A brand new game makes an excellent gift. Why? Because it can be shared with others, played again and again and offers a brain-boosting experience every time it comes out of the closet! However, a 3 year old will enjoy a different game from a 7 year old and from an 11 year old. So what is the best game for every age?
Based on our extensive experience as a family of board game nerds, I’ve collected a list of what I think are some of the best games for kids by age. Of course it is not a hard and fast guide, but you are sure to find a great new game to give to your child! (Note this post contains affiliate links. Some games may have been received as review copies. All opinions mine.)
Best Game for 2 Year Old
Move and Groove
Buy it: Amazon
Move and Groove from ThinkFun is the absolute best game for toddlers ages 18 months and up. This game gets toddlers doing what they do best: moving and acting silly! Players roll the giant plush die to determine a color, then pick up a matching color card and follow the visual instructions to perform an action. Move and Groove introduces the concept of game play to young kids in a fun and creative way.
Awards: Parents Choice Silver, Toy Insider Top Summer Toys
Best Game for 3 Year Old
I Never Forget a Face Memory Game
Buy it: Amazon
Memory is a classic game that is perfect for honing a 3 year old’s patience, memory and visual perception skills! Classic games stick around because they offer a universally enjoyable and satisfying experience I adore this version of Memory by eeBoo. The sturdy cards feature faces from all around the world, and kids will love to talk about what they see, building global awareness.
Awards: Oppenheim Gold Award
Best Game for a 4 Year Old
Hoot Owl Hoot
Buy it: Amazon
Hoot Owl Hoot is one of our absolute favorite cooperative games and a terrific game for 4 year olds. Cooperative games teach kids the benefits of working together. Kids learn problem solving, simple strategy, taking turns and all around good sportsmanship. Unlike Candyland, which depends solely on the luck of the draw, Hoot Owl Hoot requires strategic thinking and basic logic, making it much more fun for the grown-ups who play with their kids!
Awards: Disney FamilyFun Toy of the Year Award, Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products Award, Major Fun Award
Best Game for 5 Year Olds
Rivers, Roads and Rails
Buy it: Amazon
This game requires kids to use their visual perception skills to match cards together and create pathways of an ever changing network of rivers, roads and rails. It’s like a puzzle and board game in one! The game can be played either competitively or cooperatively for endless variety and to suit the temperament of each child.
Awards: Parent’s Choice Gold Award, Creative Toy Award
Best Game for 6 Year Olds
Quirkle
Buy it: Amazon
Quirkle is one of those rare games that a 6 year old and an adult equally enjoy and find challenging. Players put their strategy, problem solving, and visual discrimination skills to the test while they work to create sequences of colors and shapes.
Awards: Major Fun Award, Mensa Select Award, National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval, Parents’ Choice Gold Award, Spiel des Jahres Award
Best Game for 7 Year Olds
Card Games
Buy it: Sleeping Queens | Dragonwood
I couldn’t decide between these two favorite card games so I’m leaving it up to you to choose which one best suits your 7 year old! Both games have been well loved at our house. Both are easy to learn and require a combination of strategy and luck to win. Family members of all ages will want to join in the fun.
Awards: Parent’s Choice, Family Fun | Oppenheim Platinum, Mensa Select, Major Fun, Parent’s Choice Silver and more!
Best Game for 8 Year Olds
Logic Puzzles
Buy it: Domino Maze |Thinking Putty Puzzle
You all know we adore single player logic puzzles, and 8 years old is the perfect time to get your child hooked on these types of games because they can play them for hours, working through all of the challenging levels. Best of all, because each game has levels ranging from basic to expert, logic games like Domino Maze and Thinking Putty Puzzle grow with your child, so they are an excellent investment! Choose either a puzzle that challenges your child to use critical thinking skills to build creative domino mazes or a puzzle that boosts fine motor skills as well as logical reasoning with the fun addition of Thinking Putty!
Awards: Parent’s Choice, Astra Best Toys and more!
Best Game for 9 Year Olds
Quarto
I only recently discovered this marvelous game, although it has been around for decades. This unique and challenging abstract strategy game will entice your 9 year olds and engage their deductive reasoning and spatial perception skills. The superior construction of the game makes it an excellent gift!
Buy it: Amazon
Awards: Toy Award, Spiel des Jahres-Game of the Year, Mensa Select, Parent’s Choice Gold, Best Bet of the Toy Testing Council and more!
Best Game for 10 Year Olds
Settlers of Catan
Buy it: Amazon
This European style board game requires a different type of strategic thinking from the other games on this list. Players act as settlers in an attempt to acquire land and buildings by hoarding resources and trading with others. Game play lasts longer than typical family games but 10 year olds love this type of game that mixes strategy with role play and will love playing it with their friends.
Awards: Spiel des Jahres Game of the Year, GamesCom Vegas Game of the Century and more.
Best Game for 11 Year Olds and Up
Exploding Kittens
Buy it: Amazon
Older tweens and teens love games that make them laugh hysterically and maybe have a little bit of–gross-out humor–shall we say? Exploding Kittens fits the bill exactly. Honestly it is so fun. There’s also a wonderful randomness to the game that keeps players on their toes, and keeps the laughs coming!
Awards: On of the biggest Kickstarter campaign of all-time. (Okay, not an award but you get the idea.)
More gift guides with games for all ages:
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