Author Topic: Fun board games for kids  (Read 7250 times)

nyxst

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Fun board games for kids
« on: October 22, 2016, 07:24:26 PM »
I couldn't find a thread for games... Please move this if there is one already!
We borrowed "Robot Turtles" from the library today and the kids love it, and so do I :) it is described as a "beginner programmer game for pre-k age", but it has such open-ended possibilities! For example, my 6 year old was doing well, and my 11 year old wanted to join in, so I upped the stakes for him only, forcing him to think ahead like in chess to guess how his little sis would play. Very fun!
Do any of you have favorite games that kids of various ages can play? We have a few favorites here, but this new one is a winner!

Typhoid Mary

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2016, 07:28:24 PM »
My kids like the old stand by connect4. They will play for HOURS and change the rules, and painted a couple of the circles for their new rules. Best $10 I ever spent. They also love Pictureeka and Uno. These games aren't mind-blowing, but they get played aLOT compared to other board games, and they usually choose one of those three over the x-box, which impresses me. Connect4 is vicious in my house. Vicious!

nyxst

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2016, 07:43:45 PM »
Uno is another winner here :) I will probably pick up connect four next time I see it at a thrift shop/garage sale :) love those vicious games :) haha!

SwordGuy

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2016, 08:36:37 PM »
I liked Chess, Afrika Korps, Guadalcanal, and Panzerblitz.   Started in 5th grade.   But I'm weird.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2016, 09:16:40 PM »
Not sure whether they're available in the US, but Chicky Boom and Gobblet Gobblers are very popular with my nephlings aged 4 - 8.

11ducks

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2016, 03:04:37 AM »
We have a gazillion - beetle, cards (snap), cluedo, guess who, game of life, battleship, jenga, a marble maze, chess, backgammon. We have monopoly (3 versions - gifts) but I despise it - it takes too long!

Cards are great for a heap of games, plus building card towers.

Also, not exactly a game, but I bought a bag of mini wooden paddlepop sticks and some glue, we have had hours of fun making xmas decorations, a barnyard and corral for plastic horses, houses, machines etc.

jjcbjs

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2016, 08:31:52 AM »
Not a board game, but a card game: my kids (5 &7) love Sleeping Queens and I do too!

StarBright

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #7 on: October 24, 2016, 08:41:11 AM »
My kids (3 and 5) LOVE Robot Turtles, though only my 5 year old "gets" it. Another one that we play a lot is Spot It, which also has a Junior edition.

We also like to play Set, a card game. Both children do surprisingly well at it. I anticipate major family set tournaments in 5-7 years (because DH and i love to play it too).
« Last Edit: October 24, 2016, 09:08:49 AM by StarBright »

Le Poisson

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #8 on: October 24, 2016, 08:43:54 AM »
It will probably come up again, but the family edition of Catan is still fun for everyone. The youngest (5) doesn't quite understand the game mechanics yet, but the (then) 7 yr old loves it. He hasn't figured out how to win, but likes playing with the family.

Also crokinole, if you can find a board can be played with 2-4 players, and is good fun.

tonysemail

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #9 on: October 24, 2016, 01:49:41 PM »
in terms of card games, my son can't get enough of pokemon.  it's rather annoying.

for board games, my kids like clue and battleship.
we haven't tried programming games, so I may try to find a copy of Robot Turtle.

we played an old copy of Life from my wife's childhood... there's been inflation :)
monopoly never gets played because it takes too long.

I was also requested to buy mancala after one summer camp. 
Guess it was popular there too.

when friends are over, they play twister as a party game.

SomedayStache

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2016, 07:53:08 AM »
Labyrinth board game by Ravensburger.

My kids love Robot Turtle but I absolutely absolutely hate playing it.

The whole family loves Labyrinth (even the 3-yr-old who plays on someone's team and gets to push the maze around as directed).

LindseyS

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2016, 08:52:44 AM »
Rummikub!!!

FausseBourgeoise

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2016, 09:38:09 AM »
Zombie Kidz. I played it with my 6 year old nephew and he loved it. He was able to teach grandma.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeU06Oox4_c

TrMama

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2016, 11:53:55 AM »
I picked up Forbidden Desert last month and we've had a blast with it. It's a cooperative game, so everyone either wins or loses together. Perfect for those kids who have trouble maintaining their composure in defeat ;-)

socalteacher

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2016, 08:36:10 PM »
My 5 and 7 year old like playing Rummikub, shut the box (builds great number sense), and our absolute favorite Pirateer (must buy used on eBay now). Another great game that we get out at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter is Skittles (search "skittles Berea College").

Secret Agent Mom

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #15 on: November 05, 2016, 08:39:31 PM »
Blokus, Ticket to Ride, Clue, Apples to Apples (Jr. and Disney version are a hit with littler kids), and Headbands are the games my kids play the most.  Today they played Monopoly :)  I tried one called Indigo last year that the kids really like.  On my list this year is Catan, a different Ticket to Ride (there are various versions w/ different maps), Harry Potter Clue, and Evolution.  We do play board games quite often, and I've looked at the Robot Turtle game before, but never bought it.  I know last year I almost did, but picked Melissa and Doug Suspend (which is also fun but not a board game) instead. 

BigRed

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #16 on: November 10, 2016, 02:05:35 PM »
Settlers of Catan has a kids version, Catan Jr, which is pretty good.  My son started playing at 5 or 5 1/2, I think, and he picked it up pretty quick.  Didn't get universal interest when his friends came over, though.  Still, I thought it was a great game to start providing some advanced thinking.

MayDay

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #17 on: November 11, 2016, 05:15:51 AM »
Mine are 6 and 9.

They love uno, labyrinth, blokus (this is nice because it is short!) and are starting to get into monopoly and ticket to Ride.

scienceplayhouse

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #18 on: January 10, 2017, 12:53:49 PM »
Spot it is awesome for younger kids! My 4 year old can't get enough of it even when we play for extra chores...

galliver

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #19 on: January 10, 2017, 01:44:55 PM »
We just got a little cousin of mine (7yo) a copy of Dixit. I really like it as a game for all ages (we have one with 2 card expansion packs ;) )

It's a very different type of gameplay, centered around describing pictures on the cards (and the artwork is beautiful).

Poundwise

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #20 on: January 10, 2017, 08:30:09 PM »
My 7 year old likes King of Tokyo and Stratego. Although he enjoys playing a lot of other games with his big brother, these two games in particular I think are at his level.

Trifle

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #21 on: January 11, 2017, 06:18:14 AM »
Our kids are 10 and 13.  X2 for Blokus.  We also like Qwirkle -- strategic but even the littlest kid can get in on the action.  We play a lot of Pictionary, actually.  You have to make adjustments for kids.  If they draw a card and have no idea what the object/person/concept is, then we just have them draw again.  Our 10 year old is probably the best at Pictionary in the family . . .

Secretly Saving

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #22 on: January 11, 2017, 06:30:07 AM »
We like the games that have been on the Mensa list -- two favorites are Set and Quirkle.  Also love classics  like Rummikub, Castle Risk, Pictionary etc

StarBright

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #23 on: January 11, 2017, 07:19:02 AM »
We like the games that have been on the Mensa list -- two favorites are Set and Quirkle.  Also love classics  like Rummikub, Castle Risk, Pictionary etc

We love Set and can't wait until our kids are old enough to start really playing with us!
« Last Edit: March 10, 2017, 07:57:06 AM by StarBright »

Le Poisson

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #24 on: January 11, 2017, 07:27:08 AM »
Last night the family played boring old UNO. Kid 1 (8yrs old) won on the point tally and felt like he was the winner. Kid 2 won the last hand and felt like he was the winner. Reality was that an error in addition saw Momma lose the point lead in the last hand, and I kept an eye on the youngest's cards and threw the game in the last hand.

Family game night is so fun!

nyxst

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #25 on: January 11, 2017, 04:11:46 PM »
We love Uno :) Also, Sequence is one we play a lot.

Trifle

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #26 on: January 12, 2017, 06:09:53 AM »
We like the games that have been on the Mensa list -- two favorites are Set and Quirkle.  Also love classics  like Rummikub, Castle Risk, Pictionary etc

We love Set and can't wait until our kids are old enough to start playing with us!

This thread is cool!  I have never once heard of the game Set, so I learned something new and will check it out!  Thanks.

Learner

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #27 on: February 18, 2017, 03:47:36 AM »
Kids are 5, 5, 2.  The older ones love Robot Turtles.  They were extremely excited to level up to Function Frog.  Tons of room for house rule customization as well - we will probably add limited use superpowers or a competitive mode if they get bored. 

All three of them enjoy Taiga - it's a forest-theme memory game.  It even has point counters that look like dowel made from little branches. 

They also received Monopoly Jr for Christmas - I was impressed how well-scaled it is.  A few examples are: the board has 6 locations per side vice 10, prices are in the $1-5 range, rent is the cost of the property and the game ends when the first person runs out of money.  These tweaks seem to keep 4-player games around 20 minutes.

My wife and I will occasionally test out board games for the kids when we are at our local board game cafe.  Great way to see what they're like without committing.

NextTime

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #28 on: February 23, 2017, 10:48:32 AM »
We just got a little cousin of mine (7yo) a copy of Dixit. I really like it as a game for all ages (we have one with 2 card expansion packs ;) )

It's a very different type of gameplay, centered around describing pictures on the cards (and the artwork is beautiful).


Dixit is awesome! I bought it a year ago for around $10 on an Amazon deal, put it in the basement when it was delivered and totally forgot about it until a few months ago.

It is kind of like Apples to Apples with pictures, and the artwork is beautiful.

I got my ultracompetitive aunt very pissed off at me over this game. 

MightyAl

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #29 on: February 23, 2017, 10:52:59 AM »
skipbo and racko are currently our 2 go to games.  We have been doing monopoly every once in awhile also.  I have 2 kids, 5 and 9.  The younger loves skipbo and the older is getting amped up over monopoly. 

AmberTheCat

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #30 on: February 23, 2017, 11:40:00 AM »
for kids, we got the game: 5 second rule. It's fun, not too competitive and gets conversation going.  You get 5 seconds to name three things on the card you drew. Eg: 3 things in a kitchen. 3 types of ice cream. 3 sports teams. 3 types of car. 3 scary movies. etc. etc x 1000!

It's fun as a conversation starter for adults too. (Not for ages 6 & younger i'd guess).

MrsPete

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #31 on: March 09, 2017, 08:25:41 PM »
Without a doubt, the #1 board game in my kids' childhood was Herd Your Horses.  It's a game that's never "made it big", and it's not easy to find, and it's not 'specially cheap ... but if you saw how tattered /taped up our box has become, you'd know it's seen some serious play.  When my girls were big into sleep-overs and church youth group overnights, their friends would specifically ask, "Will you bring Herd Your Horses?" 

Most appropriate for kids maybe 8-12 (they do need to be able to read) and slightly girl-oriented, this game can be played three different ways.  It's not so dull that adults hate it.  It's also a lovely game:  The game cards each bear the picture of a horse, and the cards tell details about that horse breed.  Sometimes my kids just looked at the pictures and read the cards. 

I gave the game to my older nieces, and they loved it just as much as my own kids.  Next Christmas I plan to give it to my youngest niece. 

LiterateNomad

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #32 on: March 12, 2017, 07:53:45 PM »
My kids are 5 and 9 and play Chess, Xiangqi( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangqi) and  Go (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game))  not to mention the Monopoly Deal Card Game.

gisk

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #33 on: March 13, 2017, 08:51:31 AM »
My kids love to play almost anything but skipbo, sequence, rummikub and hive seem to be the favorites.

twbird18

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Re: Fun board games for kids
« Reply #34 on: March 13, 2017, 06:03:35 PM »
I come from a large family & we have a lot of game nights.  As a group, the kids 6+ like coop games because we can all help the little ones be included so Forbidden Island, Forbidden Desert & Pandemic are favorites. We also really enjoy Ticket to Ride, Telestrations (which is like Pictionary & Telephone combined), & King of Tokyo. The readers all like Paperback.