Easy Games Kids Can Teach Their Friends

Letting your kids teach a game on their own is one of the best skill builders. Reading the rules, explaining them clearly, answering questions on the fly. That takes real skill!

Often parents are the ones learning and teaching the game. It’s certainly a habit in our house to learn and teach it ourselves. But teaching the game is where some of the most important learning happens.

Handing over the rulebook does more than you think. Your kids are building skills like:

reading comprehension. they have to actually understand the rules, not just hear them.
logical organization. They learn to explain steps in an order that makes sense to the learners. (which is not always by beginning from step 1!)
Communication. Saying it out loud so someone else understands is a real skill.
Active listening. When their friend or family member asks a question, they have to listen and understand where they need to be more clear.
Reframing for understanding. If the first explanation flops, they need to try another way.
Leardership! they’re running the table. Speaking clearly and confidently so that those learning the game trust them. That builds incredible confidence that will stick with them.

The list of benefits seriously doesn’t end. Give your kids a game to learn and teach on their own this week and watch how much they shine!

Games that Are Easy for Kids to Teach

These are some great games to give your kids to practice learning and teaching games. They have short rules and are easy to explain around the theme which makes them forgiving if someone is having trouble following.

Splendor – Probably my favorite classic board game for kids to teach. This is a game that we have been playing for years and when our kids were old enough to join, we had them learn the rules on their own and teach it to us. Simple collecting and trading, but multiple steps for them to logically organize and communicate.

Sixem – This fun and simple dice game is great for kids and families. You’re rolling dice quickly to mark off locations on your board to get six in a row. It’s easy with a few fun strategy paths to touch on during the teach.

Oh My Socks – Great for teaching to younger siblings. The cute sock matching theme makes this a breeze to explain.

Flip 7 – The best part about this game is you can teach it as you begin playing. Very low stress with lots of fun moments that make teaching it fun.

Piles – Collect sets of 4 cards showing matching clothing items. It’s a fast paced frenzy that kids love and can explain confidently.

Point Salad – I love this game for letting your tweens teach. Straight forward game play with a few more rules and strategies to convey to your learning audience that make it a bit more of a challenge while remaining manageable.

Kingdomino – the multiple steps from how you choose your tiles to explaining the placement restrictions provide a great challenge for organizing steps and communicating goals.

Any game can be great for this, especially if it’s a favorite. The first solo explanation might be a little wobbly, but that’s the point. This will help them grow into confident communicators and leaders!