Many of the classic board games adults love and remember are perfect for kids today. The excellent variety available, the fun they can offer, and the memories they’ll craft are always welcome. Here are fifteen games strong enough to still be around when kids are all grown up and have children of their own.
Top 5 Classic Board Games for Kids of All-Time
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Scrabble: In what possible way can “camel” be related to “marmalade?” Why, in Scrabble of course! When words share letters, you can bet they’re on a Scrabble board earning points. This game is perfect for building vocabulary and exercising the mind – unless kids find themselves with that ever-dreaded line of all vowel Scrabble tiles. Scrabble has grown in the years to become a definite favorite among families. Not only is it available in various forms, but Scrabble dictionaries have a myriad of words you may not even find in a regular dictionary. Let kids see what words they can come up with to seize the board and win the day. |
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Chess: From plastic sets to classic wooden ones, chess has never gone out of style. Feel free to tell kids that kings and queens used to play this game. It may seem a little difficult or confusing at first (especially the knight and it’s L-shaped moves), but once kids get the hang of it, they’ll be pondering all the possibilities that lay ahead of them as their opponent shifts pieces across the board. It may very well be that Harry Potter helped bring chess back into the sight of kids, so perhaps it may not be a bad idea to nab a Potter-themed set. No matter what, however, this game will be enjoyed by kids today and many children to come. |
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Monopoly: Aside from always trying to buy Boardwalk and hoping to pass Go before running out of money, the one thing everyone can agree about Monopoly is that everyone has their favorite game piece. Kids will quickly discover these tiny pieces of tradition, becoming fans of the thimble, shoe, or fancy car. Monopoly is the great game of buying, selling, renting, and (hopefully not) mortgaging. Great Monopoly games can last hours, even days once kids get the hang of it. Excellent for sleepovers or days kids feel like getting rich for a few hours, this game is destined to be one they always remember. |
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Connect Four: With such a simple premise, how could Connect Four ever be anything but a hit? A little like tic-tac-toe, but with sliding pieces and a vertical playing field, kids will soon be skilled enough to nearly fill the board before someone finally gets to yell “Connect four!” And, of course, there’s nothing like the final moment when sliding the bottom out from under all those pieces and they come cascading down onto the table top. Connect Four can be played over and over in a single sitting – no two games will ever be the same. So – who’s next in line to play? |
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Life: This is the quintessential kid’s game. One of the most classic board games to ever hit store shelves. It is the game of Life, where all the choices you make can lead you to happiness with wealth and a good family, or into tough times that you may not escape from. Life has been around since 1860 when Milton Bradley himself developed the game. Risks can be rewarded, and chance is the ultimate driving force of the game. So kids will have to decide – should they take a risk? Where will the game of Life take them as they play? One may never know… |
Other Great Classic Board Games
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Candy Land: If there is one childhood board game that adults everywhere remember with absolute fondness, it’s Candy Land. Hands down one of the best toys for young children, its simplicity and delightful concept makes it fun to play over and over. The premise is as easy as, well, candy! Children pick up a card and move to that particular colored square. On their way to the end and King Kandy, kids will pass by places such as Gum Drop Mountain, Candy Cane Forest, and meet with fun characters like Princess Lolly, Princess Frostine, and Gloppy the Chocolate Monster. |
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Sorry: The game that either makes you sorry or makes you say sorry to other players, it’s all about getting your pieces home and hoping someone doesn’t bump you back to the beginning as they circle the board with you. Sorry has struck gold through the years because of its simplicity, and a single game can last for a surprisingly long time. Sorry has since inspired other versions, but the original is still the best. Kids will have a great time bounding their pieces around the board, hoping to land on an opponent and bump them back to the beginning, all while hoping the same doesn’t happen to them! |
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Clue: Colonel Mustard, in the Kitchen, with the Lead Pipe. Who doesn’t remember saying something similar sometime during their childhood? You never knew who it was that killed the host of the mansion, but with careful moves and smart deductions on the playing list, soon the answer will become crystal clear. Kids will love the tension in this game as they eagerly await their turn to travel to the Library or Billiard Room in order to test their newest theory. Suspicion abounds and the dice can never seem to land on the numbers players need. Be the first to crack the case! |
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Trouble: Who’s in trouble? It depends on where you are on the board. One of the favorite parts about the game is the pop-o-matic dice roller in the center. Easy for kids’ hands to reach, a single press makes all the dice inside pop like popcorn and will let players know how many places to move. The goal? Go around the board as fast as you can and make it all the way home, but lookout, there’s trouble behind you in the form of other players! If they land on you, you have to go home and start from the beginning. |
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Twister: Twist and turn, bend and stretch, get that left foot on the green spot and that right hand on the red spot. Twister is all about being bendable and flexible – especially when kids are all jumbled together on a single mat! A favorite game during sleepovers and parties, Twister is bound to elicit tons of giggles and silly comments. The person spinning the dial to tell the players which hand or foot to put on a colored dot has just as much fun because they get to watch everyone reach around, under, and over each other in an attempt not to come crashing down in a heap. Last one standing wins! |
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Chutes and Ladders: There are many classic board games that people remember. This is definitely one of them. Chutes and Ladders has been around for decades, entertaining kids and giving them plenty of fun memories to cherish. It’s excellent for younger children, but don’t be surprised to find them continuing to play even as they grow older. There are good deeds that take players up ladders to places further along in the game, or bad deeds that, if landed on, will send players down a chute a few spaces below. Hope that you land on a good deed so you can reach the 100th square and win the game. |
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Uno: It may not be a board game, but it’s still one of the best toys since fourth grade. Uno’s few rules and simple design make it a great game for kids looking to play cards and have a good time. Toss down a number or a color and see who throws down cards that match. Kids will be eager to get rid of all their cards. Why? Because that means they win! Once a player hits one card, they get to yell, “Uno!” and make all the other players nervous. But be careful – you never know when you might have to take more cards from the pile and the person next to you yells, “Uno!” on their next turn! |
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Operation: Adults and kids alike can say the line associated with Operation, “Don’t touch the sides!” And rightfully so, because any side-touching will lead to that jarring buzz that lets everyone playing know that the operation hasn’t been successful. Next player, take your turn at removing the funny bone or broken heart. With every piece extracted, the player wins an amount of money listed on the card drawn. The player with the most money at the end wins. There are plenty of pieces to try for, but without a steady hand and a cool head, there’s bound to be some buzzing! |
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Hungry Hungry Hippos: A wild game that rewards the quick with a full tummy and leaves the slow behind and still hungry, hungry! These hippos are all about chowing down, and all kids have to do is make sure their hippo eats the most. Adults will remember either playing this game for hours or wishing their parents would buy it for them. Its simplicity and crazy fun mean it’s a game that kids will love to play over and over. Great for parties and when friends come over. Be quick on those hippo tails and snap up those marbles because they’ll be gone before you know it. |
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Jenga: Jenga hasn’t been around quite as long as some of the other classic board games available, but ever since it appeared, it hasn’t left. In fact, it’s gone through plenty of renditions, from holiday colors to fancy onyx editions. But in the end, it’s the same game. Jenga requires kids to have steady hands and a keen eye on which piece to pull. This tower will grow more and more unstable with every block removed, so it’s kids with the smartest moves and the most careful touches that win the game. But the second the tower falls, you’re out. |
Parents everywhere will remember some, if not all, of these great games. These are the games that have made it for many decades and will stick around for many more.
