Looking for a way to work together with your kids instead of against each other? Cooperative Board games are great for this!
I love getting out a cooperative game when I have a child who might need a little extra help during the game. Be it reading cards, or forming strategies, cooperative board games allow parents to provide the needed assistance while still allowing kids to feel independent and play on their own!
Here are some of my favorite cooperative board games for kids that the whole family will love playing together!
I’ve tried to order the games beginning with those for younger players, around ages 4-5, and ending with games geared for children around age 8. Just remember that all kids develop at their own speed and each game can have kids both younger and older who will enjoy playing them.
Cooperative Board Games for Kids
MMM!
To say we love this game would be an understatement! Mmm! is an adorable game where you are mice trying to get all the food from the pantry before the cat comes in and stops you. It has simple rules and great strategy choices for young kids. My four year old son proudly declared it his favorite game.
Hoot Owl Hoot
A great option for preschool/kindergarten kids just starting out with board games. A great alternative to Candyland!
Outfoxed
A classic! Outfoxed is a classic whodunnit for kids that’s great for teaching early deductive reasoning. Our older kids (7-8+) will often run the game while playing with their younger siblings (4+)
My First Castle Panic
Practice colors, shapes, and making strategic choices. A cute version of the original game, this time intended for the younger ones!
Karuba Junior
Flip tiles, make paths, and get to the treasure! A cute version of the original game that plays lightning fast. Easy enough for kids to play without a parent making it a nice option for solo or sibling play.
Magic Mountain
I love the perfect mix of toy + game factor here! This award winning game is a great option for the whole family that your youngest will just love! It recently got a fresh new look for its new print run but it’s still the same great game!
Mysterium Kids
This is a cute one and great for parents who love the adult game and want to share it with their littlest ones. Kids love getting to use the drum to give clues and each game plays quick — perfect for short attention spans.
Sheep Hop
One of our new favorites! Sheep Hop is great for solo play as well!
Concept Kids Animals
What kid doesn’t love animals! I love watching kids think of the different attributes of their animal and finding ways to represent that on the board.
SOS Dino
Tile placement and route building! Kids will find this game tricky to beat at first and will really have to work together to get the high score.
Kids Chronicles
App based narrative mystery game — our daughter ate this one up. Reading is required.
Unlock Kids
I was so impressed by Unlock Kids. A language independent (no reading required) escape room style game. Cute puzzles perfectly designed for kids to be able to do on their own together.
Peek a Mouse
Adorable theme! Part memory game, part real time challenge — this unique game design is always a hit! This is one to keep your eyes out for on the resale and thrift markets.
Zombie Kidz & Zombie Teenz
We love this legacy game series! Teenz has the best narrative, but like any series you may want to start with the first game.
Zombie Kidz: Flashback
After you’ve worked through Zombie Kidz and Zombie Teenz, you can take on this entirely new game all about observation, clue following, and narrative storytelling.
Outnumbered
I absolutely LOVE this game! An excellent way to practice math in a fun, thematic game that is easily modified to suit the ages of the mathematicians you’re playing with.
Spotlight
If your kids love seek and find games, Spotlight is going to be right up their alley. You’ll work together to locate hidden characters and items on your board using a “magic flashlight.” It’s easy to replay again and again and perfect for mixed age sibling groups! Our kids will all play together from age 4 to 13!
Ziggurat
Ziggurat is an excellent first legacy game for families that kids love. The board is a fun 3D pyramid and each of the 6 chapters sees you completing a fun movement puzzle. There are new things to unlock which is fun, and the game is fully replayable after you complete the story. One of the better family legacy games available!
Ghost Fighting’ Treasure Hunters
One of the best cooperative kids games around! It’s back and we are loving it’s new anniversary look! Same great game with a fresh look for a new generation of kids to enjoy! Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters is an award winning game where you’ll play as a team to navigate a haunted house to collect each of the jewels before the ghosts take control. Fun all year long but a MUST play game for spooky season!
Chronicles of Avel
For an epic adventure, Chronicles of Avel delivers! Design your hero, fight villains, and save the Kingdom of Avel!
Miller Zoo
Hands down one of my favorite family games of 2023! If you’re looking for a new campaign/legacy game that you can play again and again, this is the one!
Mists Over Carcassonne
Carcassonne is one of the great family games of all time. Mists Over Carcassonne is great for groups of any age, but we find that it works really well for kids and their parents to play together.
Race to the Raft
Set in the Isle of Cats universe, Race to the Raft is the perfect family cooperative game to take on together! There are lots of difficulty levels to allow your family to customize the game to meet the ages of the players playing, be it with kids or a group of adults!
If you enjoyed this post about cooperative board games for kids, you may also enjoy:
Best Cooperative Board Games for Families
Family Board Games Perfect for Game Night
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