Board games are an ideal alternative to spend quality time with the family. Perfect for stimulating the cognitive development of children and boosting their concentration and memory, they are also a good resource for teaching them to respect rules and deal with frustration. However, not all games are worth taking advantage of these benefits. For this reason, in Child Stage we have compiled some educational board games that are not only fun and contribute to child development, but also go one step further and encourage learning.
20 Educational Board Games Every Child Should Play
1. Ghost Blitz
If you want to stimulate mental agility, reflexes and psychomotricity in the little ones at home, this game is perfect for you. The board game includes some objects and cards that represent those objects. The idea is simple, one of the players must draw a card and place it face up so that everyone can see it. The objective is that the players go for the object and, the first one to get it, will be able to keep the card. The player with the most cards at the end of the match wins the game.
2. Carcassonne
The city wants to expand and everyone is fighting to get more territories and possessions. In the end, everything will depend on how many cities you have conquered, prairies acquired and paths explored. Therefore, each player must carefully develop their strategy to conquer the largest number of territories and get hold of the most precious goods. A very entertaining strategy game that tests the intelligence, cunning, planning ability and creativity of the youngest members of the household in a fun way.
3. Operation
The little ones at home who are fond of biology and medicine will be delighted to put their skills into practice with this game. Although it is not conceived as an educational game per se, it is perfect for stimulating children’s psychomotor skills while exercising their knowledge of the human body. The game consists of extracting pieces from different parts of a toy body without touching the sides or setting off the alarm. Each time the alarm goes off, the turn passes to another player. Thus, the one who manages to extract the most pieces wins.
4. Emoticons
5. Pharaoh
Little fans of the history of mummies and pharaohs will be delighted to play this board game from the Ravensburger label as a family. It is a game set in ancient Egypt in which the goal is to find the treasures located under the pyramids on the board. To do this, a card is drawn from the deck, which determines which treasure to search for each turn. Players will have to move the pyramids until they find the right relic. But beware! If the wrong treasure is located, the turn is lost, and there are many mysteries awaiting. A fun memory game, ideal for spending an entertaining afternoon.
6. Catan
You are the first inhabitants to arrive on the island of Catán and very soon, the first towns and the first roads begin to appear. Gradually the island blossoms and small settlements turn into cities. Then, there comes a time when space becomes scarce and a fierce dispute over resources and land breaks out. Who will finally take power? To find out, you will have to plan your strategy in detail. Undoubtedly, a very fun game that will test children’s intelligence, planning skills and creativity.
7.IQ Fit
If the little ones at home like challenges, you will be right with this intelligence game. It is a set that includes 120 challenges in three game modes that tests the spatial skills, logic, ability to solve problems and concentration of the little ones. The idea is to choose a challenge and place the puzzle pieces as indicated, trying to fill the empty spaces on the board with the remaining puzzle pieces. There’s only one solution per challenge, so kids will have to find a way to get there.
8. Apples to Apples
Learning and fun are combined in equal parts in this board game, an ideal alternative to enjoy a quality afternoon with the little ones at home. It is a comparison game that improves children’s vocabulary, while testing their creativity, memory and thinking. The objective is to find synonyms of words or funny comparisons to get the most cards with the green apple. Without a doubt, a simple game with which laughter will be guaranteed. It is worth noting that it is available in different versions.
9. One
Considered one of the most popular board games among families, Uno is one of those games that cannot be missing in any home. It is a classic game of strategy and attention that consists of relating the cards according to their color or their number. The idea is to get rid of all the cards, so that the player who gets it first wins. Available in different versions, it is a very simple game that can be joined by up to 10 players.
10. Dobble
Dobble is a card game based on speed, observation and reflexes. Players must race to find the matching symbol among the cards as quickly as possible, but each card is unique and has only one symbol in common with any other in the deck which can vary in size or position. Without a doubt, it is not an easy task, but the one who manages to detect the most symbols will be the winner. Ideal for children to develop their visual skills and test their mental agility, it is perfect for enjoying a family afternoon at home.
11.Risk _
Considered one of the most popular war board games in history, it evokes the Napoleonic wars through a simple strategy in which players must conquer enemy territories. To do this you must create an army, move your troops and fight the battles. Depending on the result of the dice, you will defeat the enemy or you will be defeated. Undoubtedly, a very exciting game that will test the thinking, logic and planning skills of the little ones at home. The game is available in other versions.
12. Trivial
It is one of the classic board games, but no less fun for that. In this version for the family, the game includes 2,400 questions on different categories of knowledge: Geography, Entertainment, History, Sport and free time, Art and literature, and Science and nature. Whether individually or in teams, the idea is to answer as many questions as possible. In the end, the player(s) who has/have got the most questions right wins. A game that not only tests children’s knowledge but can teach them many curiosities that they did not know. It is worth noting that the game is also available in other versions.
13. The soccer fans
Who said that it is not possible to play football at home? Now with this card version of Roberto Santiago’s “Los futbolísimos” saga, children will be able to play soccer without leaving home. It is a card game whose main objective is to win a soccer game and get the greatest number of balls of the color of the assigned goal. It is important that the players are attentive because on the field of play everything is possible and more than one surprise awaits them. Undoubtedly, a fun game that will stimulate the creativity and logic of little football fans.
14. Sleeping Queens
Children who have enjoyed the children’s film “Sleeping Beauty” will be delighted to play this card game that offers the opportunity to have an entertaining time while putting your cognitive skills to the test. It is a very simple game whose objective is to wake up the five queens using the abilities that each card grants. To do this, players must make use of their memory, draw up a strategy and even use their knowledge of mathematics. In the end, whoever manages to wake up the most queens wins. Do you dare to try it?
15.Monster kit
The great sorcerer Mórlat puts his students to the test and asks you to summon a monster to strike fear into humanity. This is a pop quiz, but no one has studied, so you’ll have to try your luck. To do this, you must combine the cards that represent parts of a monster to create fun little monsters of different colors and shapes. An excellent way for children to learn to identify geometric shapes and colors, while developing visual and spatial skills and training simple mathematical operations. Without a doubt, a very entertaining game that the little ones will love.
16. Chess
Although it is considered a sport, chess is also an excellent board game. This classic game of pieces is perfect for training the logical ability, abstract thinking and long-term planning of the little ones at home. Also ideal for stimulating children’s concentration and creativity, it is a perfect game to play as a family that even the littlest ones can join. One of its greatest advantages is that it is available in different versions so that you can choose the one you like best and that suits your needs.
17. Film directors
Little ones who dream of becoming famous film directors will have the opportunity to start developing their skills with this board game. Composed of 100 cards classified into drawings, phrases and words, the first player will have to draw 4 cards at random and create a story from their representations. A very fun game that helps develop creativity, critical thinking and social skills of the little ones, while improving their vocabulary and oral expression.
18. Grabolo
Perfect to train concentration, observation and reflexes, with this fun board game laughter at home is guaranteed. It is a very simple game whose objective is to match the cards with the image that appears on the dice. To do this, each turn the dice are rolled and the player who puts his hand on the similar card first scores a point. At the end of the game, whoever has accumulated the most points wins. A very entertaining game, ideal to stimulate the attention of the little ones that you can play as a family.
19. Lynx
It is a skill game that helps to stimulate the perception of space and the speed of response in the smallest of the house. The idea is to take a tile and find the corresponding image on the board to match them. In the end, whoever manages to accumulate the most chips wins, so visual acuity and good reflexes are essential skills to win the game. It is worth noting that the game is available in several versions that vary in complexity so that you can choose the model that best suits your family.
20. Dominoes
Dominoes is one of the classic board games that families with children cannot miss. It is a simple board game, which can be found in different versions of different complexity, which will test the fine motor skills of the little ones while they develop their reasoning and mathematical skills. This children’s version is also perfect for teaching children to recognize shapes and colors in a fun way. The challenge? Get rid of all the tiles before the end of the game or, by keeping as few tiles as possible.