Board Games for Young Children

Board games for young children are a great way to spend time with your kids and teach them valuable skills. Plus, many of these games are designed as junior editions of classic games, so they can grow into more adult games as they progress. Board games make a wonderful Christmas or birthday gift.

The games on this page include the recommended starting age that the manufacturer provides. While these may vary depending on the specific child, they are a good way to gauge whether a board game would be a great gift. Many of these board games are for children as young as three or five, so they can help teach skills like counting, reading, sportsmanship, and taking turns.

Featured Image: Chutes and Ladders Game

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Candy Land is a great first board game for young children because it doesn't require them to be able to read, or even to know their numbers. Colors and shapes guide players through the sweet kingdom. Players draw colored cards and move their tokens to the next space of that color. This is a great way to introduce kids to the concept of board games while they are still very young.

Chutes & Ladders is another great board game for young children that are just learning to play and take turns. It will help introduce kids to higher numbers, but doesn't require reading skills. The spinner uses single digit numbers, but players try to get their game pieces to 100 without taking too many stumbles down the chutes.

There are many board games for young children that are based on classic board games. These are a great way to introduce your kids to games that your family already loves. Monopoly, Boggle, and Scrabble all have junior editions, to name a few.

All of these games have a recommended starting age under eight years old, so you can introduce your kids to classic board games and then progress to other editions as they get older. Your five and six year olds can start participating in family games night right away!

Like the previous games, this board game takes the classic Monopoly game and puts a spin on it. If you have a child (ages five and up) who loves the movie Cars, this is a great way to introduce them to Monopoly.

The game of Memory is about matching two pictures together, so it is one that young children of all ages can play. This is a fun game choice because it can be played alone or with other people. Start off your children by teaching them to play the game on their own. Once they have gotten better at remembering where the pictures are, add in another player for more challenge.

There are tons of board games for sale on eBay, in new and used conditions. Not only can you use the auction site to get a great deal, but you might find a game that is no longer made. Many specialty editions of board games are made in limited runs, so these collector's items are tougher to track down. Check out these current board games for sale.

Do your kids have a favorite game that they always ask to play? Have you tried the junior editions of popular games, or do you start out with the classic edition? Share your thoughts here!