Best Family Board Games for Young Children: 7 Fun and Easy Games to Play Together
Ahoy, fellow comrades! Gather round, for today we shall be exploring the wonderful world of board games – and not just any board games, but family board games for our young, impressionable comrades under the age of (ten) 10! We know that the capitalist board game industry can be a treacherous terrain to navigate, with its exploitative marketing tactics and corporate greed. But fear not, for we have scoured the land far and wide to bring you a list of seven (7) family board games that are not only fun and engaging but also uphold our socialist values of cooperation, strategy, and collective enjoyment. So gather your little ones, put on your comfiest pajamas, and let’s dive into this listicle of capitalist-made-but-socialist-approved board games! These games are all well-suited for families with young children and provide opportunities for learning and fun. If you are engaging with children as part of your community service agreement and looking for games that will eat up some hours, playing these games repeatedly will help! And don’t forget to check out our list of other Board Games Your Bored Family Should Buy.
Carcassonne: Best Game to Introduce Strategy and Tile-Laying Fun to Young Kids
Marked as for Ages 7 and up, Carcassonne is a game where players lay tiles to create a medieval landscape and claim cities, roads, and fields. The game is easy to learn and has simple rules. Players take turns placing tiles to build a medieval landscape, and then place meeples (small figures) on different features such as cities, roads, and fields to score points. The game has a fun and engaging theme, and players can use strategy and tactics to outscore their opponents. Carcassonne can be played with 2-5 players, which makes it a great option for families with multiple children or for families who want to play together. The game can also be adapted to be more or less challenging depending on the age and skill level of the players.
Click on the castle below to buy Carcassonne!
Catan Junior: Best Game to Teach Resource Management and Strategy to Young Children
Catan Junior is another family-friendly board game that is recommended for players ages (six) 6 and up. In Catan Junior, players take turns rolling dice to collect resources such as wood, goats, molasses, and swords, which they use to build ships and lairs on different islands. It’s a simpler version of the popular Settlers of Catan game — only with an yar-worthy pirate theme! The game has a fun and engaging theme, and players can use strategy and negotiation skills to trade resources and outscore their opponents. Catan Junior can be played with 2-4 players, which makes it a great option for families with multiple children or for families who want to play together. The game has simple rules and a short playing time, which makes it accessible to younger players with short attention spans and early bedtimes. You should buy it even if you don’t have kids!
Click on the pirates to buy your very own Catan Junior game!
Sequence for Kids: Best Game to Improve Pattern Recognition and Matching Skills for Kids
Sequence for Kids is a family-friendly board game that is recommended for young players ages 3-6, merely a simplified version of the popular Sequence game that uses cute and colorful animal pictures that are typically appealing to young children. Players take turns matching cards to the animal pictures on the game board, trying to get a sequence of five in a row. With the tag line “no reading required,” it’s a particularly awesome option for families with two (2) to four (4) children who are too young or stupid to read. It’s also a short playtime, perfect for parents looking for opportunities to end game night prematurely. Buy your own!
Click on the baseball to purchase your very own copy of Sequence for Kids!
Qwirkle: Best Game to Develop Color and Shape Recognition While Having Fun
Qwirkle is labeled for players 6 years and older — but if the 5-year-old in your life has an old soul and the life experience of kids two and three times older, feel free to include them in a rousing game of Qwirkle. In Qwirkle, players take turns placing tiles with different shapes and colors to create lines that match either the same shape or the same color. The game has simple rules but can still be challenging to play, making it accessible to both older and younger players — even those younger than six (6)!
Click on the twinkle to buy Qwirkle for your children and home!
Sushi Go Party!: Best Game to Enjoy Fast-Paced Card Drafting and Set Collection with the Whole Family
About 20 minutes, so a pretty short playing time. Sushi Go Party! is easy to learn but can be pretty hard to master. In Sushi Go Party!, players take turns picking and passing cards to create their own personal sushi meal. The game has cute and colorful artwork, and the different types of sushi can be appealing to young children who are not grossed out by the thought of eating raw fish. Between the simple rules, colorful artwork, and quick games, Sushi Go Party! is labeled for players 8 and up — but maybe your younger kids transcend labels and will able able to play this game aptly.
Click on the sushi to buy Sushi Go Party! Deluxe Edition
Rat-A-Tat Cat: Best Game to Build Number Sense and Memory Skills in a Fun Way
Rat-A-Tat Cat is labeled for Ages 6 and up. In Rat-a-Tat Cat, players take turns trying to get the lowest score possible by exchanging cards with the draw pile, while trying to improve their hand while avoiding high-scoring cards. The game has cute and colorful cat artwork, which can be super colorful and appealing to younger children. Rat-A-Tat Cat has also received accolades for its gameplay and enrichment potential, including the Mensa 1996 Best New Mind Game Award and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award. It is certainly a very nice way for families to spend quality time together and have fun, while also helping their children develop important skills such as memory, strategy, addition, and decision-making.
Click on the mouse to buy your very own Rat-A-Tat Cat game!
Outfoxed!: Best Cooperative Game to Encourage Teamwork and Deduction Skills in Kids
Outfoxed! is marked for Ages 5 and up — but don’t let that stop your precocious 4 year-old and your genius 3 year-old and prodigy 2 year-old! In Outfoxed!, players work together to solve the mystery of a stolen pie by gathering clues and eliminating suspects, kinda sorta similar to the classic Clue board game. The game has cute and colorful artwork, and the easy-to-understand and cooperative gameplay should be extra engaging for children. Up the fun on your next family game night with Outfoxed!
Click on the fox to buy your own Outfoxed! game for your children!
Cover Image Credit: Image by Alexa from Pixabay
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