BEST Board Games for Kids That Won't Make You Run and Hide!

Find a few new board games to add to the family game night closet. Children and Parents alike will love this collection of the best unique and popular board games for kids and families.

This list of board games for kids, listed by age group from toddlers to teens, includes educational games, cooperative games where everyone plays to win, games of logic and strategy, and games that will help you learn a bit more about the members of your family, games that will make you laugh until your sides split, and games that will make you burst into song!

I have always been a HUGE fan of family games, and board games for kids are no exception. I grew up playing games of all kinds with my three brothers, including some of the best board games.

As an adult, my husband and I spent over a year traveling in a motorhome before marriage. And that means we had lots of time to find and play new and classic board games on the road. Our only fight the entire trip? A blowout over the rules of Backgammon before we even started playing. True story.

Today we are still happily married and have enjoyed discovering new and unique board games to share with our daughter and some of our favorite classics.

Picture showing best board games for kids included on this list of family games.

Unique Popular Games for Kids and Families

We searched far and wide to find unique popular board games for kids that even parents will enjoy. Although there are probably games on this list you already know, we hope to help you discover a NEW game or two to add to the family game closet!

This list of board games does not include some of the classic family games we all know and love. Sorry, the game of Monopoly is one of the best board games ever, but you won’t find it on the list below.

And you won’t find the Game of Life, Connect 4, Rummikub, Clue, or Sorry! I know they are some of the best family games ever, but we want to show you a few new games for every age group so you can find a new classic board game to play.

This list of fun ideas also doesn’t contain nauseating kids’ games that make you cringe the second your child asks you to play with them. Nope, no Candyland or retro Shoots and Ladders here. I know they can be fun for kids, but they make me want to run and hide as a parent. And I know I’m not alone.

Instead, you will find new and unique popular board games, a cool dice game, a funny card game, and even a few fun party games, including a game that will make everyone burst into song!

These games for kids are listed according to the manufacturer’s recommended ages from youngest to oldest, so you can easily find the perfect games for toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-aged kids, tweens, and teens.

square image of best family game ideas included in this round-up

Best Board Games for Toddlers

My First Orchard

Here is a simplified version of the classic orchard game for kids adapted to suit toddlers ages two and up. My First Orchard is a cooperative game where players must work together to save the harvested fruit.

Acorn Soup – Game for You and Your 2-Year-Old

Help your toddler learn to take turns and follow rules as you help Squirrel.

The Best Board Games for Preschoolers Ages 3 and Up

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel (Ages 3 and up)

Sneak in the fun of learning colors with the award-winning Sneaky, Snacky, Squirrel Game. Your forest friends are hungry and they need your help. Be the first to fill your log with delicious acorns and you win!

Board Games for Preschoolers Ages 4 and Up

Count Your Chickens (Ages 3 and up)

This cooperative farm counting game for kids can empower young learners and teach kids that playing together can be fun! Cooperative games can help children share disunion-making and problem-solving so everyone wins!

Hoot Owl Hoot (Ages 4 and up)

Hoot Owl Hoot is a color-coded cooperative matching game with two play levels that will grow with your child. Help all the owls get home before the sun rises, and everyone wins!

Enchanted Forrest Children’s Game (ages four and up — updated from the classic version)

A magical treasure hunt game in the land of fairy tales! Roll the dice and round the board, peaking at treasures hidden in the Enchanted Forest along the way. Be the first player to find the treasures the king seeks, and the kingdom is yours!

Best Board Games for Children Ages 5 and Up

Race to the Treasure (Ages 5 and up)

Players try to beat the Ogre to the treasure by creating a path from Start to End. Along the way, they must collect three keys to open the treasure. If players strategize, cooperate, and build a path together before the Ogre gets there, they all win!

Mermaid Island (Ages 5 and up)

In this children’s board game, players work together to help the Mermaids swim to Mermaid Island before the Sea Witch gets there. Spin and move, pick up a wand, and get the power to defeat the Sea Witch! If the mermaids get to the island safely, everyone wins!

Rivers, Roads, and Rails (Ages 5 and up)

Rivers, Roads & Rails is a transportation-themed card-matching game that puts kids in the driver’s seat. Players build an ever-changing transportation network that includes rivers, roads, and railroad tracks on which ships, cars, and trains can move freely. Each card must connect perfectly to the next, providing the proper pathway for the vehicles to travel.

Blokus (Ages 5 and up)

Gather the family around the game table for this easy-to-learn favorite. Players place pieces on the game board, each starting from their corner. Each new piece must touch at least one other piece of the same color, but only at the corners! The goal is to get rid of all your pieces. The game ends when all players are blocked from laying down any more of their pieces.

The Secret Door (Ages 5 and up)

Valuables have been stolen, and players have to find them before midnight. Together they search through the mansion for clues. Because of the cooperative principle, everyone is part of a team that discusses ideas and shares strategies. Each game is different, exciting, and tricky. That’s why adults like playing along!

Best Games for Kids Ages 6 and Up

Qwirkle Board Game (Ages 6 and up)

This is a fun family game with easy-to-follow rules and is great for younger players. The rules of the game of Qwirkle are basic: simply build lines by matching tiles based on either color or shape and score points for doing so. Parents and children alike will love this engaging and mentally challenging game for the whole family.

Poop (Ages 6 and up)

Just like the classic game of Uno, POOP is a game where the first player to run out of cards wins! Take turns pooping but don’t clog the toilet! If you like Uno, you’ll love the game of POOP!

Cauldron Quest (Ages 6 and up)

Cauldron Quest is a magical game of potions and spells where players must work together to find hidden ingredients to create a spell-breaking potion. If they are successful, everyone wins!

Fun Games for Kids Ages 7 and Up

Tenzi (Ages 7 and up)

This fast-moving dice game has quickly become a family favorite in our home. Play is quick and fun. Each player gets a different color set of dice and they roll them to see how many dice can match the same numbers. Then they keep rolling the unmatched dice until all their numbers match. The winner is the first to get all their numbers to match. You may need more dice and the cards make this game even more fun!

Best Board and Party Games for Kids Ages 8 and Up

Make ‘N’ Break (Ages 8 and up)

Easy to play and fun for the entire family, this game takes simple building tasks and sets them against the clock for an exciting and engaging showdown. The uncomplicated concept and variable difficulty levels allow it to be enjoyed by builders of all ages, whether it’s a rainy day inside with the kids or an after-dinner match for the adults.

Labyrinth (Ages 8 and up)

This four-player adventure is an action-packed game of mystery that is ideal for sleepovers, family game nights, and anytime kids feel like playing in a land of strategy and imagination. Players must find all their objects and characters while moving carefully through the constantly changing maze and be the first to return to the starting square to win.

Spontuneous (Ages 8 and up)

Simple party game to play for all ages and musical tastes. A word is given and it’s a race to blurt out any song containing that word. No singing skill is necessary! Millions already do it – You hear a word, a song pops into your head, and you spontaneously burst into a TUNE!

Say Anything (Ages 8 and up)

Say Anything Family is a game that will get the entire family talking and laughing in minutes. This family-oriented version of the popular adult party game allows players to settle questions that have been hotly debated for centuries. Then players try to choose which answer the judge will like best. Play Say Anything Family Edition and discover what hilarious things YOUR family will say!

Shut The Box (Ages 8 and Up)

This four-player version of the traditional English pub game of dice and numbers can provide hours of challenging, fun, and friendly competition. Simply roll the dice and lay down the matching numbered tiles until the winner “shuts the box.” Or, try this smaller travel version.

Ticket to Ride (Ages 8 and up)

Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure game. Players collect train cards that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets by connecting two distant cities and the player who builds the longest continuous railway.

Trekking The National Parks: The Family Board Game (Ages 8 and up)

Meet the best-selling second edition of the best-selling board game, where you learn all about the national parks! This award-winning game is one of the top educational board games for kids.

Carcassonne Board Game (Ages 8 and up)

Carcassonne is the perfect introduction to the modern world of board games, with its simple rules. This fun board game would be a lovely addition to anyone’s game closet.

Board Games for Kids Ages 10 and Up

Catan Board Game (Ages 10 and up)

This modern board game has become an incredibly popular board game for harvesting and trading resources. Players build their own civilization and attempt to spread it across a modular hex board for victory points. Beware of robbers and anyone else out to take your wealth!

Wits and Wagers (Ages 10 and up)

Wits and Wagers is a fast-paced game that combines the most interesting elements of trivia with the excitement of gambling. Players can win by making educated guesses or having the guts to bet on the high-payout answers of their friends.

7 Wonders (Ages 10 and up)

You are the leader of one of the seven great cities of the Ancient World. Gather resources, develop commercial routes, and affirm your military supremacy. Build your city and erect an architectural wonder which will transcend future times.

Board Games for Tweens and Teens Ages 12 and Up

Better Me (Ages 12 and up)

Using the principles of positive psychology, the game challenges players to take real-world action to improve themselves and their life. It also strengthens relationships by helping people connect in a meaningful way. The game creates amazing conversations, allowing players to quickly learn about themselves and their fellow players. And all in an encouraging and fun atmosphere, without pressure or judgment permitted.

Above and Below (Ages 13 and up)

Above and Below is a mashup of town-building and storytelling where you and up to three friends compete to build the best village above and below ground. In the game, you send your villagers to perform jobs like exploring the cave, harvesting resources, and constructing houses. Each villager has unique skills and abilities; you must decide how to best use them. You have your own personal village board, and you slide the villagers on this board to various areas to indicate that they’ve been given jobs to do.

Wingspan Board Game (Ages 14 and up)

Wingspan is a fantastic board game that takes players on a captivating journey into the world of birds. Become a bird enthusiast—researcher, bird watcher, ornithologist, or collector—seeking to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves with this fun board game. Learning and discovering each feathered creature as you build an avian empire is a delight.

Family Game Night Ideas

Make family game night fun again with one of these amazing games for kids that even parents will love! This collection of unique popular board games for kids and families makes a great gift idea for Christmas or a Birthday.

Know of another unique popular board game you think belongs on this list? Please share it in the comments below! Our family is always up for discovering a new game to try. 🙂