Creating our kidsโ board game gift guide each year is one of my favorite holiday traditions. There’s something magical about finding games that bring everyone to the table, laughing, learning, and making memories that last long after the decorations are packed away.
Gifting games goes beyond just having fun. Board games help kids practice math and reading skills, build social awareness, and learn how to win and lose with grace.
Every game on this list has been played (many, many times) by our own kids. You’ll find the best new games we discovered this year, plus the classics we’ve played for years that never get old.
About the age recommendations: Each game includes a starting age, which is the youngest age we’d feel comfortable gifting it. Many kids enjoy games earlier or later depending on their interest and experience, so use it as a guide, not a rule.
The gift guide below is aim at kids ages 3-7. For slightly older kids check out our
Shopping for a specific age? Browse our list of Board Games for Kids by Age to find the perfect fit for every kid on your list:
Hanna Honeybee
Our two year old is obsessed with this game! A cute theme and pieces perfect for little hands, itโs a great pick for little gamers ready to start learning the fundamentals of gaming and following simple rules. Ages 2+
Haba – My First Game Series
Our top recommendation when asked about kids’ games is “Get a HABA game”. Haba is known for crafting great experiences with high-quality pieces for any age. Our top picks are First Orchard and Here Fishy Fishy, we have been playing our copies of these games for over a decade. Ages 2+
Mr Postmouseโs Picnic
I love how gentle the theme of this game is. Based on a beautiful picture book, the game feels whimsical and nostalgic. Easy rules, cooperative gameplay, and grow-with-your-confidence variants that increase the difficulty. One of my favorites from the year! Ages 4+
Mooki Island
Mooki Island is easy to teach, genuinely fun to play, and full of thoughtful little moments that grow with your child. Itโs rare to find a game that works so well for both younger kids and older siblings, but this one delivers every time. Ages 4+
Dixit Kids
A cooperative game about throwing a rabbit’s birthday party using dreamy artwork. Kids love guessing and choosing the best card art to match the rabbits emotion. Great at sparking creative conversations for families. Ages 4+
Forest Festival
A unique memory game perfect for preschoolers and lower elementary players! Easy to set up and play quickly, everyone examines a picture scene and tries to remember all the characters they saw. The more you guess correctly, the more points you earn. Ages 4+
Azul Kids
Our kids love grabbing the tactile pieces from the built-in bowls as they race to complete their whimsical mosaic art first. The rules are simple enough for first-time gamers, but kids still have to think about which tiles in order to win. With an easier Apprentice side and a trickier Master side on every board, it truly grows right along with your child. Ages 5+
Mmm!
A cooperative hit! Youโre working together to get the food from the pantry before the cat gets to you. This is a quick to learn game filled with excellent choices that have kids thinking through ways to mitigate the luck of the dice and increase their chances of winning. My 6 and 8 year old have absolutely loved this one. Ages 5+
Rocking Raft
Quick, giggle-filled pirate game where kids tip and rock a wobbly raft to slide treasure gems into their lifeboats before the pirate flag ends the round. The chunky raft is fun to interact with, and the quick play is perfect for younger gamers. Ages 5+
Water Dragons
A cute, competitive racing game our kids have been loving this year. Move different sections of your water dragons to cross the finish line. This is a fun one where kids will need to manage their whole dragon rather than just racing ahead as fast as they can. Ages 5+
Outfoxed!
Work together to figure out which sneaky fox stole the prized pot pie before the thief escapes. Rolling for clues, gathering suspects, and sliding them into the clever evidence decoder never gets old, and itโs a sneaky-good way to build logic and deduction skills. Ages 5+
Super Meow
On the surface, Super Meow is a lovely kids’ game that plays quickly. But underneath itโs teaching players the fundamentals of deck-building strategies and turning them into smart, strategic players. Ages 6+
Duck and Cover
My kidsโ most played game again this year, and itโs not close! Duck and Cover works for everyone, kids and adults, and has been one of the biggest hit with our community this year! I love that it plays up to 7, making it a great option for families big and small! Ages 6+
The Sandcastles of Burgundy
Stop it right now this game is too cute! It does such a great job of distilling the complex mechanics from the Castles of Burgundy into a kid friendly game with hidden depth and plenty of learning opportunities! Ages 6+
Cascadia Junior
From its approachable gameplay to the delightful panorama board that sparks storytelling, every element has been designed with kids in mind โ while still offering enough depth to keep the whole family engaged. It teaches multi-step planning through simple drafting and puzzle-like placements, striking the perfect balance between accessibility and challenge. Ages 6+
Foxy
I love memory games for kids, and this one in particular is exceptional. Simple to learn, tricky to master, but a game all players, young and old, will get better at with each play and grow in confidence! I love it so much I filmed a play along so you and your family can enjoy a game with me to check it out! Ages 6+
Splendor Kids
I love how this game perfectly captures the elements of Splendorโs gem collecting and planning but in its own unique way that feels worth playing regardless of its connection to Splendor. You can even adjust the board to play a shorter or longer game, which has been *chefโs kiss* to make work for however long you have for game night. Ages 6+
Dragonwood
Fun theme with a simple and engage gameplay loop. This is the best game for disguising math practice. Quick to learn and full of dramatic dice-rolling moments, it been a go to game for our family since 2016. Ages 6+
MicroMacro Kids
Everything Iโve been begging for and more! I couldnโt be more thrilled with Micro Macro Kids. If your kids love hidden picture games and Whereโs Waldo books, this game is a must! Kid friendly mysteries to solve and tons of seek-and-find fun! Ages 6+ (younger with help)
Unlock Kids Series
The best escape room in a box series for kids is by far Unlock Kids. Each game box has six cases at three unique settings. Limited reading required and no technology. All the cases are replayable so it can be shared amongst siblings. Ages 6+
A Lotta Axolotls
Adorable, fast-paced card game where kids match the axolotls in their hand to collection cards on the table, claiming the axolotls by playing the final match. Two ways to play: a โChillโ mode with relaxed turns, and โWildโ mode where everyone plays at once for pure, giggly chaos. Ages 6+
Oh My Socks!
Collect socks to score points, but the fun twist is your socks only score if you have an even number of socks. The decision comes from deciding which sock you keep and which one you pass to a neighbor in an attempt to mess up their set. Play up to five players in less than 15 minutes; it’s an excellent introductory card game for kids. Ages 6+
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