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Introduction to the Board Games for Kids
Even in a society that is heavily geared towards video games and electronics, board games are still an enjoyable pastime. If children are given the opportunity, they still truly love good, old fashioned board games. From games for toddlers and preschoolers to games for teenagers, there is something for everyone in all of the games available.
When you are looking for some good and entertaining board games for kids you will want to do some research on the different kinds so you can choose some that will work for the ages of your kids and keep them entertained.
Before you start your research you will need to make sure that you are up to date on the latest games that are available. There are also some considerations you will need to make before purchase as well that we will go over in our buyer’s guide.
Included in the world of board games are traditional, centuries old children’s games like checkers and more modern, current day games like Brain Freeze or Pictionary.
Top Ranked Board Games for Kids
HedBanz Game – Edition may vary
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Hedbanz is a quick thinking, fun game that involves asking “What am I?” Players ask yes or no questions to figure out what the card is that is displayed under the headband on your head. The fast pace of the game makes players think on their feet.
The game has simple rules. Two to Six players can play at one time, each player strapping on a headband to play.
There are a stack of picture cards that feature animals, food or common objects. Categories are simple and work for a wide age group including young children.
The rounds move quickly, dictates by a one minute sand timer. Each player gets one card and three chips. The player takes their card and places it in the adjustable headband without looking at it.
When it is your turn, you will ask each player a question about the card on your forehead, such as “Am I a food?” and so on. This is a great game for teaching kids deductive reasoning and how to think fast.
Once you get a yes to one of your questions, you need to make the questions you ask more category specific based on the yes answers you get. Once you’re ready to guess, you will state “I am … and then state what you think the card is. Once you get it right, you discard a chip. If you give up, you take an additional chip and get dealt a new card as well. The winner is the first one to get rid of all their chips.
Hasbro Connect 4 Game
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Connect 4 has been around for a long time and has upgraded to a more modern style with fun, exciting ways to play.
The cool new colors and games choices keep players entertained and engaged. You will have three games to choose from; the classic Connect 4 game where players try to line up 4 red or 4 gold discs in a row to win.
Connect 4 frenzy is a fun, “ready, set, drop” game where players drop their discs in at the same time, using only one hand.
The third game players drop a disc into the grid or they can choose to eject one from the bottom using the convenient and new pop out feature.
Connect 4 may seem simple, but it does teach children cause and effect and to pay attention and think ahead to the moves that the opposing player will make. It’s a great game of strategy that kids and adults alike will enjoy. Game comes with a grid, 2 feet, 21 red discs, 21 gold discs, a label sheet and a set of instructions as well.
Brain Freeze From MIGHTY FUN, Award-Winning Board Game for Kids
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Want to have so much fun playing a game that the kids don’t want to put it away? Try Brain Freeze. This game has been called one of the best games ever seen by game reviewers for teaching kids, logic and deduction.
It’s a new kids’ strategy game that helps develop important mental skills through a fast-paced back and forth game play that is truly addictive.
Two players or teams will race against each other to correctly guess the sweet treat that the other player or team has chosen. This is done through strategic thinking, memory, and deduction and logic, guesses are made and answers recorded. Variables are eliminated until the team feels that they can correctly guess the opposing team’s treat. The winning team is the one that guesses correctly. Guess wrong and you get a brain freeze.
Brain Freeze is the recipient of the 2016 Tillywig Toy Awards Brain Child Award that is awarded to products that energize the mind while blending fun and learning. It is a great way to teach children about strategy and logic in a fun way that they will enjoy doing. Perfect for ages 5-10. Includes 2 telepathy grid boards, 2 secrecy shields with stands, 2 dry erase pens, 2 dry erase wipe cloths and a rule book.
Top Rated Board Games for Kids Summary
The three top ranked board games featured in the above review are all parent and kid favorites. They are fun to play, teach thinking and strategy skills and can even help kids do better in school by helping them increase their thinking skills.
We considered a large number of board games and looked at features such as ease of play, age range, educational capacity, long term interest, difficulty in setting up, number of players and more. These three stood out among all of the choices, offering classic fun with a modern twist and an educational element as well.
We have put together a buyer’s guide that will provide the information you need about board games for kids. With the right information, you will be able to sort through the choices and decide on one or more board games that your children will not only love playing, but will learn from as well.
Board Games for Kids Buyers Guide
Board games are designed to be entertaining but there is also a large element of learning that can be had from even the simplest of children’s board games. With so many choices on the market, it may feel overwhelming to figure out which board games your kids will love to play often.
This buyer’s guide is designed to help make this process much simpler by giving you the information on how to choose the right games that will be timeless in your home. The majority of games have age recommendations on them that help parents choose the right games for the ages of their children. There are other factors as well that can make the process of choosing board games fun and exciting.
Considerations to Look at Before Purchase
Before you start searching through the scads of board game choices, be sure to consider the following points so you can choose games that your kids will love.
- What are the ages of your kids? – This is very important so you choose games that your children can play at their current ages. You also want to get games that they can play as they grow as well. Some games are simply meant to be only for one age and that’s it. That doesn’t make them bad games, just age specific games. These are also good to have on hand while your child is within their age range.
- Are you looking for educational games? – Educational games are great but sometimes your children can learn things through games that may not initially be looked at as “educational”. For example, Brain Freeze teaches children about deductive reasoning and logic and problem solving in a wonderfully fun way that makes them ask to play over and over again. The good news is that even the simple concept games have something to offer a child in terms of education. What they learn and get out of games that don’t “appear” to be educational is up to the parent’s ability to pull lessens from all sources.
- How many Players? – Think about how many children you have that will be playing the games and include yourselves as well. It’s okay to purchase games that are only for 2-4 players but if you have more family than that, make sure that you purchase games that ALL of you can play together whether individually or in teams.
Traditional Little Kid’s Board Game Choices
The following games have been around for a decades and are still as popular with young children as they have ever been. This group of games is a crowd pleaser among the small set and will be well received in your home. Please remember that any games that have small pieces should be carefully supervised around young children who are prone to put things in their mouths.
- Candy Land – Race across a colorful game board filled with treats of all kinds in a rainbow of color. The objective is to find the lost king of Candy Land. It is perfect for ages 3 and up and can be played by 2-4 players. The winner is the one who advances past the final square first.
- Chutes and Ladders – This is another race game that was highly popular by the young crowd. Racers have to advance past 100 squares to reach the 100th spot before anyone else does. Die is rolled in this game. Players either advance by traveling up ladders that are placed along the 100 squares or sliding down the slide and ending up back where you started. This is another 2-4 player game for ages 3 and up.
- Hungry Hungry Hippos – This is a fun game for little ones although supervision is needed due to the small marbles that make up a major portion of the game. The object of this fun game is very simple: capture as many marbles as possible by using the plastic hippo that is attached to the game board. Each player has a hippo and 4 players can play at a time. Little ones love this game.
- Sorry! – Sorry is a very popular game from decades ago and is still well loved by children. The object of this game is to move all of the player’s game pieces from the start space to the home space. There are playing cards that go along with the game that are drawn at the beginning of each turn. The term “Sorry” comes from when you send another opponent’s playing piece back to their start position by landing on the space their player is occupying. For ages 6 and up.
- Hi Ho! Cherry-O – This cut little game involves moving a certain number of cherries from the trees to the bucket. It is a great game for preschoolers and is recommended for ages 3-6 years of age. This game helps little ones learn counting, addition and subtraction in a way that they don’t even realize they are learning it.
- Operation – Test your hand-eye coordination with this decades old favorite. Operation involves the players removing different body parts that reside in the 3-D game board using a set of tweezers that are hooked up to the game. The objective is to remove the piece without touching the sides of the person and setting off the buzzer. A great game for steadying the hands. Whoever has the most body parts at the end of the game wins.
- Mouse Trap – This extremely popular game has changed a lot over the years from what it used to be, which was an intricate maze of game board pieces that become a mouse trap as the players move around the board. Complete the mouse trap and catching the other people’s playing pieces with the trap to win. Modern day Mouse Trap game has much less mouse trap to build which is a shame but it is still a fun game for young children. Super young ones need to be supervised due to the small pieces.
Traditional Older Kid’s Board Games
The following games are also classic games from decades ago, but are for older children. They are from popular game companies like Milton Bradley and Hasbro.
- Monopoly – This classic game is as popular now as it was decades ago and has developed variations over the years. Monopoly involves moving game pieces around a board that is lined with “property” that the players can purchase if no one else owns it and they have the money. The idea is to acquire sets of property and to develop them with houses and/or hotel. There are also railroads, utility companies, and even jail. Modern Monopoly games include themes such as Star Wars, Nascar, Walking Dead and more. Monopoly is for children 8 and older and can be played by up to 8 players.
- Clue – If your child loves playing detective, they will have fun with the classic game of Clue. This murder mystery game involves the players finding out who the murderer is among the rest of the players. It’s discovered by process of elimination. The winner is the first person who correctly identifies who was the murderer, what they murdered with and in which room. 3-6 players can play this game and it is recommended for ages 8 and up.
- Risk – This game is perfect for the kid who loves strategy. In Risk, the objective is to control all the territories on the board. This is done through army pieces that can be used for either attacking or defending. Battles are decided with the rolling of the 6 sided die. Those who play Risk can get so involved in their games, sometimes going on for days rather than just hours. 3-5 players can engage in this fun and intense game and is recommended for ages 10 and up.
- Scrabble – Scrabble is a terrific and fun way to help students with their spelling skills and ability to create words from a group of random letters. The person with the highest score is the winner in scrabble.
- The Game of Life – This Decades old game has been around for a LONG time, but it is still a popular game among today’s children. In the game of life, the board game simulates the journey of life and through major milestones. These milestones include going to college, getting a job, getting married, having kids and more. A spinner is how the game progresses. The first person to reach retirement is the winner. 2-4 players can play this game and it is recommended for ages 8 and up.
- Twister – Twister is a fun game that involves really getting into the game physically. Twister involves placing hands and feet on different color circles based on the directions given by the spinner. It can quickly evolve into a tangle of arms and legs. The winner is the last one standing.
Conclusion
There are plenty of games that appeal to all ages even in this day and age of video games. Families that take the time to cut off the video games and bring out the board games can create memories that will last a lifetime. When it comes to choosing the right games for your kids, consider their ages, skill levels, the number of kids you have and other considerations.
The information in this buyer’s guide gives you the names and descriptions of some of the greatest board games for kids ever created. They were popular back then and they are still popular today. The next time you are looking for a great gift for your child, grab a board game and have family game night for a memory you’ll never forget.
SOURCE: https://thoroughlyreviewed.com/home-kitchen/best-board-games-for-kids/