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We love board games, card games, and charades in our family. And we introduced them early to our child, before her 3yo birthday. However, teaching a toddler to follow the rules and wait their turn is not a small feat.
Most of the young kids have a short attention span and get easily distracted. We kept this in mind when we got her first board game. We wanted her to have fun and also be fairly easy to learn and play.
Toddler board games don’t need to be boring for the parents
When we chose our board games, we always ask ourselves if it’s something we want to play every evening for days on end. Because we all remember the times when Baby Shark became the most played song in the house :)). One of the boring games we’ve tried is the Catch and Count Fishing game by Mellisa and Doug. It’s supposed to be fun, but the string on the fishing rod is so short (for safety reasons) that it’s almost useless. We played with it once or twice, and that was it.
It’s also a good idea to pick the games based on what you would like your child to learn next. Learning through play is still one of the most effective and less stressful learning methods—no need for scientific studies on this one.
Board games we love for 3 to 6-year-olds
Roller Coaster Challenge STEM Toy – for Ages 6+
by ThinkFun
- Brain game (it comes with 40 card challenges)
- Develops critical skills
- Educational
This game is hands down the best in our collection. The age recommendation is 6+, but a younger child can build it or help build with an adult’s assistance. A small car is included, and the fun continues even after building the rollercoaster.
Bonus point: it is incredibly entertaining for the parent too.
Quoridor Junior – for Ages 4+
by GIGAMIC
- Strategy game
- Labyrinth
- Educational
- Learning names of sea creatures
- For 2 – 4 players
Cute wooden animals need to get to the other side of the board and claim a treat. Bushes appear and block their way, and now they have to be smart and find the shortest path to their food! On their turn, players make one of two choices: they can either move their animal character or cleverly place a bush to slow down the other.
Who will get out of the maze first?
This board game is very well made, and we have been playing it for over a year. There was a learning curve, as we introduced it at around 2.5yo, as it was rather complicated for that age :).
Playhouse A-B-Sea Life Go Fish! – for Ages 3+
Made in USA
- Memory game
- Matching game
- Letters recognition
- Learning names of sea creatures
- For 2 – 4 players
This is another favorite in our house. We were reluctant about card games, as our 3.5 years old cannot hold them – we missed the cardholders included in the game:)). However, she keeps the cards face down on the table or the floor and memorizes the letters. We play it every day.
Each player is dealt seven cards, and the idea of the game is to collect pairs of alphabet letters while following and remembering what letters the other players have.
Build a Robot Spinner Game for Kids – for Ages 3+
by eeBoo
- Numbers recognition
- Puzzle – build a robot
- Learning to take turns
- Great for robots fans
- For 1 – 4 players
This game is great for young kids who are just getting used to taking turns and learning the numbers. The rules are very simple and it’s easy for the parents to offer it straight away as an afternoon fun activity, without the need of explaining complex rules.
Dinosaur Snakes & Ladders Game – for Ages 3+
Made in USA
- Competitive game
- Counting, Number recognition
- For dinosaurs fans
- For 3 – 6 players
This is a favorite in our house. We love that one player can be in the lead, but can end up behind the others if it lands on a volcano and they’re carried down by the “lava”. So even though you spin the wheel and get to move your dinosaur 6 spaces, it doesn’t guarantee you will win the game.
It’s a lighthearted game, no strategy involved, but it teaches important social skills – like how to lose with elegance :))
Go Go Little Penguin! – for Ages 2+
Made in Germany by HABA
- Competitive game
- Counting
- Learning to follow the rules
- For 2 – 3 players
- Duration: 5-10 minutes
This is a fun game, and it helps your child learn how to count. The dice has from 1 to 3 little or big penguin paws on each side. This determines how many spots the mommy or baby penguin can hop towards the finish line.
However, I found it challenging for a two-year-old to understand the game rules and follow them, especially moving only their assigned mommy and baby penguin. A 3-year-old should be quite comfortable with this kind of game, though.
We want to expand our board games collection and made this list for Santa (thanks to the suggestions found in different parent groups):
- Daniel Tiger’s Welcome to Mainstreet– brand Brairpatch ( simple counting and coordinating, building social skills) – Ages 2 – 6 years old
- Gobblet Gobblers – brand Blue Orange (like tic-tac-toe, strategy, critical thinking, memory skills) – Ages 5+
- Pengolo seems fun too – Ages 4+
- Create and Tell Me A Story Cards – brand eeBoo (create story wit mixed cards – this looks like a lot of fun. There are versions of the same game with fairy tales and mystery in the forest) – Ages 3+
- Connect 4 – brand Hasbro – Ages 6+
- Peaceable Kingdom Friends and Neighbors (emotional development cooperative game) – Ages 3+
- Hoot Owl Hoot (emotional development, strategy, shared decision making) – Ages 4+
- Zingo Bingo – brand ThinkFun – (builds language and matching skills) – Ages 4+
- Sequence for kids (strategy game) – Ages 3 – 6
I hope you found inspiration for a new game for your preschooler, and please leave a comment with your family’s favorite board or card games.
