25 Board Games for Kindergartners Your Whole Family Will Love

Inside: Forget the typical ho-hum board games for kindergartners. Instead, play these educational and fun board games for 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds.

Any time my kindergartner catches me sitting on the couch for more than a few minutes, she walks up to me with anticipation lighting up her face and asks, “Can we play a game?”

And when she zips off to our game closet to pick out a game, I send out a silent note of gratitude to my former self.

Here’s why: A few years ago, I’d had it with the likes of Candyland and Hungry Hungry Hippos. Those typical board games for kindergartners require little to no strategy, so they’re not exactly stretching your child’s brain.

Plus, kids are more perceptive than we sometimes give them credit for. When your face falls – even just a little – at the sight of which game your child picked out or when you’re anxious for the game to be done, your child will pick up on that.

But they won’t know your reaction is because of the game. They’ll think you don’t want to play with them.

Here’s the Fix: Play Games You’ll Both Love

Playing a board game with your child is a quick and fun way to connect with each other and nurture a loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond. But that won’t happen if you’re bored by the game or can’t wait for it to be over.

So a while back, I culled the ho-hum games from our family board game collection to make room for games that are fun for both kids and adults.

Then I went on the hunt for the best board games for families so we could restock our game closet with the cream of the crop.

25 Board Games for Kindergartners Your Whole Family Will Love

Forget those typical board games for kindergartners that leave you checking your watch, anxious for the game to be done. Why rush that moment with your child when you could be giggling together and deepening your connection?

The list below grew out of my family’s experience of being on the hunt for the best family board games and card games for several years. For this list, we researched for hours and hours to find all the top suggestions of board games for 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds, then market-tested them with our own crew, neighbors, friends, and the families who are patrons of our family-owned game shop.

Not only will your kindergartner love these board games and card games, but you will too. If you want more ideas after you check out this list, head over to Forget Candyland! This Is the Best List of Board Games for All Ages because most games on that list are great for 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds, too.

A Quick Note About Suggested Ages

The sections below are organized by age. But keep in mind that as with anything when it comes to kids and suggested ages, your mileage may vary. For example, some 5-year-olds might be able to play and enjoy some board games for 6-year-olds, whereas some 6-year-olds might need help playing a few of the board games for 5-year-olds.

If you try a game and your child doesn’t seem ready for it, put it away for a couple weeks or a month, then try again. Your child’s brain is growing constantly, so they might surprise you sooner rather than later!

Note: indicates my family’s absolute favorite board games for kindergartners. These are the games my whole family can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

Card Games for 5-Year-Olds

When you need a quick way to connect and have fun with your child like after school or before bedtime, these card games for 5-year-olds are the perfect fit. You can play most of the card games in this list in just 10 to 15 minutes, plus you and your child will both look forward to playing these games.

1. Sleeping Queens

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Get It: Sleeping Queens

Of all the board games for kindergartners in this list, this is our number one go-to as a family and the top seller in our family-owned game shop. The rules are simple enough for kindergartners to understand, but the game still keeps older kids and adults engaged and having fun, too.

We never get tired of this game! Plus, you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes, which is perfect for squeezing in a dose of family connection before sending your child off to bed.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds are ready for this game, especially if you help them out a bit with the number cards.

Bonus: All game orders placed in our family-owned shop get a $7.99 bonus credit after purchase to spend on instant downloads!

By the way, when you’re playing card games with your child, this card holder is a must have for their smaller hands. Your child can hold it to see their cards, or they can set the holder down on the table for a break. (This particular card holder has stood the test of time, as opposed to other card holders we’ve tried.)

2. Rat-a-Tat Cat

Time to Play: 10 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Get It: Rat-a-Tat Cat

In this fast-paced card game, your goal is to collect cards so that you’ll have the lowest possible point value. That means getting rid of the high cards (rats) and going for the low cards (cats). When you think you’ve got the lowest score, you call out “Rat-a-Tat Cat!”

This quick game builds your child’s memory skills and number sense, plus you can play a game start to finish in about 10 minutes.

This game is in our regular rotation, and we also like to play it in between rounds of Sleeping Queens for a change of pace. It’s the perfect mix of silly, challenging, and fun!

3. Spot It! Classic or 123

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Get It: Spot It! Classic or 123 (also called Dobble in some areas)

My favorite part of this matching game is that it’s so portable. When we’re heading somewhere the kids will have to wait a bit, like the doctor’s office or to a restaurant, I can throw this little game in my purse and keep all the kids entertained and relatively quiet. (Side note: The small tin holding the cards also makes this game a great fit as a stocking stuffer for kids!)

By the way, out of all the board games for kindergartners included in this list, this one is the most frequently recommended by readers!

4. SET

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Get It: SET

This game will give your child’s brain a workout – and yours too. To play, you compare patterns on the cards and find a SET of three cards before anyone else does.

Confession: At first, I thought this game looked too simple and that it wouldn’t keep my interest as an adult, but it came highly recommended so I gave it a chance. As it turns out, I was dead wrong. The shapes are deceptively simple, and finding a SET is challenging enough to keep adults on their toes too.

Another plus for this game: Your child can play the game alone. So when they come to you saying, “I’m bored,” don’t say a word. Just put this game in their hands, and they’ll be all set.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 6 and up, but because the game requires no reading, most 5-year-olds and even some 4-year-olds are ready for this game.

5. Five Crowns Junior

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Get It: Five Crowns Junior

This rummy-style card game is great for the whole family, plus the game helps your kindergartner practice their math skills in a fun way. Based on the uber-popular Five Crowns card game for adults, this kid-friendly version also introduces your child to the basic concepts of rummy so they’ll be ready to play that when they’re older.

A quick heads up if your child tends to be sensitive to losing: When you don’t have a full 5-card run during a turn, you get stuck with something called a Robbie chip. Then at the end of the game if there’s a tie, the person who has the most Robbie chips ends up getting their treasure “stolen” by the Robbies and therefore loses.

Because of the negative connotation of the Robbie chips, some kids don’t like that aspect of the game, so you can just leave that part out entirely until your child is ready for more of a challenge. My family plays without the Robbie chip component, and everyone still has a blast with this game.

6. Sushi Go

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Get It: Sushi Go

This is one of our favorite board games for kindergartners (and the whole family!) because you can play it quickly. My kids will happily sit and play this one for an hour or more – round after round after round.

To play, you pick one card from your hand to keep for yourself, then pass your cards to the next person. Everyone keeps doing this until all cards are picked. Then you score points based on which cards you picked to keep: Did you get the most maki rolls? Did you dip your nigiri in wasabi to triple its value?

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 5-year-olds are ready for this game, especially if you help them out a bit at first until they learn the different cards.

7. Create a Story Cards

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2 or more
Get It: Create a Story Cards

This simple card game is a great way to foster your child’s imagination and build literacy skills.

The game has several variations, but our favorite is this one: Each player takes turns picking a random card. The first person starts a story with “Once upon a time…” and finishes the sentence. Then on the next turn, the next person uses their card as inspiration to add to the story.

The stories we come up with as a family always leave us giggling. Even my toddler loves to play!

What’s especially great about this game is you have several versions to choose from, so to make it even more fun, you can mix different sets together:

• Fairy Tale Mix-Up
• Animal Village
• Mystery in the Forest
• Volcano Island

This one also makes for a fun travel game to take along on road trips or plane rides.

Board Games for 5-Year-Olds

Here are the best board games for 5-year-olds that parents and older siblings enjoy playing, too. So long, Candyland!

8. My First Carcassonne

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: My First Carcassonne

Whereas some board games for kindergartners are all luck and no strategy, this game gives younger kids a fun introduction to thinking strategically. And of all the games in this list, this game is on my own personal short list of my favorite games to play with my kids – along with Sleeping Queens (see above).

To play, you place tiles to build streets in the city of Carcassonne, so the road-building aspect is fantastic for growing your child’s spatial intelligence.

If this game is your first introduction to the world of Carcassonne, be sure to check out the main version of Carcassonne for ages 7 and up when your family is ready to graduate.

9. Dixit

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 3–6
Get It: Dixit

Everyone in my family fell in love with this game right from the start.

If you want to nurture your child’s creativity, you need this storytelling game. Each round, one player picks a card (without showing anyone else!) and makes up a one-sentence story based on the picture on that card. Then all the other players pick a card that best fits with that story, and everyone puts their cards facedown. The storyteller shuffles the cards and turns them all over, and everyone has to vote on which was the “correct” card that inspired the original story.

The best part of this game is watching how your child pieces a story together and literally seeing their imagination at work. I never get tired of seeing what my kids come up with. Sometimes their clues are more literal, and sometimes they completely surprise me. Plus, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous!

A few ideas for when you’re playing with a younger child:

• The first time you play, do a few practice rounds to help your kiddo get comfortable with the rules and strategy. You might even start with a practice run every time you sit down to play this game as a family. For example, it was a challenge for our youngest player at first to not give away which card was hers when it came time to guess the right answer. But after a couple games, she got it.
• Make a house rule that clues can be just one word. This will help younger kids avoid giving away too much about their cards.
• Or as an alternative, you can have a rule that kids’ clues must be feelings. Ask the kids to describe how the card makes them feel, and they’ll avoid being too literal.
• Try playing without keeping score so you keep the focus on the best part of the game – getting your creative juices flowing.

10. My First Castle Panic

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Get It: My First Castle Panic

Castle Panic is one of my absolute favorite board games for the whole family, so I was excited to discover they had a kids’ edition. When it comes to board games for 5-year-olds, you can’t beat the fun factor of this game.

This is a cooperative game, so you work together to fight off a horde of monsters who are trying to tear down your castle walls and destroy your castle. It sure is fun to work together as a family towards a common goal that doesn’t involve loading the dishwasher!

11. Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

Many kindergarteners aren’t yet ready for the classic Sequence game, so the Sequence for Kids version is a great way to get them familiar with that fun game before they’re ready to graduate.

What I love about this game is that after you play a few times, you’ll notice your child start thinking ahead a couple turns instead of just playing the second they find a match, which is excellent for developing their strategic thinking skills.

For a fun alternative with similar gameplay, Sequence Letters will help your kindergartner with recognizing letters and the sounds they make.

12. Gobblet Gobblers

Time to Play: 5 minutes
Number of Players: 2
Get It: Gobblet Gobblers

This game is like tic-tac-toe with a twist, and it’s one of our go-to board games for kindergartners. Just like in tic-tac-toe, you line up three of your pieces to win. But in this game, your piece can also gobble up another person’s piece (or even your own piece) because the game pieces are like nesting dolls. You can also move any pieces you already placed on the board.

While it can get boring to play tic-tac-toe with your kindergartner over and over again, this game shakes things up enough to make it fun for all ages in the family. The game is over quickly, which is a plus for a young child’s attention span. When my two oldest kids were nine and four, they’d sit and play game after game together because they were having so much fun. (And they still play it regularly, several years later!)

The kids don’t even realize they’re building critical thinking, memory skills, and spatial awareness skills while having fun!

One quick warning though: Be sure to get this wooden version of this game, not the newer plastic version. The families who accidentally ordered the plastic version while on another site were bummed because the plastic edition isn’t nearly as sturdy. (We stock only the wooden version in our shop!)

13. Qwirkle

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

This game is simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for adults, so it’s the perfect fit for playing with your kindergartner. Your child will have fun while practicing math and building strategy skills, and you’ll get a mental workout of your own.

To speed up the game, we skip keeping score and put the focus on matching the colors and patterns. You can play a whole game in about 30-45 minutes, and then after the game our younger kids will extend the fun by building towers with the tiles.

This game also comes in a compact travel version, so we keep it in our suitcase and take it with us wherever we travel as a family.

14. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Outfoxed!

This game is like Clue but for younger kids – and yet still fun for adults too. A fox stole a pot pie, and you have to figure out which fox it was before they escape into the foxhole.

My kids regularly play this cooperative whodunnit game independently, and I love watching them work together as a team to solve the mystery. This fun game will build your child’s logic and deductive reasoning skills, and it’s one of the best board games for kindergartners around!

15. Yeti in My Spaghetti

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Get It: Yeti in My Spaghetti

This game is similar to Ker-Plunk, but it’s a better fit for younger kids because Ker-Plunk’s marbles are choking hazards.

To play this fun little game, you lay the spaghetti pieces across the bowl then put the yeti on top. (No logical backstory behind this – just go with it.) Then each player takes turns pulling out one piece of spaghetti. If the yeti falls to the bottom of the bowl on your turn, you lose. This is usually the point at which kids collapse into giggles, which can be contagious!

This game is perfect for younger kids because it helps develop their executive functioning skills when they learn (the hard way) to be patient and pull the spaghetti pieces out slowly. But because it’s so quick and silly, even tweens and teens get into it too!

16. Rummikub

Time to Play: 45-60 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: Rummikub

This classic family game will build your child’s math skills, but they’ll have so much fun they won’t even realize they’re growing their brain at the same time. As a bonus, Rummikub is challenging enough to make even adults bring their A-game. When grandparents come to visit, this is the game both kids and grandparents love to play!

This is supposed to be for ages 8 and up, but we’ve had three preschoolers who were still able to understand the rules after one practice game. Several reviewers have said their younger kids get into this game as well. Plus, it’s great reinforcement for kids who are learning to recognize numbers.

17. Life on Earth Memory Game

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Get It: Life on Earth Memory Game

It took us three tries to find the best memory matching game for kids: the Life on Earth game by eeBoo.

The original Memory game was fine, but the artwork is babyish so our older kids weren’t as interested in playing, not to mention the cardboard pieces were flimsy and easy to bend. Another edition was a little too “creative” for some younger kids to figure out, and we couldn’t seem to find the memory game that was the perfect fit.

Then we found the Life on Earth edition: The artwork is gorgeous, and the thick, sturdy pieces are perfect to prevent bending or ripping by curious little hands. Plus, with younger kids, each piece gives you an opportunity to talk through different types of animals and share fun tidbits you know about them. Great for building your child’s vocabulary!

18. Rhino Hero

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Rhino Hero

In this card-stacking game, you take turns adding more levels to a skyscraper and try to avoid knocking the whole building down. It’s kind of like Jenga in reverse, but you don’t have to preemptively cringe every turn because instead of a loud crash from dozens of wooden blocks falling all at once – it’s just a few playing cards falling.

This game is simple, quick, and fun, but it’s also educational. While you play, you’ll help develop your child’s fine motor skills and spatial intelligence, plus encourage patience and strategic thinking as they plan ahead to keep the tower from tumbling down. The best kind of practice for budding young engineers and scientists!

But don’t worry – the game is still challenging enough to keep you engaged and having fun, too.

Card Games + Board Games for 6-Year-Olds

Below, you’ll find the best card games and board games for 6-year-olds. Some of these games work best for kids who’ve started reading independently because the games might require a small amount reading.

19. Ticket to Ride First Journey

Time to Play: 15-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Ticket to Ride First Journey

When it comes to board games for kindergartners, this one is a must. Your goal in the game is to figure out the best routes to travel across America by train. Not only will your child learn strategy and geography, but they’ll have a blast too.

The kids’ edition is simple enough for younger kids but still challenging enough for the whole family to enjoy. In fact, because the games are quicker with the kids’ edition, my family prefers to play that one over the full edition!

When your child is ready, you can move up to the regular version for even more of a fun challenge. The full edition of Ticket to Ride is so much fun that my husband and I love to play it after the kids are in bed, just the two of us.

20. Go Nuts for Donuts

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6 players
Get It: Go Nuts for Donuts

This is a quick card game that always makes us laugh. The goal of the game is to get as many points-scoring donuts as you can and end up with the highest score, and kids definitely love the donut theme.

But what really makes this game worth it is what happens when you go after the same donut as someone else. Because if you both go after the same donut, no one gets the donut. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after – so you can avoid going after the same donut. But then…are the other players predicting the same thing about you and therefore picking a different donut than you’d expect, so now you’re actually going after the same donut after all?!

My husband and I always end up picking the same darn donut turn after turn, so our kids tend to beat us handily.

Most families who enjoy Sushi Go end up loving this quick card game too.

21. Kingdomino

Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Kingdomino

In this fun twist on the classic game of dominoes, you’re royalty in search of new lands so you can expand your kingdom. But you’ll need to hurry to snag the best spots before other royalty gets there first.

This game is simple to learn, quick to play, and challenging enough to keep both kids and adults coming back for more. And when you play this tile laying game with your child, you’ll build their strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, all while having a great time connecting as a family. In other words, if you’re on the hunt for board games for kindergartners, this game has it all.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds and even some 5-year-olds are ready for this game.

22. Catan Junior

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Catan Junior

The regular edition of Catan is one of our all-time favorite board games for the whole family, and this kids’ edition is the one of the best strategy board games for 6-year-olds. The gameplay is challenging enough that adults don’t get bored, but still straightforward enough that kindergartners can figure it out.

Kids love the pirate theme and the talking parrot Coco, and they won’t even notice they’re learning strategic thinking skills while having a blast. Forget Monopoly and play Catan Junior instead!

23. Word on the Street Junior

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-8
Get It: Word on the Street Junior

Some board games for kindergartners touted as “educational” are so focused on the learning aspects that they’ve sucked all the fun out of the game. But not Word on the Street Junior.

Even though the game is marketed as educational for kids with many kindergarten and first grade teachers using it in their classrooms, as an adult I love this game. If you enjoy word games like Scrabble or Boggle but your child isn’t yet ready for those games, you need Word on the Street Junior.

This game is like tug-of-war – but with letters. On your team’s turn, you get a prompt like “something with a shell” and you have to think of a word that fits that prompt, like “snail.” Then you get to move all the letters in your word one lane closer to your side of the “street” board. The first team to move eight letters all the way off the board wins.

Pro tip: When playing with a kindergartner, many families find it helpful to play with a small dry-erase board or scratch paper. After your child comes up with a word on their turn, you can help them spell it on the board or paper. Not only will that help them complete their turn, they’ll get some bonus spelling and handwriting practice.

24. Quiddler Junior

Time to Play: 20-40 minutes
Number of Players: 1-6
Get It: Quiddler Junior

This is one of those rare educational games for kids that’s actually fun for kids and adults. Case in point: I love this game just as much as my kids do!

Each card in your hand features a different letter, and the goal of the game is to use those letters to create words. Creating words scores points, and the person with the most points at the end wins.

Teachers and homeschoolers rave about this card game because not only will your child improve their spelling and build their vocabulary, but they’ll also practice math skills when adding up their points.

As a bonus, this game also includes instructions for playing a solitaire version – an excellent option for when your child announces, “I’m bored!”

Note: The manufacturer says this game takes 40 minutes to play, but that’s for a full seven rounds. If you’d like a shorter game, you can just play fewer rounds and then add up everyone’s points.

25. Crossing

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 3-6
Get It: Crossing

This quick game of strategy is perfect for connecting with your child when you have a small pocket of time, like at bedtime or after getting home from school. Kids love trying to collect as many gemstones as possible, and the strategy aspect of the game is enough to captivate adult players, too.

On each turn, all players make their moves at the same time. You can choose to go after a new batch of gemstones, protect your current stash, or steal from another player. But if two players both go after the same gemstones, no one gets them. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after.

Plus, your child will get bonus math practice when adding up the points for their gemstones at the end.

Good, quick fun for a wide range of ages!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 6-year-olds are ready for this game.

Want More?

For even more awesome game ideas, check out:

• All ages: The Best Board Games for All Ages
• Ages 18 months to 3 years: The Best Toddler Board Games
• 3 years to 5 years: The Board Games for Preschoolers

Your Turn

What are your family’s favorite board games for kindergartners? Share in a comment below!