Board games for 3.5-4 year olds

[nellgirl]

I’m looking for board game ideas for my 3.5 year old for her Christmas list. She has (and loves) Sneaky Snacky Squirrel and a similar game involving patterned seashells from the same company. She has a Peppa Pig memory matching game as well. She has played Zingo and really likes it, so that will go on the list.
I’m looking for a good turn-taking game that she can play with us, hopefully one that has some longevity. I’d be happy with something cooperative, but it doesn’t have to be. I’d prefer to stay away from anything that relies on the gross out factor... just not our thing.
Games I’ve heard of, but have no experience with are Hoot Hoot Owl and Candyland- would either be appropriate?

[dcn]

Both would be great. My 3.5 year old loves candy land (he legit plays it by himself lol) and he and his 7 year old brother play Hoot owl hoot well together. Another game he loves is Pop the Pig.

[pierogigirl]

Shelby's Snack Shack (it's a dog with bones) is by the Sneaky Snacky Squirrel people, or is just very similar to that game. We have several different matching games and my kids (10 and almost 8) still play them.

Race to the Treasure is a cooperative game my younger son likes.

Tenzi - a dice game that's fun for all ages.

[gastro]

Yes hoot owl hoot is great.

At that age we also loved race to the treasure, count your chickens, outfoxed

[babybuffalo]

We love this one!

m.barnesandnoble.com/w/toys-games-richard-scarry-busy-town/19801409

[boiler717]

His favorites are Sorry (adult), Sequence (kids edition), My First Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride (we use the adult version but modify rules for him). These all have great longevity and he started playing just before 3.
My son doesn’t love Candy Cane or Chutes and Ladders. The Peaceable Kindgom games
(Hoot Hoot Owl, Count my Chickens, etc) are okay but he’s almost outgrown them and never was super into them. Zingo is not a fave but he will play it some, same with Bananagrams.

[cricketwife]

We also love Bust Town. It used to be my favorite of their games but after 1000 times, I’ve stopped loving it, lol.

Personally, I hate candy land and DS1 didn’t love it so I got rid of it quickly. After that, I decided that my rule for games is that the outcome can not be determined by 100% luck. If it’s completely based on luck. It’s just too boring and I want them to have a little, however minor, control over the outcome of the game.

We have a million games, it seems. I think it’s because I get bored of the preschool games quickly. We like many listed above -
Busytown
Sequence kids
Zingo
Hoot hoot owl
Race to the treasure
Uno
goblet gobblers was huge at age 4
Stack up ( they really love this one)
Yeti in my spaghetti another favorite

[bcv513]

She loves chutes and ladders and candy land. For Christmas I got topple and thin ice.

[ellipses84]

I got mine Yeti in my Spaghetti and the Gone Fishing game since they were like $3 on clearance. He kind of understands Connect 4 and Trouble, with help. Chutes and ladders and Candyland are good too. We have a couple Memory card games with favorite characters (that was my favorite when I was little). Both my kids love Chairs.

[expectantsteelerfan]

We have a kids (Disney) version of Rumicube that we really enjoyed at that age (and helped learn to play the adult version that we still love).

Also, any version of the popper game (Trouble, but can get characterized versions at 5 below and such) was a hit then too.

[nicolewi]

Candyland--my kids all like the classic Candyland game!
Any matching games by EEboo--they have cool pictures and nice thick cards. We have the faces one and the candy one.
Stone Soup--cooperative matching game; easy to play; not too long
Disney Princess Cupcake game--purely for the fun of making the little cupcakes
We got Pop the Pig as a gift and my kids seem to like that more than I had expected.
Outfoxed is great but you need playing partners for sure or helpers for that age.
My First Carcassone

[swiftlyirun]

My 3.5year old girl LOVES pretty pretty princess- yes, the same one that was around when we were kids. It’s easy to pick up and they are making it again. Plus i love the nostalgia factor- and seeing my husband in tiaras 😂

[hermione]

Busytown is cooperative and fun.

[IrishBelle]

Go Ape is a favourite in our house. It’s like go fish but you mimic what the ape is doing on the card you are asking for.
DD2 is 8.5 and she still loves it.

www.walmart.com/ip/Go-Ape-Game/25762111

[christy082]

In addition to some already mentioned, my daughter loves Surprise Slides (we have the Peanuts version but I've seen many versions).

[countthestars]

We love Zingo, Outfoxed, Sorry, and Old Maid

[niq]

We have had very little luck with Hoot Owl Hoot. Pengoloo and Max the Cat worked out much better at that age.

[Aquatica]

We don't own a lot of games since we like to go to board game cafes. DD really likes to try anything but I've been working on fun learning games that involve her counting or colors. Some games we've played that she likes are:

Candy Land
Chutes and Ladders
Hungry Hungry Hippos (not a board game)
Matching Tile game
Barrel of Monkeys
Musical Fishing Game
Jenga (mostly it's funny to make the tower fall)
Tumblin' Monkeys

[pittpurple]

My kids love this one - www.mastermindtoys.com/4650-Snug-as-a-Bug-in-a-Rug-Co-operative-Game.aspx

[isabel]

DH just asked me to buy Spot It Jr. for DS1 (he's 4). He played it with his thesis advisor's kids and said it was really fun.

DS1 also has and enjoys Candy Land, Old Maid, and Go Fish. I think Chutes and Ladders would be fun for him too.

[lillaguma]

My 4.5 year old loves Candy Land, Hippy Hoppy's Happy Hunt (something like that -it's a bunny game that is the same company as the sneaky squirrel one I believe), Sequence for kids, Guess Who, Uno.

[pittpurple]

Oct 13, 2019 15:51:02 GMT -5 cricketwife said:

We also love Bust Town. It used to be my favorite of their games but after 1000 times, I’ve stopped loving it, lol.

Personally, I hate candy land and DS1 didn’t love it so I got rid of it quickly. After that, I decided that my rule for games is that the outcome can not be determined by 100% luck. If it’s completely based on luck. It’s just too boring and I want them to have a little, however minor, control over the outcome of the game.

We have a million games, it seems. I think it’s because I get bored of the preschool games quickly. We like many listed above -
Busytown
Sequence kids
Zingo
Hoot hoot owl
Race to the treasure
Uno
goblet gobblers was huge at age 4
Stack up ( they really love this one)
Yeti in my spaghetti another favorite

I am not sure how old your kids are but if they're 5+ (or getting there), you should look at Sushi Go - it's great.

[cricketwife]

Oct 15, 2019 3:32:31 GMT -5 pittpurple said:

Oct 13, 2019 15:51:02 GMT -5 cricketwife said:

We also love Bust Town. It used to be my favorite of their games but after 1000 times, I’ve stopped loving it, lol.

Personally, I hate candy land and DS1 didn’t love it so I got rid of it quickly. After that, I decided that my rule for games is that the outcome can not be determined by 100% luck. If it’s completely based on luck. It’s just too boring and I want them to have a little, however minor, control over the outcome of the game.

We have a million games, it seems. I think it’s because I get bored of the preschool games quickly. We like many listed above -
Busytown
Sequence kids
Zingo
Hoot hoot owl
Race to the treasure
Uno
goblet gobblers was huge at age 4
Stack up ( they really love this one)
Yeti in my spaghetti another favorite

I am not sure how old your kids are but if they're 5+ (or getting there), you should look at Sushi Go - it's great.

Maybe I should get that. I looked at it once because I heard great things but we aren’t sushi eaters and I was afraid it would be hard for my kids without any schema for it. 

[megkat]

Pop the Pig is one of my DD’s favorites

[noodleoo]

Oct 15, 2019 18:47:41 GMT -5 cricketwife said:

Oct 15, 2019 3:32:31 GMT -5 pittpurple said:

I am not sure how old your kids are but if they're 5+ (or getting there), you should look at Sushi Go - it's great.

Maybe I should get that. I looked at it once because I heard great things but we aren’t sushi eaters and I was afraid it would be hard for my kids without any schema for it. 

I got Sushi Go for my H (he loves sushi!) and my 4 yo DD1 loves it! I play with her more often than H. She doesn’t totally get the rules but she still has fun (mostly likes to collect the puddings 😂). She has not had sushi yet.

[ebeth]

My kid is newly 4. We’ve got hoot owl hoot, candy land and rush hour junior. Hoot owl hoot is cooperative and probably her favorite. Candy land is obviously not cooperative but she likes to play it. Rush hour jr isn’t taking turns but is more of a logic game, but we’ve sort of modified it to be a cooperative game where she sets up the board and we take turns experimenting with moving cars, talk through how to choose what care to move next, etc.

[pittpurple]

Oct 15, 2019 18:47:41 GMT -5 cricketwife said:

Oct 15, 2019 3:32:31 GMT -5 pittpurple said:

I am not sure how old your kids are but if they're 5+ (or getting there), you should look at Sushi Go - it's great.

Maybe I should get that. I looked at it once because I heard great things but we aren’t sushi eaters and I was afraid it would be hard for my kids without any schema for it. 

It's just matching up things - the pictures are adorable and it's strategic without being too complicated. My son (at 3) likes looking at the pictures but my daughter (at 6) is old enough to work out most of the strategy. Involves math and strategic thinking and is the size of a deck of cards so great for our really small house - we're getting the expansion pack now :-)