THE BEST BOARD GAMES FOR LITTLE KIDS

So, your littles have been officially schooling you on Hi, Ho Cherry O! for a few years now. They’re whooping you fair and square at Sequence for Kids. And, you keep going bankrupt in Monopoly Junior. It’s time to up your game—literally—in the toy closet.

Do not pass Go! Do not collect $100. Go through this list and add these family games for little kids to your arsenal. We’ve done all the research on the best board games for little kids, so if your minis are ready to level up, THIS is the list for you. 

Also check out the list of the Best Board Games for Kindergarteners.

CATAN JUNIOR BOARD GAME

For all the Catan lovers out there, it’s finally time to introduce your littles to the game you can’t get enough of. Explore the Seas Catan Junior is a modified version of the classic strategy game that allows players as young as five an introduction to the world of Catan.

Catan Junior takes place on a ring of islands where players build hideouts, including the mysterious Spooky Island, where the Ghost Captain lives. Each player starts with two pirate hideouts and then uses their resources to build ships and expand their network. Be the first player to control seven pirate hideouts and win the game!

TICKET TO RIDE FIRST JOURNEY BOARD GAME 

With simplified rules, Ticket to Ride First Journey is the perfect way to introduce young players to the classic game of cross-country travel. Like in the original version, players collect train cards, claim routes, and connect routes coast-to-coast. 

However, in this version, the routes are shorter, and the game ends when one player completes six tickets, claiming the golden ticket as their prize.

Climb aboard, travelers! Your incredible first journey awaits.

QWIRKLE

Simple to learn, yet strategic and exciting to play, Qwirkle is a favorite for all ages, especially kids six and up! Build lines of tiles that are all the same color or shape with no duplicates. Score big by placing a tile that touches multiple pieces with matching attributes. Score even BIGGER by creating a Qwirkle by creating a line of six in a row.

Qwirkle one of the best board games for little kids because it reinforces so many skills: color recognition, shape recognition, math strategy, and problem-solving. Plus, you’ll love watching your child become more competitive as they play this game over time.

CONNECT 4 GAME

We know you’ve been waiting to see Connect 4 on one of these games lists, and its time has finally arrived. The goal of this game is simply to get four discs of the same color in a row, whether stacking the discs upwards, horizontally or diagonally. The first one to do this wins!

That classic version of this game is a good start with little kids, but once they’re ready to up the competition, this version offers new ways to play, including blue blocker discs and a pop-out feature to release a disc from the bottom of the grid.

5 SECOND RULE JUNIOR

It may seem like it would be easy to name three kinds of cereal or three farm animals, but can you do it in five seconds with the other players staring at you? That’s a lot of pressure, which might make for some super silly answers! But that’s part of the fun – all the players will enjoy the laughs from playing 5 Second Rule Jr, a younger version of the classic family game.

The came includes a fun twister timer that counts down with metal balls and makes fun noises. Keep score by moving along the board – the first one to the finish line wins!