20 Gift Ideas for Kids Who Love BOARD GAMES
Who doesn’t love a good board game? If your kids can’t get enough of that magical combo of luck and strategy, here are some fun games for a variety of ages.
1. Jenga
The beauty of Jenga is that kids of all ages can play it, it’s fun enough for adults to join in, and the end of the game is always a dramatic finish.
- Pull out a block without crashing the stack to win at Jenga
- Includes 54 Jenga hardwood blocks, stacking sleeve with instructions
2. Blokus
Blokus has been a favorite in our house. All ages can play, it’s good for brains, and just simple-yet-challenging enough to be fun for everyone.
- Perfect strategy game for the whole family – less than a minute to learn with fun challenges for all ages!
- Players take turns placing their 21 pieces on the board: each piece must touch another of the same color, but only at the corners!
3. Trash Pandas
I have to admit, trash panda is my favorite nickname for any animal. It’s so perfectly descriptive. And the reviews on this inexpensive card and dice game make it a sure bet.
- Players are raucous raccoons, tipping over Trash cans for food
- Players push their luck to acquire more cards, but must stash them in order for them to count as points at the end of the game
4. Bop It!
We’ve had a couple of different Bop It’s in our household, and they got a lot of use. The sound might drive you bonkers, but it’s super fun and a good game for practicing focus.
- Bop It Micro Series game is fast-paced, compact fun
- Follow the game's commands to Bop it, Twist it and Pull it in the right sequence
5. Candy Land
Candy Land is nostalgic for us parents, but still so fun for young kids today. Who doesn’t want to live in Candy Land? No one, that’s who. Classic fun for the younger set.
- CLASSIC BEGINNER GAME: Do you remember playing Candy Land when you were a kid. Introduce new generations to this sweet kids' board game
- RACE TO THE CASTLE: Players encounter all kinds of "delicious" surprises as they move their cute gingerbread man pawn around the path in a race to the castle
6. Apples to Apples Junior
Apples to Apples is a fun game and this junior version uses a bit simpler words than the original version. (For older kids, we recommend the original version to help build vocabulary.)
![Apples to Apples Junior, The Game of Crazy Comparisons, Board Game with 504 Cards, Family Party Game Especially for Kids, Gift for Kid, Teen & Family Game Night Ages 9 Years & Older [Amazon Exclusive]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51zg2HWbyHL._SL160_.jpg)
- Item arrives in frustration-free, easy-to-open packaging that's 100% recyclable. For a gift-ready box, select "Ship in Amazon packaging" at checkout.
- The Apples to Apples Junior family party game is made especially for kids 9 years and older. It's the hilarious Apples to Apples party game designed for younger members of the family.
7. Monopoly Junior
Monopoly is a classic, but it’s too complicated and long for young kids. (And let’s face it, it’s long for us grownups too.) This version has all the fun in less time. Yay.
- SIMPLE AND FASTER MONOPOLY GAME FOR KIDS: This Monopoly Junior board game features simplified gameplay for budding Monopoly fans.
- FEATURES TOP HAT TOKEN: The Monopoly Junior game includes an adorable top hat token like the one worn by the Mr. Monopoly character
8. Perplexus Rebel 3D Maze
Our son has had three Perplexuses and they’re a lot of fun. Super challenging, but doable, which is just the right combination.
- 70 CHALLENGING OBSTACLES: Can you make it through Perplexus Rebel’s 70 obstacles? Move the ball along the numbered track through tricky hurdles like the igloo, terrible tube, and scary stairs without falling off the track. This is a cool sensory toy for stress relief or just a great brain teaser.
- 3D GRAVITY MAZE PUZZLE GAME: Perplexus Rebel is the original challenging 3D maze, contained within a sphere! Guide the ball through high-tension maneuvers and make it to the finish line without falling
9. 5 Second Rule Junior
For kids who like fast-paced games where you have to think on your feet, this party game would be a fun one. More than 4,700 five-star ratings make this one a winner.
- A family version of the popular party game
- Read a card and give an answer. But you have to do it in 5 seconds
10. Operation
There is nothing not fun about Operation. Helps kids build coordination and fine motor skills, and that buzzer feeling when they touch the edge of the opening is one they’ll never forget.
- Classic electronic skill and action game challenges you to "operate" on your patient
- Use the tweezers to remove Sam's funny ailment parts
11. Simon Air
Simon is a great memory builder, but this version is like the futuristic game we all imagined as kids.
- SIMON AIR GAME – a fun table-top game that recognizes when a player follows the color / light sequence by sensing their motions
- MASTER THE MOVES– watch, remember and repeat patterns. Single color, double color and swoop
12. Exploding Kittens
Game of the Year winner Exploding Kittens may sound gruesome, but it’s totally family-friendly, we promise. Fun for the whole family.
- A Kitty-Powered Russian Roulette Card Game - The hit party game for family and friends who are into kittens and explosions and laser beams and sometimes goats.
- A Simple Card Game for Kids and Adults - Perfect for all occasions, including a family game night, beach trip, road trip or drinking with friends!
13. Gobblet Gobblers
We had a Gobblet game when our kids were really young, and they played it for years. It’s like tic-tac-toe, but slightly more complicated for a bit more intrigue.
- Like tic-tac-toe, line up 3 of your Gobblers in a row to win!
- Players can gobble up their opponent’s pieces to take their place.
14. Carcassonne
Carcassonne is one of the rare items on our list that we’ve never actually played. However, 5,000+ reviews with a 5-star average can’t be wrong. We’ve heard nothing but good things.
- STRATEGY GAME - PLAN YOUR WAY TO VICTORY: Develop the landscape of a medieval fortress city one tile at a time. Whether blocking a city's growth or connecting with your opponent’s road to share the points, Carcassonne provides plenty of ways to use your cunning and outsmart your opponents.
- ONE STEP AT A TIME TILE-PLACEMENT GAME: Players fill in the countryside around the medieval fortified city, choosing from tiles that depict cities, roads, monasteries, and fields; each new tile creates an ever-expanding board on which players can then add their followers.
15. Labyrinth
Ravensburger makes awesome games (and awesome puzzles). We have this one, and it’s neverending fun. It’s different every time, it’s simple to learn, and it’s good for a wide range of ages.
- What You Get – Labyrinth comes with 1 game board, 34 maze tiles, 24 treasure cards, 4 vibrant game pieces, and instructions.
- Fun Play Experience – In Labyrinth, Ravensburger’s wildly popular board game for kids and adults, players find the shortest route through the l abyrinth to win. In the game, players aim to reach all their treasures and targets as they move along the board, shifting the maze as they go along. Labyrinth supports 2 to 4 players ages 7 and up and plays in 20 to 30 minutes.
16. Squashed 3D
A bit of a twist on the board game, this 3-D strategy game is simple enough, but also engaging enough for hours of fun.
- TEACHES YOUNG CHILDREN problem solving and strategy, entertains them for hours.
- EASY TO LEARN GAME OF STRATEGY. Fun to play for 2-4 players
17. Catan Junior
Catan is a favorite at our house. The original is awesome, but if you’re looking for a version for younger kids, here you go.
- A CATAN ADVENTURE FOR FLEDGLING SWASHBUCKLERS! CATAN Junior lets younger players experience the world of CATAN by introducing a simpler playing style. Designed for players as young as 6, it's the perfect introduction to the CATAN series of games for kids and families.
- ADVENTURE GAME: CATAN Junior takes place on a ring of tropical isles—including the mysterious Spooky Island, home of the Ghost Captain. Each island generates a specific resource - wood, goats, molasses, or cutlasses. You can also find gold. Just watch out for the dreaded Ghost Captain!
18. Googly Eyes
Googly Eyes is just plain old silly fun. It comes with different glasses that totally distort your vision and you wear them while trying to draw things for your teammates to recognize. So dang funny.
- Unique gameplay players put on the vision distorting glasses and try to draw a challenge for their team to guess before time runs out
- Family fun Great for people of all ages to play together - the goggles make it challenging for everyone to see (and draw) straight
19. Ticket to Ride First Jouney
We have one Ticket to Ride game and have played a couple of others. We haven’t tried the junior version, but based on the reviews, it appears to be just as good as the regular versions (which are fun, but a bit complicated for younger players).
- STRATEGY GAME: First Journey offers unique rules designed for a younger audience that retain the strategy, charm, and fun of the original Ticket to Ride. The whole family will enjoy claiming routes and completing Tickets!
- FUN ADVENTURE GAME: First Journey is the perfect way to introduce young players to the game of cross-country travel.
20. TENZI Dice Game
We love TENZI. It’s SO simple, but really fun. There are a whole bunch of ways you can play it, and we like to make up our own. Fast-paced and quick, so you can play even if you just have a few minutes to kill.
- AWARD WINNING: TENZI is a fast, fun dice game that encourages fast reactions and is super easy to learn. That’s why it was named one of ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids. (Ages 7 to 97)
- FAST ACTION: TENZI is fun because it’s fast. To play TENZI you must roll your 10 dice as fast as you can which makes the game instantly competitive and fun for the whole family.
Bonus Power Gifter Idea
Disney Villainous
Perhaps the only thing more classic Disney than Mickey is Cinderella’s castle. With five star reviews, this LEGO version is sure to make any Disney lover’s day.
- Characters you love - In this asymmetric style of game play, Each Disney Villain has their own objectives and goals. You have 3 different Disney Villains to choose from — Hades, Dr. Facilier, and the Evil Queen. The fate decks also feature your favorite protagonists like Hercules, Zeus, Meg, Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis, Ray, Mama Odie, Snow White, The Seven Dwarfs and more!
- Great for Disney fans and families - Whether you're playing with a group of devoted Disney fans, classic strategy gamers, or with your family, Wicked to the core is perfect for any game night occasion and makes a great gift for Disney lovers!
