Board games for younger kids

[purplepenguin7]

speaking of the holidays....

what board games/other games were your kids into around age 5?  The only game my daughter has played so far is Hungry Hungry Hippos. I'd like to get her one or two games for holidays. 

[christy082]

Chutes and Ladders
Sneaky Snacky Squirrel

[simpsongal]

"Sum swamp"

"What letter do I start with?"

[christy082]

Also, Zingo (there are different versions, we have Zingo 1,2,3)

[ohgillian]

Hiss is great at that age.

[trytobearunner34]

Outfoxed

[sparty04]

I love Sneaky Snacky Squirrel and Banana Blast. I will only play games that are easy and don't have a bunch of dumb rules, I just don't have the attention span.

[nicolewi]

Stone Soup, My First Carcassone, Hoot Owl Hoot, Candy Land, Guess Who, matching games (eeBoo has nice ones)

ETA and definitely Outfoxed! My kids love that game.

[luckystar2]

We played guess who a million times
Honeybee tree
Hi ho Cheerio
Don’t break the ice
Ants in my pants
Chutes and ladder
Candy land
Don’t wake daddy
Operation
Sorry
Trouble

We had a couple other unique games but I looked them up and they are no longer available.

DD loved (and we still will break it out at age 15) Sleeping Queens. It’s a card game and It says 8 and up but it really isn’t super complicated. You can do some easy math but could be good to work on/help them with it. We have gotten a ton of use out of that game.

[VillainV]

Chutes and Ladders and Candyland mostly.

[InBetweenDays]

Our kids loved Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat I Can Do That game. It is more of an activity game than board game but it was pretty fun.

[nicolewi]

We also like sleeping queens, too. Although I feel like five might be on the edge.Of being too young?? Definitely a good game to have!

[noodleoo]

DD2 loves games! Most have been mentioned already but I like these 2 that are from Peaceable Kingdom. They are cooperative games which I like. DD1 is competitive and used to get really upset at losing although DD2 is much better about it.

Race to the Treasure
Mermaid Island

She also likes card games and plays Sushi Go and Sleeping Queens with help.

I’m buying Outfoxed for her for Xmas based on recs.

[onthemove]

DD is 5.25: Guess who (we have good talks about making assumptions about gender and race, but I was uncomfortable at first), candyland, outfoxed, the Disney eye spy games, and dinosaur escape. She loved zingo at school. I just got uno for Christmas, not sure how that will go over.

We like the cooperative games like the Dino one, eye spy, outfoxed. There is “winning” but it’s team based.

[Jalapeñomel]

Outfoxed

[Jalapeñomel]

And did someone say games? Lol

[scm1011]

Y’all are better parents than me. Teach my kids how to play a game and then be forced to play it with them and mediate tears and fights? Pass. Whenever people buy my kids games as gifts I think “why do you hate me?”

Just me?

[icedcoffee]

Oct 19, 2023 19:09:21 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Y’all are better parents than me. Teach my kids how to play a game and then be forced to play it with them and mediate tears and fights? Pass. Whenever people buy my kids games as gifts I think “why do you hate me?”

Just me?

The only time I play board games with my kids is when I have had a couple drinks. I find it painful. Generally their board games end up with the pieces becoming fake food for their kitchen.

[cricketwife]

Outfoxed.
Race to the treasure
Hoot hoot owl
Busy town - this was a favorite for YEARS.

[lessel]

In addition to some mentioned we like Taco vs. Burrito and Anarchy Pancake (a take on Spot It). The 5yo needs an assist with Taco vs. Burrito but can do the other one solo.

[redpenmama]

We just stayed at an AirBNB that had that Mancala game with the pebbles and all three of my kids, but especially by 6-year-old, played it all weekend long. I'm going to get her one for Christmas.

[Susie]

I didn't really enjoy board games with my kids until just recently (DD is almost 8).  Ticket to Ride is good, and she really likes the Harry Potter Munchkin.

I think we did Molerats in Space (collaborative) around 6 or so.  

[heygrey]

Oct 19, 2023 17:17:45 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

DD2 loves games! Most have been mentioned already but I like these 2 that are from Peaceable Kingdom. They are cooperative games which I like. DD1 is competitive and used to get really upset at losing although DD2 is much better about it.

Race to the Treasure
Mermaid Island

She also likes card games and plays Sushi Go and Sleeping Queens with help.

I’m buying Outfoxed for her for Xmas based on recs.

I was going to recommend Peaceable Kingdom as a brand. We still place Race to the Treasure and DS is nearly 10. Most of the others we've passed on to friends, but definitely go towards the cooperative games for a 5 year old. It makes family game time a much more pleasant experience for all. 

[konapoppy]

My child decided Harold was the sneakiest fox in outfoxed so she rigged it so he was always guilty.

Poor Harold!!!

[186momx]

I have an only and board games are torture! We played a lot of domino's. We also have better luck with card games. DD 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade teachers did so many math games with cards that is what we played.

[loira]

Oct 19, 2023 19:38:47 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Oct 19, 2023 19:09:21 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Y’all are better parents than me. Teach my kids how to play a game and then be forced to play it with them and mediate tears and fights? Pass. Whenever people buy my kids games as gifts I think “why do you hate me?”

Just me?

The only time I play board games with my kids is when I have had a couple drinks. I find it painful. Generally their board games end up with the pieces becoming fake food for their kitchen.

.Same but my hatred of board games stems from a kid so competitive she made Hoot Owl Hoot into a game where we're pitted against one another. Also I am super competitive so it's doubly irksome that I know where she gets it.

[noodleoo]

Oct 19, 2023 19:09:21 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Y’all are better parents than me. Teach my kids how to play a game and then be forced to play it with them and mediate tears and fights? Pass. Whenever people buy my kids games as gifts I think “why do you hate me?”

Just me?

Haha! Board games have been more fun with DD1 since she’s gotten older (8.5 now). DD2 has a different personality (not as competitive, often lets me win LOL) so she’s much more fun to play with.

The thing I’m sick of is art kits! The problem being that people gift ones that are too hard for the kids to do alone, so I end up sitting with them the whole time while they get frustrated that it isn’t turning out like the picture. I’m so over them!!!

[gerberdaisy]

I'm the opposite of lots of people here, I love board games. Unless it's something like candy land that is 100% luck, those I cannot stand. We have a lot of the ones here, like others said peaceable kingdom was the best at that age.

Others that I don't think I saw mentioned:
Sequence Jr.
Learning Resources Noodle knockout! (really good for fine motor skills)
Learning Resources Alphablasters (good spelling/letter game)
Catan Jr (better for 6+)
Kings in the Corner

[gretchenindisguise]

For the 4-5 year old crowd we really liked Shark Bite. Its not a board game and is random luck, but A thought it was the funniest game ever.

[felicity]

Busytown was my favorite and DS loved it. And ditto Peacable Kingdom games, but honestly I find some of them really boring. DS liked them, though.