25 Best Board Games for 5 Year Olds (in 2025)

A great first step into strategy games. This kid-friendly version of Ticket to Ride lets young players collect train cards and race to complete routes across the board.

It’s perfect for 5 year olds who love vehicles and geography but aren’t quite ready for more complex strategy games. We love how it introduces decision-making in a way that feels fun, not overwhelming. If your child enjoys maps or puzzles, this is a great pick!

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

Perfect for little pirates who love adventure! This simplified version of CATAN turns young players into pirates, building hideouts and gathering resources to expand their territory.

It’s a fantastic way to introduce strategic thinking, but without the frustration of complex rules. Kids will love the bright, playful design and the excitement of trading resources to grow their pirate empire.

An epic fantasy adventure with teamwork at its heart. If your child loves stories about heroes and treasure hunts, this game will be a hit.

Players explore a cave, collect treasures, and defeat "bad guys" in a way that’s friendly and fun rather than scary.

The Kind Kid Cards introduce positive reinforcement, making it a great way to build cooperation skills.

Turn your living room into an action-packed obstacle course! This game takes the classic pretend-play activity and gives it a structured twist.

Kids jump from one safe spot to another while avoiding the “lava” and completing challenges.

It’s a great pick for high-energy kids who need movement-based play, making it perfect for rainy days when they need to burn off energy indoors.

Big decisions, small scale! This junior version of The Game of Life lets kids experience silly, lighthearted life choices—like going to the zoo or having a pet adventure—without the complexity of the adult version.

It’s an easy introduction to decision-making and counting, and since every turn brings something new, it keeps kids engaged.

A great choice for early readers. The board has two levels of play—one where kids match letters to form words and another where they can create their own.

It’s a simple yet effective way to build confidence in spelling and vocabulary while having fun.

A fast-paced search-and-find game that challenges kids to quickly spot objects hidden in a colorful pile.

It helps improve attention to detail, hand-eye coordination, and quick thinking. Since there’s no reading required, even younger kids can play independently.

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

A classic game that still brings plenty of laughs. Players use tweezers to remove silly ailments without triggering the buzzer, which helps improve fine motor skills and patience.

The challenge of steady hands makes every turn exciting, and kids love the suspense.

A balance and dexterity game where players stack pirate-themed pieces on a wobbly ship.

The challenge is to place as many as possible without tipping it over. It’s a fun way to build hand-eye coordination while adding an element of suspense.

A tower-stacking game with a superhero twist. Players carefully build a wobbly skyscraper while helping a tiny rhino climb higher.

It’s a great way to improve fine motor skills, strategic thinking, and patience, all while adding an element of excitement as the tower grows.

A magical dress-up game where players move around the board collecting accessories to complete their royal look.

The colorful pop-up castles and sparkly pieces make it extra engaging, especially for kids who love pretend play and storytelling.

A silly, suspenseful game that’s easy to learn. Players remove spaghetti strands one by one, trying to keep the yeti from falling into the bowl.

It’s a simple but fun way to develop fine motor skills and patience while keeping kids laughing.

A classic deduction game that encourages logical thinking and questioning skills. Players ask yes-or-no questions to figure out their opponent’s mystery character.

The simple gameplay makes it accessible for young kids, while the excitement of solving the puzzle keeps it fun.

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

A fast-paced action game where players race to chomp as many marbles as possible.

The unicorn theme adds a fun twist to this high-energy game, making it a great choice for kids who love fast and competitive play.

This was one of the first board games we played when my son was younger, and it was a hit. The bright colors and simple gameplay make it perfect for kids just learning to count. It’s a fun way to practice basic math without them even realizing they’re learning.

Just be prepared for lots of giggles when the spinner lands on the pesky bird or spilled bucket!

If your child loves solving puzzles or playing detective, this is a great introduction to mystery games. We found it to be a fun, lighthearted way to teach logic and deduction without the complexity of the classic Clue game.

The missing cake storyline keeps kids engaged, and it’s just challenging enough to make them feel like real detectives without being frustrating.

This is a fantastic choice for kids who love hidden object games. The oversized game board is packed with Disney characters and details, and since it's cooperative, everyone works together rather than competing.

We liked using this one as a calmer alternative to more competitive games, and it’s a great option for mixed-age siblings to play together.

This is one of my favorite games for introducing kids to deductive reasoning. It feels like a mix between Clue and Guess Who, but in a way that’s approachable for young kids.

I love how it encourages teamwork—everyone is trying to solve the mystery together rather than competing. It’s also a great option for kids who get frustrated by losing in more traditional games.

A fun introduction to dice games without being too overwhelming. We enjoyed how it blends luck and strategy, which makes it engaging but still accessible for younger players.

Since it’s picture-based, even kids who aren’t strong with numbers can play without feeling left out. Plus, rolling the dice adds that extra bit of excitement that keeps kids coming back to play.

This was one of the first board games we owned, and while it’s purely luck-based, kids absolutely love it. The bright, candy-themed board captures their imagination, and the simple gameplay means they can play independently once they understand the rules.

It’s great for younger kids, but be warned—it can feel a little repetitive for parents after the tenth round!

If you’re looking for a way to sneak in some math practice without making it feel like homework, this is a fantastic pick.

My son was resistant to math worksheets at times, but rolling the dice and moving through the swamp kept him engaged.

It’s perfect for early addition and subtraction skills, and the little obstacles on the board add just the right amount of challenge.

This game is all about that Pop-O-Matic dice roller. There’s something so satisfying about pressing it down and waiting to see what number pops up.

We found this to be a great game for helping kids practice taking turns, and the simple race-to-the-finish format makes it a good option for younger players.

Just be ready for some intense excitement when someone sends another player back to start!

If your child loves dinosaurs, this is an easy way to introduce them to Monopoly without the long playtime and complicated money management.

My son enjoyed picking out his dinosaur token and “buying” dinosaur-themed spaces.

It’s a good game for learning simple math concepts like counting money and making basic decisions without the stress of the original version.

This is one of those rare games that is simple enough for young kids but still interesting enough for older siblings or parents to enjoy.

It’s a great introduction to strategy without requiring reading, and the animal-themed cards make it especially appealing to younger kids.

We played this a lot when my son was younger, and it’s one of the few beginner games we held onto even as he got older.

A fantastic game for kids who enjoy puzzles or Tetris-style thinking. I love that it encourages strategic thinking and spatial awareness in a way that feels like a game rather than a lesson.

The large, colorful pieces are easy for kids to handle, and the game grows with them—what starts as a simple pattern-matching activity can become a full-on strategy battle as they get older.

This is a classic for a reason. It’s simple, fast-paced, and easy for kids to grasp, but still has enough strategy to keep them thinking.

We used to play this one on road trips or while waiting at restaurants because it’s quick to set up and doesn’t take too long to finish a round.

If you want a game that works for different ages, this is a great option that kids won’t outgrow too quickly.