy to learn and usually only takes a couple of plays to get the rules down. Gameplay is typically about 15 minutes per round. Your kids can get a lot of rounds in for one sitting, making it great for rainy days or downtime at summer camp.

As a card game, it’s one of the many fun board games for kids when you’re on a long road trip. They’ll spend hours trying to outwit each other and learn to use creative thinking to create their combos. It also has a high rating, which shows that many customers are happy with their purchase.

Best for developing motor skills

Pressman Let's Go Fishin' Deluxe Game

$7.99

$7.97 at Amazon

$7.99 at Target

Specifications

• Number of players: 1-6 (Age 4+)

• Learning area: Fine motor skills, shapes, colors

Pros & Cons

• Great for motor skills

•  Has nostalgia factor

• Can keep kids occupied for awhile

• AAA batteries not included

• Can be frustrating if it’s hard for kids to catch fish

Many parents have their favorite classic board games, and this is likely one of them. This version of Let’s Go Fishin’ has been upgraded with more fish so more players can join, or your child can spend more time playing.

The concept is simple - all you have to do is catch the most fish with your mini pole to win. It’s great for helping kids learn motor skills, as well as how to identify colors and shapes. It’s one of the best games for kindergartners to apply what they’re learning in class.

The game board rotates quite quickly, which can make it more challenging for younger players to catch fish. However, it can also help them learn how to wait and to share when other kids join in.

Best for 5 year olds and up

Monopoly Junior Game

$22.97

$22.97 at Walmart

Specifications

• Number of players: 2-4 (Age 5+)

• Learning area: counting, basic math, strategic thinking

Pros & Cons

• Short gameplay

• Kid’s twist on a classic game

• Simple to learn

• Can get boring for older kids

• Might be too easy for older kids

Monopoly has always been a favorite during family game night and this version for younger kids lets everyone in the house play. Among board games for five-year-olds, it’s a top pick and a good introduction to Monopoly.

It’s just like the adult version but with single dollars and kid-friendly locations. Gameplay is also a bit shorter to keep younger children engaged. It is one of the best board games for kindergarteners.

The concept is the same as the original version. Kids buy property and collect rent while drawing chance cards and when someone goes bankrupt, the player with the most money left wins. It’s accessible and exciting, making it one of the best games for kids.

Best for kids aged 6 and up

Asmodee Catan Junior Family Strategy Board Game

You save $12.02 (34.35%)

$22.97$34.99

$22.97 at Walmart

$27.99 at Amazon

Specifications

• Number of players: 2-4 (Age 6+)

• Learning area: abstract math, strategic thinking

Pros & Cons

• Fun pirate theme

• Simplified gameplay

• Great for families

• Could get boring

• Harder to build settlements with more players

If you’re a big fan of Settlers of Catan, then this junior version will be a great addition to game night. Catan Junior has a ring of tropical isles that kids must use to collect resources like wood and goats so they can expand their settlements. The first player with seven lairs wins. 

It’s great for families and one of the best board games for six-year-olds since it teaches them strategy. Plus, the fun pirate theme will appeal to all kids. 

With the game’s simplified format, it should only take about 10 to 15 minutes to learn and the resource cards are easy to understand. It moves rather quickly, which is good when playing board games for six-year-olds. Once your kids have mastered it, they’ll be ready to move on to one of the many other versions of Catan.

Best for 8 years old and up

Ticket to Ride Board Game

$47.99

$47.99 at Walmart

$47.99 at Target

Specifications

• Number of players: 2-5 (Age 8+)

• Learning area: social skills, creative thinking, decision making

Pros & Cons

• Builds decision making skills

• Easy to learn

• Great for families

• Can get complicated

• Cards are small and can be easy to lose

All aboard this epic journey board game! It’s a great game for older kiddos to learn strategy and decision-making as they build and run train routes from iconic destinations in North America. They earn points by claiming routes and building the longest ones, but can also lose them if they don’t complete a route to the destination on their tickets. It’s one of the best board games for eight-year-olds and up, so the whole family can get involved.

Gameplay can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, and the more players you have, the more challenging the game becomes. It’s one of those board games kids will get fully into and it’ll bring out their competitive side.

Best board game for the whole family

Apples to Apples Junior Kids Game

$24.90

$24.90 at Walmart

Specifications

• Number of players: 4-8 (Age 9+)

• Learning area: vocabulary, thinking skills

Pros & Cons

• Best family game

• Good for creative thinking

• Builds social skills

• No pictures on the cards

• Can be difficult for some kids

Apples to Apples is a popular party game and this kid-friendly version can involve the whole family. The rules are the same, where a Judge picks a green card with a word and everyone has to pick a word from their red cards that they think best matches it. They then must convince the judge to choose their word as the best match. The first player with four cards wins. 

You’re guaranteed to have laughs and hours of fun, making it not only one of the best kids' games, but one of the best family games.

All of the words are child-appropriate, making it a good choice when multiple generations sit down to play. However, it could be tough for younger kiddos to pick up, especially since there are no pictures on the cards to help them out with unfamiliar words.

Best strategy game

Connect 4 Spin Game

$15.89

$15.89 at Amazon

$17.26 at Walmart

Specifications

• Number of players: 2 (Age 8+)

• Learning area: hand-eye coordination, strategic thinking, visual motor skills

Pros & Cons

• Constantly changing gameplay

• New twist on an old classic

• Great for visual motor skills

• Can get confusing

• Might not suit younger players

This game is a new twist on one of the most popular board games for kids out there. It’s not the Connect 4 of yesteryear. While the way to win is the same - the first person to connect four pieces vertically, horizontally or diagonally wins - the game is on a spinning grid. That means things can change in an instant. Also, each player gets one weighted disc that they can use at any time to shift the playing pieces. 

Because of its complexity, it’s not recommended for younger players. However, it’s one of the best board games that 8-year-olds can play. It’ll keep them on their toes with the unpredictable gameplay and it could be one of the new favorite kid board games at your house.

Which board game for kids gets our vote?

All the games on our list would make great additions to your weekly game night. They’ll keep your kiddos having fun for hours. However, if we had to choose the best kids' board games, these would be our top picks:

• Monopoly Junior Game: Monopoly is an absolute classic and this junior version is a good way to introduce it to your kids. It’s easy to understand and they’ll love buying up properties like ice cream shops and swimming pools.

• Apples to Apples Junior Kids Game: Apples to Apples is a barrel of laughs, so your children will definitely love this kid-friendly version. It’ll help build their communication skills and create a whole slew of family inside jokes. 

Whichever board game you choose, you’ll spice up family game night. So pick a favorite and start playing.

Prices updated on 11/29/2023. We are not responsible for any changes to the prices mentioned above.