10 of the Best Family Board Games – Promise, They Don’t Stink!

These are the best family board games for elementary aged kids. We’ve included classics and newer games of kid-tested, kid-approved board games for a family game night.

The Best Family Board Games that Don't Suck

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Family Game Night: The Resurgence

Are you looking for ways to connect with the kids that don’t involve screens? Screen-free time with kids is essential and board games are making a HUGE comeback.

Family game night can be a wonderful way to spend time together as a family, but playing the same games get old. And honestly, there are lots of fun new games to try but the kids don’t always approve and you end up having wasted your money.

The next time you’re considering a family game night and aren’t sure what to play, here are some of the best board games for elementary aged kids.

10 of The Best Board Games for Elementary Aged Kids

I divided the list of these games by topic and included the minimum age. Each of these board game for kids also has a note from our experiences with them.

The Best Board Games for Early Readers

Scattergories (4+)

In this classic Scattergories game, each person races against the timer to come up with a list of items that begin with the same letter. It’s a fun challenge that will get everyone in your family thinking.

If you have little kids in your family, pair them with an adult to make gameplay a little easier. My daughter and I are currently the reigning champions in our house…

Scrabble (8+) or Scrabble Junior (5+)

This four-player crossword challenge will have your family working against each other to play words and earn the most points possible. It’s a great way to have fun while learning a little, too!

While the original Scrabble game is best suited for older kids, the Scrabble Junior version of the game can be enjoyed by children as young as five. Our little one LOVES it! She works out how to spell the word phonetically, and it’s right in line with how early readers develop.

Ideal Board Games for Social Development

Chutes and Ladders (4+, Age 3 Possible) or Candy Land (Ages 3-6)

Geared toward players aged four and older, Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land are games even your littlest ones will enjoy.

Our little girl has been playing with our game since she was 3 and it’s one of the first games the kids take out before bedtime. Both of these games help teach young children about taking turns.

Yeti In My Spaghetti (4+, Age 3 Possible)

The idea is simple: there’s a Yeti resting on the top of your bowl of spaghetti, and as you remove the spaghetti strands, you can’t let him fall! Yeti in My Spaghetti is a silly game is fun and simple and even my husband enjoys playing it. Honestly, that’s why it made this list of the best family board games for elementary-aged kids. :)

It’s a quick play and it helps to teach kids patience.

Eye Found It! (5+, Age 3 Possible)

This is my child’s favorite board game (she’s had it for years and STILL loves it). I’m not kidding when I say we play it at least once a week, usually after school but before I have to start dinner. It was a surprisingly good find for our family.

And it has ALL the characters kids love!

Board games for elementary kids

Strategy Games for Kids

Connect Four (6+, Age 5 Possible)

In this two-person Connect 4 game, players compete against each other to see who can get four of the same colored pieces in a row. Get four in a row, and you win the game!

Connect Four is a fast-paced game, with most rounds wrapping up in a minute or two. If you have a 5-year-old, ours did very well with this game and we still play it once a week with her.

It’s also a great game to take camping because you can use the pieces for a quick game of camp checkers. Grab this inexpensive mesh bag for easy storage and clean up (we wash the whole thing in the creek when camping).

Monopoly and Monopoly Junior (5+, Age 4 Possible)

Monopoly, the classic family board game is hands-down one of the best family board games for elementary kids. The tried-and-true traditional version is best suited for kids at least eight years old.

We have the Amazon Exclusive Monopoly Junior (with the classic pieces, reinvented) and our daughter loves to play. When she was 4-years-old, she mostly just liked rolling the dice and moving the pieces, so you might have to modify play.

Blockus (7+, Age 5 Possible)

This game was an accidental find for us more than a year ago and now, Blockus is a big favorite in our house. The goal is to place all your pieces on the board, which can actually get quite challenging with the more people playing.

My daughter and friends absolutely LOVE this game and with 3-4 people, it’s a relatively quick play. A fun bonus is that the younger kids (5-6) also love making tanagrams with the pieces.

Ticket to Ride (8+, Age 7 Possible)

The mission is simple – travel by train to as many cities as possible in seven days. Ticket to Ride is a family-friendly board game suitable for kids aged eight and older. You’ll compete against each other to connect different cities and build longer routes between them.

There’s a bit of a learning curve at the start, but once you get the hang of it, it’s great. Also, a game takes more than an hour to play (budget for 2 hours).

Settlers of Catan (8+)

Who doesn’t play Settlers of Catan? We know people without kids who regularly play this one!It comes with 19 tiled pieces that create the board and those pieces can be randomized each game for a different experience.

The base game is aimed at ages eight and above and is suited for three to four players, but if your family is larger than that, you’re in luck – just get an expansion pack.

Pandemic (13+)

In this co-op board game, players work together to combat the spread of four viruses spreading worldwide. Pandemic doesn’t pit players against each other which is why it’s the perfect game for those who like to tackle challenges together.

This game is recommended for players in their early teens and older, so it’s a great choice for families with older kids.

Over to You

What do you think of this list of the best family board games for elementary kids? What do you most enjoy playing with your family? Let me know by sharing in a comment below!

Please share this fun list of family board games for elementary aged kids to Facebook. Maybe they can give their best suggestions!

These are the best family board games for elementary kids that are actually LIKED by them. #familygamenight #boardgames #games #gamesforkids #kidsgames #rufflesandrainboots

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