25 Best Board Games for 5 Year Olds That Kids Actually Love

At five, kids are just starting to play games with real rules, and actually follow them (most of the time).

This was the age when my son could finally take turns, understand simple strategy, and sit through a short game without wandering off halfway through.

But not every game works at this stage. Some are too slow, some too chaotic, and others just frustrate them.

What helped us most were games that balanced fun with quick turns, little to no reading, and some kind of movement or visual payoff.

Below are the board games that either worked well for us at age five or come highly recommended by other families we trust.

They’re easy to learn, fun to replay, and sneak in learning without turning it into a lesson.

Collage of the best board games for 5 year olds including Ticket to Ride, Outfoxed, Clue Jr, and Sequence for Kids.

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Best Board Games for Five Year Olds

If you’re looking for board games for kindergarten that actually hold a child’s attention, these were the ones that worked best for us.

Each game on this list is age-appropriate, easy to learn, and fun enough to keep coming back to, whether you’re playing at home or in the classroom.

Ticket to Ride First Journey

This was one of the first games that made my son feel like a “big kid.” He loved collecting train cards and finishing routes, even if he didn’t fully grasp the strategy at first. It’s simple enough for a five year old but still feels like a real board game. We skipped some of the scoring and just celebrated when he made a full route, kept things fun and frustration-free.

Check out our Ticket to Ride game review and see why we love this board game so much.

CATAN Junior Board Game

I was skeptical at first, CATAN sounds complicated, but the junior version is surprisingly doable at this age. The pirate theme helped a lot. My son mostly cared about building hideouts and collecting things, and we didn’t push the trading too hard. It became more of a storytelling game for us, which worked just fine.

The Quest Kids

This one felt like Dungeons & Dragons-lite, which my son thought was awesome. It’s very visual and leans into pretend play, which helped keep his attention. The “Kind Kid” cards were a nice touch, he actually started using phrases from the game outside of play. If your kid loves treasure hunts or superhero-type stories, this one’s a win.

The Floor is Lava

This game is complete chaos in the best way. We’ve played it more times than I care to count on rainy afternoons. It’s less of a “board game” and more of a way to burn off energy indoors. Don’t expect calm gameplay, but do expect laughter, hopping, and furniture getting slightly scuffed.

Game of Life Junior

This was hit-or-miss for us. My son liked spinning the wheel and moving around the board, but didn’t care much about the choices. It’s cute and colorful, and worked well when we wanted something calmer after an active game. We simplified the rules a bit and just leaned into the silly story aspect.

Scrabble Junior

We used this more as a letter-recognition game than anything competitive. My son liked matching letters and sounding out words, but we didn’t worry about scoring or turns. Some days we just used the board like a puzzle. It’s a nice early reading tool if your child is curious about letters, but don’t expect long rounds at this age.

I Spy Dig In Game

This one was surprisingly calming. My son would sit and sift through the pieces for ages, trying to find matches. It’s fast to explain, no reading required, and somehow keeps them focused in a way that feels like a break. Great for quiet time or while you make dinner, just be prepared to help find that one missing hot dog piece.

For even more fun use our free pirate i spy printable.

Operation Skill Game

We love the idea of Operation, but honestly, the buzzer freaked my son out the first few times. Once he got used to it, he liked the challenge, but we had to turn it into a silly game to keep it light. Definitely good for fine motor skills—just maybe not for super sensitive kids unless you ease into it.

Don’t Rock The Boat

Quick setup, fast turns, and a pirate penguin theme, this one worked well when we didn’t have the energy for a long game. It’s more about balance than strategy, and perfect for short attention spans. My son loved making up pirate voices for the characters, which turned it into part game, part pretend play.

Rhino Hero

Stacking cards into a tower sounds simple, but it’s surprisingly intense (in a fun way). My son took it very seriously, lining things up just right, holding his breath while placing the rhino. It’s a great mix of focus and silliness, and one of the few games we both really enjoyed playing together again and again.

Pretty Pretty Princess Unicorn Board Game

We played this one with friends whose kids were really into unicorns and sparkly accessories. It’s light and silly, and five-year-olds love the idea of collecting jewelry and wearing the crown. My son mostly liked spinning the wheel and laughing when someone lost all their pieces. It’s not deep, but it’s fun, and surprisingly engaging for kids who enjoy pretend play.

Yeti In My Spaghetti

This became our go-to five-minute game before bedtime. It’s simple: pull out spaghetti strands, don’t let the yeti fall. No setup, no reading, just quick turns and lots of giggles. It’s not something you play for an hour, but it’s perfect when you need a short, silly game that doesn’t cause arguments.

Guess Who?

We played this one a little differently, my son would often just pick a character and make up silly questions instead of sticking to the yes/no rules. It worked because the game itself is visual and repetitive in a good way. Once he got the hang of it, he started taking it more seriously and really loved “winning.”

Add our printable Roald Dahl Guess Who template to go with it.

Hungry Hippos Unicorn Edition Board Game

Loud, fast, and over in two minutes. It’s not a quiet game, and it’s not great for teaching patience, but it is great for kids who love action. We had a lot of chaotic fun with this one, especially in group settings. Just be prepared for marbles under the couch.

Hi Ho Cherry-O!

This was one of our first games and felt more like counting practice than a game sometimes, but it worked. My son liked spinning the wheel and filling his basket, though he got frustrated with the “spilled bucket” space pretty quickly. Still, it was a gentle intro to turn-taking and basic math, and he asked for it often.

Clue Junior

This one worked best when we played with him rather than expecting full independence. The mystery element was exciting, but we skipped a few rule details to keep it moving. The missing cake storyline was just silly enough to keep his attention, and it was a fun way to introduce logic without it feeling like a lesson.

World of Disney Eye Found It Board Game

We pulled this one out on quiet afternoons, it’s long, but cooperative, so there was no arguing over winners. My son loved hunting for tiny pictures on the huge board, and it became a nice way to slow things down. Not ideal if you’re short on time, but great for helping kids practice observation and teamwork.

Outfoxed

One of our absolute favorites. It’s the game that finally clicked when it came to understanding how clues work. We played this over and over at age five, and it was always fun watching him slowly get better at narrowing down suspects. Also: cooperative play = no meltdowns over losing.

Yahtzee Jr

It’s simple, fast, and a good intro to dice-based games. My son mostly picked characters he liked and tried to match faces, which was fine by me. There’s not a ton of strategy, but the excitement of rolling kept him interested. Great for short attention spans.

Candy Land Kingdom Of Sweet Adventures Board Game

This is a classic for a reason, but I’ll be honest, it’s not my favorite. That said, it was one of the first games my son could play totally on his own. It’s great for introducing basic turns and rules, and the candy theme was a huge draw when he was five.

Sum Swamp Game

This was one of the few games that made my son actually enjoy practicing math. The dice-rolling felt like an adventure, and the silly swamp creatures helped distract from the fact that he was doing addition and subtraction. We kept it light, no pressure, just lots of laughing when someone got stuck in the swamp.

Trouble Board Game

That Pop-O-Matic bubble is pure magic at age five. My son didn’t even care if he won, he just wanted to press the dice popper again and again. We had to help with counting spaces sometimes, but it was great for teaching patience and turn-taking… even if it got slightly competitive by the end.

Monopoly Junior Dinosaur Edition

He was drawn to this one entirely because of the dinosaur tokens. We played it loosely, helped with money and skipped some of the finer rules. It’s not something we reached for every week, but when he was in a dino mood, this was a hit. Shorter rounds made it more five year old friendly than the regular Monopoly.

Sequence for Kids

This one stayed in our rotation longer than I expected. It’s simple to set up, doesn’t require reading, and has just enough strategy to feel like a “real” game. My son loved the animal cards and would sometimes make up his own stories about them while we played. A good calm-down game after something more high-energy.

Blokus Xl Strategy Board Game

We didn’t play this one right away, it took a little time before he was ready. But once he got into puzzles, Blokus became a quiet favorite. He didn’t always follow the strategy, but he loved fitting the pieces together. We started by building shapes just for fun, then slowly introduced the rules. It was a nice way to grow with his attention span.

Best Board Games by Age: Top Picks for Every Stage

Every kid hits game milestones at a different pace. At five, my son was finally ready for turn-taking and simple strategy—but that wasn’t the case a year earlier. And now, a year later, he’s moved on to longer, more competitive games.

If you’re shopping for siblings or planning ahead, here are board game guides by age that we’ve also put together:

Best board games for 4 year olds – Great for kids still learning to take turns and follow basic rules. Think quick setups and lots of repetition.
Top board games for 6 year olds – Ideal for kids ready to think ahead a little and handle more structure and teamwork.
Best board games for 7 year olds – For kids who can focus longer and enjoy games with a bit more strategy and challenge.

Last Updated on 14 May 2025 by Clare Brown

Best Board Games for Five Year Olds

Best Board Games by Age: Top Picks for Every Stage

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