Best Board Games for Preschoolers
We almost titled this post “Best Board Games for Preschoolers That Adults Also Enjoy Playing,” but decided against it for the sake of brevity. Any parent knows that kids crave repetition and when they find something they enjoy, they’ll want to play over and over, so it helps that their chosen board games are fun for us too. In all seriousness though, playing board games with preschoolers (which we think of as kids aged 3-5) is such a great way to connect with them while working on some very valuable skills. Think of all those social-emotional and executive function skills like turn-taking, being patient, planning, cooperating, and communicating, that are practiced naturally through game play. Many board games for preschoolers also include opportunities to learn academic skills like matching, color/shape recognition, and counting, to name just a few. Aside from learning, we’ve found that playing board games together is just plain fun! It allows us to connect with our kids, laugh together, and build a tradition that can last for years to come. Need some ideas for where to start? Check out a few of our family favorites:
Put that competitive streak to rest with this cooperative game. Players have to work together to help Mother Hen collect her chicks who have gone awry. Children work on counting, visual recognition, and taking turns. This is a great first game for younger preschoolers.
The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game
This is a popular game among the preschool crowd and is destined to be a modern classic. Children learn about colors and matching while using their fine motor skills as they help Sneaky collect the right acorns. We love that this comes with a coordinating book that adds to the story!
This card game (with several different themes to choose from) is great for bringing along when you’re on the road. You start each story with “Once upon a time…” and draw cards that give you inspiration for where to take the story next. Our kids come up with the funniest plot twists, and it’s great for developing a sense of humor and understanding story structure.
If you’ve got a budding detective on your hands, you’ll love Outfoxed! You’ll all have to use your powers of deduction and reasoning as you work together to figure out which fox stole a prized pot pie before the guilty fox escapes. It’s more appropriate for an older preschooler and will have adults putting on their thinking caps too. The cute graphics are a bonus!
Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It!
Fans of Richard Scarry’s Busytown will love this “I spy” game. With a giant 6-foot-long board, kids have to pay attention to details and identify given objects to win the game. If you’re familiar with Richard Scarry, you’ll know the illustrations are great, and there are lots of funny situations that you can peruse and discuss with your child.
Having a board game night (or afternoon) tradition with our kids has been so fun and rewarding. With so many benefits relating to board game play, we encourage you to start a tradition in your family and pick up one or two of our best board games for preschoolers to build your own collection!