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Inside: Check out an awesome list of easy and fun board games for toddlers! Your child will love these games, and you’ll enjoy them too!
I’ve always enjoyed seeing families playing board games together. It’s such an easy way to spend quality time together and have fun!
I was looking forward to the moment when I would be able to do this with my kids. But I never imagined that it would come so soon!
We started playing board games when my eldest son was a toddler and they are still one of our favorite activities!
After writing our list of favorite family night ideas and sharing how much we enjoy our game nights, I’ve received several questions for moms looking for fun games to play with their young kids.
Board games for toddlers are perfect for encouraging young kids to develop important skills, and they bring a lot of fun as well!
I’ve gathered here a list of our favorite board games for toddlers. I hope this list will help you discover games that your kids will love!
3 things to consider before buying board games for toddlers
When choosing board games for toddlers, here are 3 things to consider:
- Check out the playing time of the game. Choose a game with a short playing time (around 15 minutes) because toddlers have a short attention span and cannot concentrate for a long time on the game.
- Think about your child’s skills. Most of the games mention a recommended age of 3+ years, but you know your child’s skills better and can decide if a game is suitable for them. Also, make sure the game is safe for your child because many games include small parts that can be dangerous for young kids.
- Choose a game that will be fun for you as well. If your child enjoys a game, you’ll probably play it over and over again with them, so making sure you enjoy it as well can make a big difference!
The best board games for toddlers
If you like the idea of playing games with your toddler, I’ve gathered here 9 of our favorite games!
To make it easier for you to find the right game for your child, I divided the games into 2 categories: board games for 2-year-olds and board games for 3-year-olds (and older toddlers).
Our favorite board games for 2 year olds
We started playing easy games with our son when he was 2 and a half years old, and we discovered many nice board games together!
Here are our favorites:
1. First Orchard Cooperative Board Game
This game is great for very young kids (as young as 2 year olds)! My son loved playing it when he was a toddler.
The game gives the kids the opportunity to learn how to take turns and follow directions while having fun!
Recommended age: 2+ years
2. Acorn Soup
This counting game is perfect for teaching young kids new skills while having fun together! It can be a great first game to try with your toddler to introduce them to board games.
Players: 2 players
Recommended age: 2+ years
Our favorite board games for 3 year olds (and older toddlers)
These games can quickly become your child’s favorites! They are fun and easy to play, and they will also help toddler develop many helpful skills!
3. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game
This game is one of the best board games for toddlers! It encourages kids to practice color recognition and matching skills. Also, it’s a great way to teach children to take turns and have more patience.
Players: 2-4 players
Recommended age: 3+ years
4. Snug as a Bug in a Rug
This fun game invites kids (and parents) to work together to find matching bugs before the arrival of the stink bugs. It has different difficulty levels so you can adapt it for different ages.
The game teaches counting, color and shape recognition, and cooperation.
Players: 2-4 players
Recommended age: 3-6 years
5. Feed the Woozle
This preschool skills builder game encourages kids to practice their fine motor skills, dexterity, counting, and body awareness.
It has different difficulty levels and this makes it fun for both 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds.
Players: 2-5 players
Recommended age: 3+ years
6. Create and Tell Me A Story Cards – Animal Village
These story cards give kids the opportunity to use their imagination and get creative! Kids are invited to use the cards to create a different story every time they play the game.
This series also includes the Fairy Tale Mix-Up cards and the Mystery in The Forest cards that you can add to your collection if your kids enjoy this game.
Players: 2+ players
Recommended age: 3+ years
7. Animal Upon Animal
This stacking game is great for older toddlers.
It is a competitive game (compared to most of the other board games for toddlers, that are cooperative games), but it also gives kids the opportunity to develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
For younger kids, try this version of the game: Animal Upon Animal Wood Stacking Game (that is suitable for 2 year olds as well).
Players: 2-4 players
Recommended age: 4+ years
8. Stack Up Board Game
This game invites players to stack 12 blocks before the Stack Smasher gets there to smash the tower.
It teaches balance, color matching, and hand-eye cooperation. The game has 3 difficulty levels so you can easily adapt it to your child’s age and skills.
Players: 2-6 players
Recommended age: 3+ years
9. I Never Forget a Face Memory Matching Game for Kids
Memory games are great for young kids, and this set of memory cards has lovely illustrations!
You can get started by using just some of the matching pairs to make the game easier for you child, and slowly increase the number of pairs as they get familiar with the game.
If your little ones like dinosaurs, here is another nice memory game to try: Dinosaurs Little Memory and Matching Game.
Players: 2+ players
Recommended age: 3+ years
More great games for young kids
Here are some more games that great for young kids:
- Orchard Toys Shopping List (recommended age: 3-7)
- Zingo Bingo (recommended age: 4+)
- Pizza, Pizza! Game (recommended age: 3-7)
- Guess in 10 Junior Animal Kingdom (recommended age: 3-6 years)
I hope that you enjoyed the ideas on this list and that your kids will love the games! If you decide to try some of these board games for toddlers, I’m pretty sure they will bring a lot of fun to your home!
More family fun ideas:
