Best Board Games for Kids 2018

As a Father of 4 kids I'm constantly trying to find ways to get my kids to do something other than video games. While going outside and playing is an option for the eldest of my crew not all of my kids share that same passion for the outdoors.

The Benefits of Board Games on Kids:

Board games quickly became an option that all of them could do not only to bond with each other,but us as parents as well. We play games whenever we can and as I look back its interesting to see how much better the kids respond to me and my wife after giving them attention and playing with them.

What's more is that as my children have grown they've developed learning schools that put them ahead in the classroom, in life, and even in board games. I've had to lay my ego aside a bit as my nine-year-old son regularly shows me up.

As a Parent it Still Needs to be Fun:

Not all kid board games are fun and if you're not convinced, then neither are they. I've put together this list of what I think are some of the best board games for kids to share some of what I've learned and liked over the last several years. Be sure to let me know what your favorite game is in the commentary section before you go.

Monopoly Junior Edition

*Scroll down for my Picks for Kids Ages 6+.

This is a game I love to play with my 5 year old. My 3 year old is still a little bit young for this game but she plays with a little help from Mom.

The reason Monopoly Jr. is so great is that it has all the fun of the full Monopoly Edition game, without the tediously long games. Numbers are also in smaller increments so children can easily count their own money.

Monopoly junior is recommended for kids Ages 5-8. For my rating I give it 5/5.

My Rating: 5/5

If you are looking for a game for your 3-5 year old, then go no further than this one. Hi Ho Cherry-O is both simple and the perfect way to teach your preschooler how to count.

By Spinning a wheel players remove cherries from their cherry tree and place them into a bucket. The object is to get all of the cherries into the bucket.

Various spins can add or subtract cherries to each player's tree, thus making it a perfect counting exercise for your young child.

Final Thoughts:

This isn't a game you'll play every single day, but it's still a lot of fun on occasion and a good option for spending a little time with your preschooler. A warning from personal experience: If you include you're two year old, then he/she will probably throw the pieces and you'll never find them again.

If there was a prize for "Best Board Game to Keep My Kids Attention in a Car" this would take the cake. Because of the way this game is setup all pieces stay perfectly in place while driving, and the bubble dice piece takes away the need for rolling dice on a flat surface.

The objective is to get all of your game pieces back to home base. If you land on someone else's piece, then they are in trouble and have to put that piece back in it's starting location.

From personal experience I recommend playing without that last rule for children ages 3-5. If you ignore my warning, then crying may ensue.

Just like the adult game, but for kids!

Using cards, players place pieces on the board and when they get 4 in a row they win. Use a Unicorn card as a wild and a dragon card to remove another player's piece.

Recommended Age: 4-7

My Rating: 4.3/5

I'm a fan of ignoring manufacturer age ratings and challenging your kids. You'll be amazed at just how fast a six year-old can pick up an adult level game if you're willing to be patient. Here's a few strategy games to keep those wheels turning during the summer and on their downtime.

A Good Strategy Board Game Under $25 - Blokus

Hands down this is the most popular game on amazon right now. European game of the year in 2003, the blokus craze has hit the world. This strategy game is perfect for anyone 8 and older and has received a Mensa award.

The object of the game is to lay down all of your pieces before other player's can lay down theirs. By using various strategies and pieces you can block others from laying down their pieces. It is possible that no one will be able to lay down all of their pieces, so whoever lays down the most wins!

Recommended Age: 8+

My Rating: 5/5

Spot It!

This game is super easy to learn and helps your kids to develop their focus and visual skills. Spot It! was released in 2010 and since then has become so popular that Blue Orange has released several variants of the original.

The game comes with several variants but the basics of it are that on any two cards there is one picture that matches. Players must be the first to spot it and ultimately get the card/point.

Overall it's a game that's fun for anyone from my 6 year-old clear up to my Mom. I highly recommend it.

This game is fun for the whole family. If you are looking for family fun with your young children, then this could be what you are looking for.

The object of the game is for the player wearing the headband to try to figure out what the picture on their headband is. If the player can guess before the time runs out, then they get rid of 1 token. Get rid of 3 tokens and you win.

Kids can improve their deductive reasoning skills by using the game's question and answer setup.

Since it's initial release there's also been several variations of the game released. One of my favorites is the HedBanz Act Up edition which forces everyone to act out what's on your head. In our large family this becomes a frenzy of hilarity.

If you didn't find a game that appealed to you on this article please take a look at my post on the best 10 games under $20 and this updated look at tech and gadget gifts for geeks.

If you have a great game that you'd like me to review or would like to contribute to what was written here, then please leave a comment below.