Board games/toys for toddlers?

[UnderProtest]

Hungry hippos was a favorite with my kids at Christmas, although I don't know that I would like to have it in my house. We bought them Go Fish (it has 8 colors to match) and they seem to like it, but they also just like to dump the cards on the floor. DO NOT buy the Thomas the Train Memory game. All the cards look the same and you will drive yourself nuts trying to play it.

[leshoequeen]

My girls received a fishing game with a little round tray of fish that goes in circles and they fish out with little poles. (I had this as a kid so its been around a while!) They love it.

They also received a Mickey Mouse board game that they like, but they are really a little young for. They don't really get spinning the wheel and moving spaces and whatnot.

[cookie510]

These are on our wishlist:

www.amazon.com/dp/B0070A9OUA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=YEEUJB54U976&coliid=I1IHTJPX4EVE1S


www.amazon.com/dp/B00000IWDP/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=YEEUJB54U976&coliid=I254QLBOGNG5YJ

[kellydelq]

Candyland, Trouble and Chutes & Ladders are favorites with my three year old

[sailorgray]

Jan 8, 2015 12:33:21 GMT -5 leshoequeen said:

My girls received a fishing game with a little round tray of fish that goes in circles and they fish out with little poles. (I had this as a kid so its been around a while!) They love it.

My guys got the Jake version of this and love it. It's fun for me, too.  My 3 year old loves Zingo. He doesn't quite get it, but he still has fun and it won't be long before he does get it. Candyland is also a big hit in our house. My 3 year old gets it. Not so much for Chutes and Ladders, though. 

[textbookcase]

Bonnie likes matching games, The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel game, Connect 4, Candyland, Hi Ho Cherry-O, and Chutes and Ladders. A lot of those have small pieces that could be choking hazards if they put things in their mouth, but she doesn't. Also, it's not really a game, per se, but she's been obsessed with this Super Sorting Pie by Learning Resources lately:

[rosiebear]

Keep in mind you will be playing these mind-numbing games over and over and over until you finally hide them. How about puzzles? My kid started getting into them at around that age.

Also: perler beads and those hook and loop things to make endless tiny potholders.

[thebuddhagouda]

Candyland and Sneaky Snacky Squirrel are E's favorites, but at 3 he didn't really grasp following the rules of games.

[beefcheeks]

Jan 8, 2015 12:38:34 GMT -5 thebuddhagouda said:

Candyland and Sneaky Snacky Squirrel are E's favorites, but at 3 he didn't really grasp following the rules of games.

This is what I've found to be true for my 3 YO as well.  However, we haven't tried all the games suggested here, so maybe it's better with the right game. That sorting thing that TBC posted looks pretty cool.

[So_Fetch]

I got my neice this game called Shelby's Snack Shack. She loves it (she was 3 when she got it).
www.google.com/shopping/product/3039898931443119287?q=Shelby's+snack+shack&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&gws_rd=ssl&sa=X&ei=IsKuVI3rCMzmoAS6v4DwBw&ved=0CIUBELkk

[snipsnsnails]

Vincenzo loooooooves games! Some of his favorites:

Zingo
Candyland
Mouse Trap
Inchworms
Hungry, Hungry Hippos
Cootie
Don't Break the Ice
Scrambled States of America
Chutes and Ladders

[thinkofthesoldiers]

My nephew got this for CHristmas and it was a huge hit. There are other tracks you can buy and add on to it. www.amazon.com/Disney-Planes-Action-Shifters-Speedway/dp/B00FAQVY40/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1420739147&sr=8-5&keywords=disney+planes+race+track

[pagas]

Zingo!

[swank]

We are enjoying Count Your Chickens and Go Fish (special cards with colors) . We received Hoot Owl Hoot for xmas but haven't played yet. . She loves Hungry, Hungry Hippos.

[snipsnsnails]

Oh, and Vincenzo also has the super sorting pie and he likes it just as much as his 2 year old sister.

He also has a Design and Drill and the Learning Resources Primary Science Kit which he also loves. As well as MagnaTiles, Quercetti tubes and a marble run! All fun toys for that age! He's 4 now, but he's been playing with them for the past year.

[Deleted]

Jan 8, 2015 12:33:21 GMT -5 leshoequeen said:

My girls received a fishing game with a little round tray of fish that goes in circles and they fish out with little poles. (I had this as a kid so its been around a while!) They love it.

They also received a Mickey Mouse board game that they like, but they are really a little young for. They don't really get spinning the wheel and moving spaces and whatnot.

My son got this too when he was three and he loved it.

[thebuddhagouda]

E loved Don't Break the Ice at 3, but he didn't get that the goal was NOT breaking the ice, so playing that with him generally meant three minutes of setup for 30 seconds of him hammering the ice out and then asking you to set it back up over and over and over and over.

[snipsnsnails]

Jan 8, 2015 12:51:51 GMT -5 thebuddhagouda said:

E loved Don't Break the Ice at 3, but he didn't get that the goal was NOT breaking the ice, so playing that with him generally meant three minutes of setup for 30 seconds of him hammering the ice out and then asking you to set it back up over and over and over and over.

LOL, that's playing it with my 2 year old. It aggravates her big brother to no end. It is a ton of set up, though, for a short game! And you have to have some pretty serious fine motor skillz to fit those dang blocks in!

[marshmallowmars]

DS is 3 and his current favorites are Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, Hi Ho Cherry-o, Spot It Junior, and the fishing pole game that some other posters mentioned.

[whitemerlot]

Ditto Sneaky Snacky Squirrel.

[adhdfashion]

My girls lile candyland, operation, and hungry hungry hippos.

[cookies]

We have Hi Ho Cherry-O and a super hero Chutes and Ladders. He loves both games.

We also have picked up the following card games from the $1 bin at Target - all are hits.
Memory
Crazy 8's
Old Maid
Go Fish

[cookies]

I forgot to talk about toys.

How about stuff he can use to play dress up? DS has fireman, Batman, and pirate dress up stuff and he totally digs it. Especially the pirate stuff. He has fake coins/treasure that we hide around the house. Then we draw up treasure maps so that he can try to find them.

Totally random, but flashlights are a hit too.

[8675309]

There are a couple favs going on right now in our house.

[luckyval]

Hi Ho Cherry-o is one Hart really likes, though the little pieces can be hard to maneuver. Also Chutes and Ladders.

We also play with our Scrabble set - we don't actually play the game, but he loves to mess around with the tiles.
And puzzles, omg, puzzles. We've gotten some bigger puzzles and he's obsessed.

[Deleted]

If you do Chutes and Ladders or Candyland, ask for the older versions. The new versions are so chaotic with colors and layout it's hard to figure out the spaces and follow along even as an adult. C also loves Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, the fishing game, and the Busytown game (it's huge when you put it together, must use floor, but fun).

He also loves a TMNT "Flying Attack" game that he got for his 4th birthday. It probably wouldn't be great for a first game, but it's a lot of fun now that C's got the idea of playing board games, and it's helping him think a bit more strategically/logically and learning how to read the cards. So your son might be a bit young now, but might want to keep it in mind for down the road.

[meij]

At three my DD loved Cootie, Don't Break the Ice, Good Night Moon game and Hi Ho Cherry O. I regret inviting the hi ho cherries into my house though.

[prettyinpearls]

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel
Shelby's Snack Shack

Not only does B love them, but they're made high quality materials that hold up a lot better than some of the cheaper board games.

[themoneytree]

Not sure if you're just focussing on board games, but we got a little indoor trampoline with a handle for Christmas and A is NUTS for it. It's even beaten out the bouncy horse. Lol.
Plus it's energy burning in a confined space which is useful!

[auberge]

My son is obsessed with Simon and hungry hungry hippo