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5 Fun & Educational Board Games That Toddlers — & Parents! — Will Love
Game night can be a great way for the whole family to enjoy some time together. And if you have a toddler who’d like to take part in the fun, they certainly can! The best board games for toddlers are easy to learn and play, but also engaging enough to hold the attention of your little one.
In order to select a board game that your toddler will enjoy, make sure to pay attention to the manufacturer’s suggested age range for the game. This will help you choose a game that is age appropriate for your child. After all, you want to select a game that your toddler can actually enjoy — it shouldn’t be too challenging or require skills that they haven’t yet mastered, like reading or counting.
Most board games for toddlers have some type of educational aspect, like teaching colors or shapes, or even helping with skills like hand-eye coordination. If you have a specific area that you’d like your little one to grow in, be sure to select a game that specifically addresses it. Otherwise, you can rest easy knowing that your kiddo will certainly be developing skills while playing.
These five board games are age-appropriate for toddlers, and Amazon reviewers have attested that their little ones have an absolute blast while playing them.
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1The Overall Best Board Game For 1 Year Olds
Ages: 1 to 3
Players: 2+
The MindWare Seek-a-Boo game is the perfect first board game for your little one, since it’s simple to play yet highly entertaining. To play, parents scatter the large laminated “seek me” cards around the room and then call out a “find me” card. Watch as your kiddo goes on a hunt to find a match. Card categories include colors, shapes, animals, foods, and more.
While Seek-a-Boo is tons of fun, you'll also love how much it can teach your toddler; the game helps to build vocabulary and also improve memory skills. Reviewers on Amazon gave this pick a near-perfect star-rating, and many mentioned that they're pleased the game can grow with their children, since there are different variations that are more challenging.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "My husband and I purchased this game when our first son was 18 months and he loved it. He is 6 years old now and still loves this game. Now him and his brother play this game all the time. There’s so many creative ways to change the game and enjoy for all ages. I highly recommend this game. We purchased this game for my husbands niece and she loves it as well!!"
2The Overall Best Board Game For 2 Year Olds
Ages: 2+
Players: 2+
The Monkey Around game will surely get your toddler up and moving. From hugs to high fives to simple skills like balancing, hopping, and marching, the cards prompt players to do a variety of silly actions. Parents on Amazon commented that they love to partake in the fun, too, and they gave this pick a near-perfect star-rating on the site.
In addition to being plenty entertaining, Monkey Around also helps your toddler develop a wide variety of skills, including coordination, understanding spatial concepts, gross motor skills, listening, and even building vocabulary.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "I bought this game as a gift for my 2 year old granddaughter. My daughter told me the family enjoyed playing it together. You act out little scenes acting like a monkey, ex. Swing your arms like a monkey; or with a banana, ex. Walk in a circle with a banana on your head. She said it was a fun game that a two year old is able to play with members of the family. The gift was a success and reasonably priced too!"
3The Overall Best Board Game For 3 Year Olds
Ages: 3 to 5
Players: 2 to 4
With more than 4,000 reviews on Amazon and a 4.8-star rating overall, The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel game is truly a fan-favorite on Amazon. That's because it is easy to understand and play — no reading required — without sacrificing fun. To play, spin the spinner and pick up the matching acorn with the squirrel squeezer (which is basically a pair of tongs). Place the acorn in your log — the first to collect five is the winner.
What’s cool is that while your little one is having fun, they’re also developing turn-taking, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills, along with learning their colors.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "Gave this as a gift to a 3 year old and she really loves playing it with her mom and cousins. Great fun, cute, works on fine motor skills and keeps their attention for the length of the game. I thought this would be a winner and it was."
4A Classic Board Game That The Whole Family Can Enjoy
Ages: 3+
Players: 2 to 4
Hasbro’s Candy Land is a classic board game that the whole family will enjoy, toddlers included. The game play is simple: players encounter all kinds of delicious surprises as they move their cute gingerbread man pawn around the path in a race to the castle. Colored cards, sweet destinations, and fun illustrations will surely hold your little one’s attention, and there's no reading required. The game will help to reinforce your toddler's understanding of colors and allow them to practice taking turns, too.
With a 4.8-star rating on Amazon among 4,000 and growing reviews, it’s obvious that this pick deserves a spot in your next game night.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "There's a reason this game has been around for decades. Easy to learn and easy to play. My 4-year-old and I have played this game a thousand times. It's a family game night win when you're playing with little ones who can't yet read! This version is also quite sturdy and will hold up to some toddler/preschooler abuse."
5A Board Game For Toddlers To Work On Their Counting
Ages: 3+
Players: 2 to 4
Count Your Chickens is a cooperative board game that requires all of the players to work together towards the same goal — collecting chicks. To play, spin the spinner, move the appropriate number of spaces (while counting them along the way), and collect that number of chicks. If you collect all the chicks, then everyone wins!
Many Amazon reviewers mentioned that this game has helped their toddlers' counting abilities. The game has an impressive 4.5-star rating on the site, among more than 500 reviews.
Enthusiastic Amazon review: "My daughter got this for her 3rd birthday and we love it! Its easy enough for her to understand and its getting her to count and learn to take turns. Great game for toddlers!"
