Best Toys

Games that are specially designed with younger players in mind can really give a great head-start to learning on an educational level early. Games for kids who haven’t learned to read yet are helpful by allowing younger children to still play a role and get used to the socialization skills offered by playing a game with others.

Candyland

One of the great kids board games of all time, this selection is especially nice for younger children who haven’t learned to read yet because that skill is not required to play the game. This classic game has been around for a while but has recently been updated to include new graphics and more sculpted gingerbread pawn pieces. A great game for preschoolers, kids will love the brightly colored cards and candy names of all the places they will pass on the journey to reach the candy castle. Whoever is the first to reach the castle wins.

Sequence for Kids

This is one of the best board games for kids where they can understand a number sequence. This set contains 42 playing cards, a folding game board, and 84 colored playing chips (21 each: red, green, yellow, and blue). Note that the colors are all primary colors and more easily recognizable by younger kids. When you choose to play a card that you have been holding in your hand, you place a matching chip on the board. When you have four in a row, that makes for a sequence that proves easily understandable by the younger set. It is recommended for those aged 4 to 7 years.

Chutes and Ladders

This choice of board games for kids helps teach children basic counting skills. A child does not need to be able to read to play this game. Among the learning features characterized by this game is the opportunity to recognize numbers and understand their values. Also, your child will begin to understand what is meant by taking turns and sharing. It will also show children that there are consequences to their actions. Making a good choice allows you to climb a ladder; making a bad choice means you slide back down the chute. Along the way, they can learn to count to 100.

Hi Ho Cherry-O

Players race in this board game for kids to be the first to collect 10 cherries in their basket. This is a great game to introduce counting to children, and kids don’t have to know how to read to be able to play. It’s a terrific beginning game and play activity for children. There is an arrow to spin that will tell you how many cherries you are allowed to pick and put in your basket. Of course, obstacles exist as well, such as if the arrow lands on a dog, a bird, or a spilled bucket. If you land on a bird or a dog, you will have to return two cherries to the tree. If you land on a spilled bucket, you have to start all over again from scratch.

Hungry Hungry Hippos

This is a fun choice of kids board games as your child feeds marbles to these hungry animals just as fast as they can. No reading skill is required, and kids can count the marbles that the animals munch. The recommended ages for this game are 4 to 6 years, as the marbles could present a choking hazard for those children under 3 years of age. Kids have a wonderful time releasing a marble at a time into the ring, and then pressing the hippo’s tail to catch the “food” and munch it. An advanced version of the game calls for all 20 marbles to be released at once. Watch kids scramble to get their hippo to gobble the most marbles.

Don’t Break the Ice

As one of the best board games for kids, this one could also be called environmentally responsible in the current Global Warming climate. To start with, a cute polar bear is skating happily on the ice with a big smile across his face. Then, there’s a sound. What is it? Ice breaking. Oh, no. One block of ice disappears, then another, and another. Other players take turns breaking the ice apart with plastic mallets. The object of the game is to keep the polar bear skating for as long as possible. This game is especially good for little ones who haven’t learned how to read yet as no reading skill is required.

Candy Land Castle Game

There are a few different versions of this option of board games for kids in this classic and popular game. This edition is especially designed for preschoolers to present opportunities for them to practice coordination and matching skills. Children can play alone or with others to practice their newfound abilities. The atmosphere provided by the cute gingerbread pieces and the brightly colored shapes (yellow circles, red squares, green stars, and purple ovals) are visually attractive to young kids. There is no assembly required for this board game; it’s ready to play when you open the box. The magical world that the game board presents is part of what makes kids love to play it.

Monopoly Jr.

The classic edition of this game has a junior version of kids board games. What better way to introduce children to this all-time favorite game that everyone loves to play? This game, designed with a simpler theme, was especially created for younger players. This introduction to the world-famous game has opportunities for kids to set up ticket booths to earn money from boardwalk amusement ventures. While playing this game, kids will also practice important math skills they will need in the future. These math skills include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The person with the most money at the end of the game wins.

Apples to Apples Jr.

This choice among kids board games presents two decks of card for play: one called “Things” and the other called “Descriptions.” A referee is chosen for the game and that person chooses a description. Players must try to best match the cards in their hands to the chosen description. As you might imagine, the results can be hilarious. It’s fun for kids of all ages, but is especially crafted for the younger set. It helps kids expand their vocabulary and better understand words, images, and how they relate to each other. The referee, or judge, is responsible for picking the best choice in each round.

Operation

This is one of the best board games for kids that helps teach anatomy. It also provides a wonderful opportunity for your child to practice their coordination skills. The challenge is to “operate” on the patient by removing what ails them. This is done with tweezers, and the tweezers must not touch anything during the operation that will make the patient’s noise light up. When you successfully remove the annoying ailment, you get to collect the money shown on a card for that operation. The winner is the one with the most money at the end of the game. Differing ailments include: Water on the Knee (pail of water in the knee); Brain Freeze (ice cream cone placed in the brain); and Writer’s Cramp (a pencil located in the forearm).

Connect 4

Another classic game that has been around for centuries, this is similar to the game tic-tac-toe, but with a winning scenario having four checkers in a row. The colors of the checkers are red and black. The winner of the game will be the first player to arrange four checkers, in a line, in any direction: vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. At the same time you’re trying to get four checkers in a row yourself, you also have to do everything you can to not let your opponent claim victory. The rules are simple and no reading ability is necessary to play this game.

Trouble

Kids love popping the plastic container where the die is located. Popping the unit and seeing what number turns up on top of the die determines how many spaces you can move your playing piece. The trouble comes in when another player’s piece lands on the space where yours is. This action will send your playing piece back to the beginning. You will have four playing pieces that need to travel all the way around the board; be the first to do it and win the game. This also makes for a great travel game as it is easily portable.

Twister Hopscotch

This is a great game for inside use on any day, including a rainy or cold one. It is easy to learn how to play, easy to set up, and the rings you need to guide your path are easily changed. There’s a new way to play this classic game. Using 13 rings and 16 ring clips, along with a spinner arrow, your path to hopscotch success can change every time you play. The surface was crafted to be non-slip, and kids always have a lot of fun hopping from one silly dot to the next.

Twister

A fun game that anyone can play, this activity can get a little physical. It’s also good for a lot of laughs as each turn of the spinner will tell players where they have to put their hand or foot and in what colored space. It’s especially helpful for younger kids as they practice their motor skills in balance and coordination. They will also have to learn to identify colors. This game has been popular for more than 40 years, and it is still a family favorite. The winner is the last person standing, or leaning, or whatever – as long as you don’t collapse on the floor before someone else.

Scrabble Jr.

This junior version of the wonderful kids board games that are available to help assist kids with spelling is a great option for younger players. In this game, players strive to match the letters printed on the board. When they complete each word, they receive points. When all the tiles have been played, the person with the most points is the winner. The board also has an advanced side when your child is ready for a more basic version of the game. Games like this and having the time to play can make a world of difference in helping your child understand, and get interested in, how words are spelled.

Clue Jr.

It’s great to have manufacturers of classic board games recognize the need for junior game versions to help younger players. Opportunities for kids to get involved playing games at younger ages only enhances their chances for success in understanding basic number and word skills. No reading ability is needed to play this game. In this junior edition, the clues are specially designed to enable junior detectives to solve the mystery. In this case, they are trying to determine who stole a cake . . . and ate it! It is recommended for between 2 and 6 players.

Pictionary Jr.

This choice of kids board games updates the grown-up version with new words to draw, new hints, and offers two levels of play. The two-sided cards, colored red and blue, offer the blue side for younger players. Your child will have 60 seconds to draw the word given. This version doesn’t take a specific level of drawing skill; just simple words and you have to be able to draw fast. Kids can learn many things from playing this game. With practice, playing this game can enhance the imagination and assist in reasoning skills and cognitive abilities.

Any of the above-named games offer terrific opportunities for young children who want to play games, just like their older siblings and parents. It lets them share in the learning experience earlier and by so doing, can give them an edge with basic skills before starting school.