25 Best Board Games for 5 Year Olds (in 2024)
Finding the best board games for 5 year olds can be a lot of fun, especially when you see how much they enjoy playing together.
Board games are a great way to spend time as a family while also helping kids develop important skills.
I’ve put together a list of some of the top board games for kids that are sure to keep your little ones entertained and engaged during family game nights!
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Best board games for 5 year old kids
If you’re looking for engaging and entertaining games that will spark your little one’s imagination, you’re in for a treat.
Board games are a fantastic way to spend quality time together as a family while also providing valuable learning experiences and helping kids develop essential skills.
Below, I’ve compiled a list of the best board games for kindergarten that promise laughter, friendly competition, and hours of fun.
Each game is designed with the curious minds of 5 year olds in mind, making them perfect for playtime.
And if you’re interested, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best books for 5 year old boys as well!
Type of Board Game: Educational, Strategy
A strategy game for two - four players, offering a simplified version of the popular Ticket to Ride series.
It combines geography and strategic thinking as players collect train cards and place their trains on the board to complete routes across different continents.
With its colorful illustrations, accessible gameplay, and educational value, it's a fantastic way for young players to learn about geography, practice decision-making, and engage in friendly competition.
Check out our Ticket to Ride review and see why we love this board game so much.
Type of Board Game: Educational, Strategy
A simplified version of the popular board game CATAN, designed specifically for younger players.
In this game, children take on the role of pirates, building hideouts and collecting resources on different islands. It introduces them to basic resource management, trading, and strategy.
5-year-olds will have a blast exploring the colorful game world, learning to make strategic choices, and experiencing the thrill of building their own pirate empire.
Embark on a fantasy-themed family board game adventure, exploring Tolk's Cave for treasures and battling monsters. Designed for kids aged 5 and up, Quest Kids offers an easy-to-learn and independent gameplay experience.
It serves as a fantastic introduction to fantasy board games, fostering creativity and cooperation through its unique heroes, villains, and Kind Kid Cards, all accompanied by high-quality, visually appealing components.
Type of Board Game: Cooperative, Physical Activity
This fun party game takes the popular childhood game to a whole new level of excitement for 5-year-olds.
With its physical and cooperative gameplay, kids can jump, climb, and strategize their way through a room filled with "lava" to reach safety.
It promotes active play, coordination, teamwork, and imaginative problem-solving, making it an awesome choice for getting kids moving and having a blast indoors.
Type of Board Game: Educational, Family
Kids can embark on a fun-filled journey where they make choices and experience different life events.
The game introduces basic counting, decision-making, and social skills. It's awesome for 5-year-olds because it combines learning with imagination and lets them explore various paths and possibilities in a colorful and interactive way.
Type of Board Game: Educational, Language
A fantastic introduction to word-building and literacy skills. Young players can form words on the game board using letter tiles with pictures and colors.
It encourages letter recognition, vocabulary development, and basic spelling.
The word game offers different levels of difficulty, making it suitable for early learners.
Type of Board Game: Educational, Observation
A delightful game that sharpens observation and matching skills. Players race to find objects hidden in a bowl of colorful objects.
It fosters visual perception, attention to detail, and hand-eye coordination. The game is easy to understand and has no reading involved, making it perfect for 5-year-olds to play independently or with friends.
It's an exciting and fast-paced game that guarantees lots of giggles and friendly competition.
For even more fun download our free pirate i spy printable.
Type of Board Game: Skill
This timeless game brings a hilarious twist to pretend surgery. Players take turns using tweezers to remove "ailments" from the patient's body without setting off the buzzer.
It helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills while adding a touch of silliness to gameplay.
5-year-olds will love the challenge of carefully removing the funny bones and organs, making it a fantastic game for the whole family.
Type of Board Game: Physical Activity
This exciting game tests balance and coordination as players try to stack colorful pieces on a wobbly board. The goal is to place as many pieces as possible without toppling the tower.
It encourages motor skills, spatial awareness, and strategic thinking. With its engaging gameplay and vibrant design, it keeps 5-year-olds active and entertained while promoting physical development and concentration.
Type of Board Game: Dexterity, Strategy
A gravity-defying stacking game that will have your little ones on the edge of their seats! The goal is to help Rhino Hero climb the highest tower without it toppling over.
This game is awesome for 5-year-olds because it promotes hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and spatial awareness. Plus, watching the tower wobble and trying to figure out the best placement for their roof cards will keep them engaged and giggling with excitement.
Type of Board Game: Dress-Up, Imagination
In this enchanting game, players navigate a magical kingdom as they dress up their princess characters.
The game board features pop-up castles, and players collect accessories to complete their outfits.
It sparks creativity, imaginative play, and social interaction. 5-year-olds will adore the princess theme and have a blast dressing up their characters while enjoying a delightful journey through a whimsical world.
Type of Board Game: Dexterity, Family
This silly and suspenseful game challenges players to carefully remove spaghetti strands one by one without letting the yeti fall into the bowl. It enhances fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and patience.
The anticipation of the yeti's tumble adds excitement and laughter to the gameplay. 5-year-olds will have a blast testing their steady hand and strategizing their moves to avoid the inevitable spaghetti avalanche.
Type of Board Game: Guessing, Social
Players take turns asking yes-or-no questions to figure out their opponent's secret character. It encourages deductive reasoning, critical thinking, and social interaction.
The game's simple rules and colorful characters make it perfect for 5-year-olds to engage with friends or family members while sharpening their questioning skills.
Add our printable Roald Dahl Guess Who template to go with it.
Type of Board Game: Physical, Competitive
Is a magical twist on the classic game. With adorable unicorn characters, players compete to gobble up colorful marbles by pressing their unicorn's tail.
It's fast-paced, engaging, and perfect for 5-year-olds who love mythical creatures and action-packed fun.
Type of Board Game: Educational, Matching
Is a colorful and engaging game that helps children develop early math skills.
Players take turns picking pretend fruits from their trees and placing them in their baskets. The game focuses on counting, colors, and matching.
It's an excellent way for 5-year-olds to practice their counting abilities while having fun with bright and appealing fruit-themed gameplay.
Type of Board Game: Strategy, Memory
A fantastic game for little detectives! In this cooperative mystery game, players work together to solve the mystery of who ate the cake, what time they did it, and what they left behind as a clue.
The game board features colorful locations like the playground and the toy store, and players collect clues by revealing cards. The best part is that the game pieces are adorable characters like Blue, Yellow, and Green. Clue Junior helps kids develop their deductive reasoning skills, memory, and teamwork as they collaborate to crack the case.
It's a thrilling and engaging game that keeps the little ones entertained while stimulating their minds!
Type of Board Game: Cooperative, Observation
In this delightful cooperative game, players embark on a magical journey through various Disney-themed realms. They work together to find hidden objects and landmarks on a giant game board.
The game promotes teamwork, observation skills, and attention to detail. 5-year-olds will love exploring the enchanting world of Disney characters while sharpening their observational abilities.
Type of Board Game: Cooperative, Deduction
Players team up to catch a sly fox who has stolen a pot pie.
Through rolling dice for clues and eliminating suspects, kids enhance their deduction skills while enjoying the suspenseful storyline and vibrant artwork.
It's a fun and engaging game that promotes teamwork and critical thinking in a playful and age-appropriate way.
Type of Board Game: Educational, Dice Rolling
An exciting dice game designed specifically for young kids. It's a simplified version of the classic Yahtzee game, perfect for introducing children to basic counting and addition skills.
The game includes Disney Princesses on each side of the dice. Players roll the dice and try to match the pictures on their scorecards. They earn points for different combinations, such as three of a kind or a full house.
Yahtzee Jr. teaches children to recognize patterns, count numbers, and make decisions based on probability. Plus, it's a great way to improve fine motor skills as kids shake and roll the dice. With its vibrant visuals and easy gameplay, Yahtzee Jr. makes learning math concepts enjoyable and encourages friendly competition among young players.
Type of Board Game: Cooperative
A classic and beloved board game that takes young players on a delightful journey through a colorful candy-themed world.
It's a cooperative game, meaning everyone works together to reach the Candy Castle.
This makes it perfect for 5-year-olds who are just starting to understand the concept of playing together.
With its simple rules and no reading required, it's easy for kids to grasp. Plus, the game board is filled with yummy candy illustrations, making it visually appealing and capturing their imagination.
Type of Board Game: Educational
A super fun math board game where kids can dive into the world of math while navigating through a swampy adventure.
Roll the dice, do simple addition and subtraction, and move the swamp creatures along the board to reach the finish line. It's a cool way for 5-year-olds to practice their math skills while having a blast in the swampy fun!
Type of Board Game: Interactive
A fast-paced, interactive game that will keep 5-year-olds engaged and excited.
The iconic Popomatic dice roller adds an element of surprise and anticipation to every turn. Players race their colored pegs around the board, trying to be the first to reach the finish line.
It's a luck-based game that introduces basic counting skills and teaches children about taking turns. The popping action of the dice roller adds an extra layer of fun, making it a thrilling experience for young players.
Type of Board Game: Educational, Strategy
A fantastic introduction to the world of Monopoly for 5-year-olds. This kid-friendly version features adorable dinosaur-themed tokens and simplified gameplay.
It helps children develop essential skills like counting money, making decisions, and practicing basic math concepts. The game encourages strategic thinking as players buy dinosaur-themed properties and collect rent from opponents.
It's an educational board game that combines fun with learning, allowing kids to immerse themselves in the world of dinosaurs while honing their strategic skills.
Type of Board Game: Strategy, Pattern Matching
A wonderful strategy game that introduces young children to the concept of patterns and strategy.
Players take turns placing their animal cards on the board to create sequences of four in a row. The game helps develop critical thinking skills as kids strategize their moves and plan ahead. It's easy to learn and visually appealing, with colorful animal illustrations that engage and captivate 5-year-olds.
Type of Board Game: Strategy, Spatial Awareness
The best strategy board games for families that encourages strategic thinking and spatial awareness in 5-year-olds.
Players take turns placing their uniquely shaped pieces on the board, aiming to block their opponents while expanding their own territory. The game promotes critical thinking skills as kids analyze the board, plan their moves, and strategize to outmaneuver their opponents.
Blokus XL's vibrant and chunky pieces are perfect for small hands, and the game offers different variations and difficulty levels to keep kids engaged.
Type of Board Game: Strategy, Quick Thinking
A timeless and exciting strategy game that challenges kids to think quickly and strategically. Players take turns dropping their colored discs into the grid, aiming to be the first to connect four of their discs in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
The game promotes critical thinking and planning as kids anticipate their opponents' moves while trying to create their winning sequence. Connect 4 Classic Grid is simple to learn, yet offers endless possibilities and thrilling moments.
Board games for different ages
When it comes to choosing the right board games for your kids, it’s important to consider their age and developmental stage. Here are some great options that cater to different age groups, ensuring fun and learning for everyone!
Last Updated on 29 October 2024 by Clare Brown